Role of laboratory and medical

laboratory professional

Dr. Saad Alghamdi

Why Choose to Become a Clinical

Laboratory Professional…

- Clinical laboratory professionals analyze

blood, body fluids, tissues and cells to

provide proper diagnosis of diseases

- They are highly skilled in the use of the

latest biomedical techniques and

instrumentation

Important Work!

- Clinical laboratory professionals are vital

members of the health care team

- Up to 70% of physician decisions regarding

patient diagnosis and therapy are based on

lab test results

- Modern medicine could not function without

clinical laboratory professionals

- Clinical lab professionals are the third largest

group of health professionals after doctors

and nurses

- Over a quarter of a million clinical lab

professionals work in clinical labs nationwide

- There are over a thousand different clinical lab

tests

- Millions of clinical lab tests are performed

each year in Saudi Arabia

Important Work!

Where Do Clinical Laboratory

Professionals Work?

Hospital clinical labs

Private clinic labs

Reference labs

Public Health labs

Toxicology centers

Primary health care

Clinical Lab Professionals Also Work In:

Pharmaceutical and Chemical Industries

Biotechnology Companies

Forensic and Law Enforcement Laboratories

Transplant and Blood Donor Centers

Fertility Clinics

Cosmetic and Food Industry

Research and Teaching Institutions

- Excellent technical skills

- Problem solving,

- Data analysis,

- Computer skills, and

- Good oral and written communication

Laboratory Medicine specialist Requires:

Consultants, Directors, Managers,

Coordinators PhD (4-5 years)

Histotechnologist (HTL)

Cytotechnologist (CT)

Clinical Laboratory Specialist (CLS) or

Medical Technologist (MT) Bachelor's degree

(5 Years)

Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) Diploma

(3 years)

Phlebotomist (PBT) Diploma

(2-2.5 years)

Who Works in a Clinical Laboratory?

Masters

(1-3 years)

Senior specialists, Department heads,

Coordinators

Real Job

Analyze body fluids for many diverse proteins, sugars, enzymes, lipids, hormones and drugs

Provide information to physicians to help diagnose:

• Cancer

• Diabetes and kidney diseases

• Drug overdoses

• And many other conditions …

Real Job

Detect and identify disease-causing

bacteria and parasites

Determine the best antibiotics to

use for bacterial infections

Examine and count blood cells to

detect abnormalities found in

anemias, leukemias and

infections so appropriate therapy

can be started

Real Job

Analyze blood to find causes for

abnormal bleeding or clotting

Test plasma to monitor therapy with

anticoagulant drugs

Prepare red blood cells, platelets, plasma for

safe transfusion

Perform testing on DNA, RNA or

chromosomes to help identify genetic causes

of disease or to identify pathogens and their

drug resistance mutations

Clinical Laboratory Professionals

Enjoy the challenge of science theory, lab discovery, technology and medicine

Have a high level of responsibility and commitment to help others

Have the capacity for calm and reasoned judgment

Are organized, efficient and are good problem solvers, communicators and team players

Have high standards and demand quality performance and accuracy

For Medical Lab Professionals, Safety

Always Comes First!

Questions??