Updated July 17, 2022
If you are even slightly able to gauge the increasing role of paramedic staff, opting for Medical Lab Technician Course (MLT) is a no brainer. Minus proper diagnosis, treating diseases is like shooting in darkness. Yes, you heard it right! Without Lab Technicians, the doctors are truly incapacitated.
Factually, lab technicians are the trained medical personnel who assist the doctors & specialists in analyzing & providing precise treatment to the patients. Thus, Courses and programmes for these Technicians are of great value in saving lives.
The MLT courses offer required skills & hands-on experiences to operate complicated medical equipment and doing a variety of tests. And, after the Covid-19 pandemic, the lab technicians have become all the more crucial medical staff. Obviously, the recent public health crisis has upped the demands for MLT in employment settings across the world.
Key Highlight of Lab Technician Course
The following are the significant key aspects of Lab technician Courses:
| Diploma –Level technician Course | Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology, Diploma in CVT Technician, Diploma in ECG Technology, etc |
| Under-graduate Level technician course | BSc X-Ray Technology, BSc Medical Imaging Technology, BSc ECG and Cardiovascular Technology, etc. |
| Lab technician Certificate Course | Certificate in Laboratory Techniques, Certificate in Medical Laboratory Technician, Certificate course in Medical Laboratory Technology, etc. |
| PG level lab Technician Course | (a) MSc ECG and CVT, (b) MSc X-Ray Technology, (c) MSc Medical Laboratory, (d) PhD in Medical Lab Technology, etc. |
| Eligibility | 12th or intermediate education in science stream |
| Examination Type | Semester-wise |
| Admission Process | Merit-based/ entrance based |
| Average Starting Salary | 18k to 30k per month |
Why Do People Pursue a Medical Lab Technician Course?
Although pursuing a career as a medical lab technician depends on students’ interests and goals, there are many reasons that influence the aspirants’ thoughts. One of them is that the medical industry is growing at a good pace across the world, and that requires trained paramedics to fill the vacancy.
Pertinently, MLT courses also offer promising and rewarding career opportunities to the students. For the unversed, the medical lab technician is a paramedical course that trains and develops competent medical personnel who can assist the doctors and specialists in diagnosing & treating various kinds of diseases.
Apart from the above description, here are some other reasons that can inspire students pursue a Medical lab technician Courses:
Multiple Work Opportunities: Once you get a degree in Medical Lab Technician course, you can explore a vast employment setting. Some of them include Diagnostic Labs, Research Facilities, Medical Equipment Sales Companies, Hospitals, Blood and Organ Banks, Pathology Labs and many more.
Sizeable Pay Scale: The average packages for students with an MLT degree are higher for both private and public employment settings. You can be involved in Technology Manager, Laboratory Manager, Medical Officer, Research Associate, Lab Assistant and others.
Scope for Future Specialization: Once you get a medical technician undergraduate course, a broad spectrum of specialized courses are open to pursue and make a professional career in the field. Some of the specialized courses are Microbiology, Blood Banking, Immunology, Clinical Chemistry, etc.
Opportunity to Work Abroad: When you get trained and have excellent skills and knowledge, you can easily find career opportunities abroad as well. The demand for competent paramedical personnel is also high in the international medical industry and will pay you a decent annual package for the job roles.
Lab Technician Course After 12th
There are many Lab technician courses in which students can enroll. Here is a list of lab technician course after 12th education.
(a) Diploma in Lab Technician Course
(b)Undergraduate Course in Lab Technician
(c) Lab Technician Certification Course
(d) Postgraduate Level Lab technician Course
Diploma- Level Courses for Lab Technician
Here is a list of Diploma Level Lab Technician courses in detail for students who have just done their intermediate examination and wish to make a career in the lab technician field.
(a) Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT):
The Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology is a foundational course that allows students to learn how to identify & inspect various ailments by studying the blood samples. This course is primarily introduced to develop laboratory-related personnel to assist the specialist in diagnosing various illnesses. In the course curriculum, students do a deep examination of different human blood samples along with theoretical papers.
(b) Diploma in CVT Technician:
Cardiovascular Technician has a crucial role in inspecting and diagnosing the ailments related to cardiovascular. And Diploma in CVT provides a platform to learn all the technical skills and experiences required to inspect, test and monitor such issues or complications. It could be studied right after completing 12th education, which spans over 3-year.
(c) Diploma in ECG Technology:
This Diploma program has an immense role in treating patients suffering from heart abnormalities. The course has been designed to develop the students to embrace the requisite technical skills and knowledge of the ECG pieces of machinery. Essentially, the ECG technician monitors and makes up reports on the performance of the ECG machine over the cardiac patients. The physician figures out the abnormalities and then provides suitable therapeutic on reading the reports.
(d) Diploma in Medical Imaging Technology:
DMIT or Diploma in Medical Imaging Technology is a paramedical course that educates the students to perform diagnostic imaging examinations like X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, etc. Additionally, the course provides a broad knowledge of biophysical and health sciences to make the participants proficient in handling the radio imaging equipment and procedures. Indeed, it is a perfect course for the aspirants who wish to pursue a career in the medical field just after completing their 12th education.
(e) Diploma in Radiography Technology:
Advancing technology has broadened the horizons of career scope for suitable & exciting candidates. A diploma in Radiography Technology does nothing but offers promising career opportunities for students having a keen interest in MRI, X-ray, Fluoroscopy, and other significant technologies. The knowledge they gain during their course is imperative in diagnostic and providing therapeutic treatment to the patients.
The diploma courses after the 12th do not stop here; there are many other significant diploma courses for aspiring students. Among them, it includes Diploma in Medical Laboratory Assistants, Diploma in Clinical Analysis, etc.
Undergraduate-Level Lab Technician Course
If you are not interested in pursuing a career as a lab technician through diploma courses, there are a variety of undergraduate lab technician courses you can enroll in. The courses listed in detail are among the popular programs after the 12th grade.
BSc X-Ray Technology
From acute to chronic pain, the physician generally told the patients to be done X-ray before prescribing any medicines. Admittedly, the advancement in technology has made diagnostic procedures easy for specialists. And the BSc in X-ray Technology course is nothing but embedded with requisite theoretical learning and practical lessons related to radiography technology. The program will teach you how to use radiation to perform diagnostic testing. More so, you will get the hang of the procedures needed to do an X-ray for clinical diagnosis.
BSc Medical Imaging Technology
BSc in Medical Imaging Technology is one of the most appealing and favourable paramedical courses among medical aspirants. The course is quite accessible and offers numerous career opportunities to the graduates. Under the curriculum of BSc MIT, the participants will imbibe requisite technical skills in how to do Ultrasound, sonographers, CT scans, MRIs, and others. Having the analytical ability, critical thinking, precision, and research ability is a must for the students interested in pursuing a BSc Medical Imaging Technology course.
Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Technology
Improving technology has made the procedures of diagnosing diseases quite simple and easy for specialists. Pertinently, the surge of laboratory technology could be seen to find out the ailments and then provide proper treatment to patients. Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Technology is a full-time course covering essential practical lessons and theoretical learning. It equips students with the skills required to handle the sophisticated lab equipment and perform accurate laboratory tests.
BSc ECG and Cardiovascular Technology
BSc ECG & Cardiovascular Technology is a full-time 3-year programme in the field of paramedical. The course offers students an understanding of life structure, physiology, cardiac care technology, pathology and many more. It will equip you with the correct procedures for testing and detecting cardiac & vascular problems. Doing BSc ECG & Cardiovascular Technology program will qualify you for a viable & exciting career option. You can land into a cardiologist, Medical Sonographer, consultant, Lab technician, cardiac technologist, and other job positions.
Apart from these excellent courses, there are several other undergraduate programs in Medical Lab technician for the aspirants, including BSc in Radiography, BSc in Medical Laboratory Technology, BSc in Clinical Laboratory Technology, etc.
Lab Technician Certificate Course
The lab technician certificate courses can last anywhere between 6 months to a year. Though Lab technician Certified Courses are of short duration, it offers an impactful contribution to learning and pursuing a career in the laboratory related area. The participants can get employed in numerous promising job openings, including Laboratory technician, Lab Assistant, Laboratory Manager, technology manager, Medical officer, Research associate, Resident medical officer, etc.
A certificate program is not considered as valuable as a full-time degree program, but it helps to add additional skills and technical knowledge to the participants. You can take up such a certified program even if you have a degree. Some of the popular Lab technician Certificate courses include the following:
(a) Certificate in Laboratory Techniques
(b) Certificate in Medical Laboratory Technician
(c) Certificate course in Medical Laboratory Technology
(d) Diploma in Laboratory Technician course certification
Lab Technician Courses after Graduation
Are you still interested in acquiring more proficient skills and knowledge in the concerning area? If yes! Then there are several Lab Technician PG courses in which you can enrol after your graduation. The specialized post-graduate programme lasts a minimum of 2-year covering all the practical lessons and hands-on experience to mould students into competent medical personnel. You must have completed your graduation with a grade point average of 50% to 60%. The mentioned below are some of the lab technician PG courses that one can pursue after under-graduation:
(a) MSc ECG and CVT
(b) MSc X-Ray Technology
(c) MSc Medical Laboratory
(d) PhD in Medical Lab Technology
(e) MSc Medical Imaging Technology
(f) Master of Medical Laboratory Technology
Lab Technician Course Syllabus
The systemised syllabus is the core part of any program. Undoubtedly, students learn and embrace the things embedded in the course and then apply their learning in the job roles they perform. Though the Lab technician course curriculums varies from programme to programme at different levels, several common subjects and topics could be found among the different Lab technician Courses. Here is a list of some common topics that you’ll come across while pursuing the Lab Technician course:
| Microbiology (General Bacteriology, System Bacteriology, Clinical Microbiology) | Pathology (Immunohematology, Blood Banking, Hematology) |
| Fundamentals of MLT Basic Pathology | Basic Human Science Microbial Instrumentation |
| Professional Activities Community Development | Basic Human Science Microbial Instrumentation |
| Information and Communication Technology | Metabolic and Technical Biochemistry |
| Histopathological Techniques | Basics of clinical Biochemistry |
| Fundamental Biochemistry | Technical Microbiology |
| Clinical Microbiology | Human Physiology |
| Clinical Hematology | Pharmacology |
| Human Physiology | Clinical Pathology |
| Community Medicine | Human Anatomy |
| Physiology | Statistics |
| English Communications | Pathology Lab |
Lab Technician Course Eligibility
Lab Technician courses are one of the significant sections of the paramedical courses that one can pursue after having the aptitude for biology and physics. Although the eligibility to study these programs are different at a different level and varies from course to course, but follow some general requirements to provide disciplines. The below-mentioned points clarify the common qualifications required to meet to get admission in a Lab Technician course:
(a) One of the common criteria for UG, Diploma and Certificate level courses is that you must have cleared intermediate education with science subjects from a recognized board.
(b) In the 12th board, you must have grabbed a minimum of 55% of aggregate marks.
(c) If you wish to study PG courses after your UG, you must have obtained your bachelor’s degree in the same or relatable field with a minimum of 50%-60% scores.
(d) Among many of you who are interested in pursuing the lab technician course abroad, then you should have to fulfil such qualifications.
(i) Most universities need applicants to qualify for English language proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE etc., along with the intermediate certificate.
(b) You must have well-written Letters of Recommendation (LOR) and a Statement of Purpose (SOP) to be admitted into the program.
Top Indian Colleges Offering Lab Technician Course
Choosing a good college or university is an essential step for any individual. And, studying at the college you are interested in and also good in reputation will offer the perfect ambient to learn and embrace the critical skills to stand out in the market. Below is the list of the top colleges located in India that offer various Lab technicians and related courses to aspirants:
(I) Asian Institute of Health
(II) Dr. Zakir Hussain Institute
(III) University of Calicut
(IV) University of Mumbai
(V) St. John’s Medical College
(VI) Tata Institute of Social Sciences
(VII) Rajiv Gandhi Paramedical Institute
(VIII) ITM- Institute of Health Sciences
(IX) Academy of Medical Sciences
(X) DN Institute of Paramedical Sciences
(XI) Adesh Institute of Medical Science & Research
(XII) Annamalai Devadoss Institute of Medical Science
(XIII) Abhinav Institute of Technology & Management
(XIV) Delhi Institute of Technology and Paramedical Sciences
(XV) Baba Sahib Ambedkar Institute of Technology and Management
Career Prospects and Job Opportunities
The students who have graduated with lab technician courses can find several promising and gratifying career opportunities. But, in order to land such an exciting job role, you would need to fulfil the requisite skills and hands-on experiences. You can work as a manager, consultant, supervisor, healthcare administrator, or hospital outreach coordinator is all options. There are numerous employment settings in the market which are looking for suitable candidates. The listed below are the popular employment spaces for qualified students:
(a) Serology
(b) Cytology
(c) Hematology
(d) Immunology
(e) Coagulation
(f) Parasitology
(g) Microbiology
(h) Urine Analysis
(i) Blood Banking
(j) Drug Efficacy Tests
(k) Blood Sample Matching
(l) Molecular Diagnostic
(m) Molecular Biotechnology
Some common job profiles available after a lab technician course are as follows:
(a) Medical Record Technician
(b) Laboratory Manager
(c) Lab Assistant
(d) Instructor/ Tutor
(e) Research Associate
(f) Laboratory Technician
(g) Lab Supervisor
(h) Lab Technologists
(i) Healthcare Administrator
(j) Medical Lab Officer
(k) Laboratory Testing Manager
(l) Medical officer
(m) Laboratory Testing manager
(n) Technology Manager
Salary Trends
The medical lab technicians get a sizeable income but it depends on various factors, including job profile, the company, the employee’s talents, qualifications, and work. At the outset of a career in the field, the personnel earn at least INR 15k to 25k. By gaining experience, the individual can make more income. From the ongoing description, it’s evident that apart from drawing a handsome salary, lab technicians are into a gratifying job role.