Benefits of studying medical laboratory science…
‘You want to become a Medical Laboratory Scientist? Eww what’s that even? Can’t you just become a nurse or medical doctor?’, This is a common reaction which one would receive upon expressing a desire to study Medical Laboratory Science today in Nigeria. However, they do not know that a course such as Medical Laboratory Science comes with a lot of benefits which in some cases are better than those of prestigious courses such as Medicine or Nursing.
A Medical laboratory scientist aims to analyze a variety of biological specimens. They perform scientific testing on samples and relay results to physicians. They use sophisticated clinical equipment like microscopes, cell counters and other high precision equipment to carry out tests in chemistry, hematology, immunology, transfusion medicine, and microbiology.
The decision of a physician regarding a patient’s diagnosis, hospital admission, treatment, and discharge is heavily dependent on a Medical laboratory scientists report. Medical laboratory scientists work in places such as hospital, clinics, forensic and public health laboratories, Pharmaceutical industries, Biotechnology companies, Vet clinics, and research institutions.
There are a lot of benefits which can be obtained if one becomes a Medical Laboratory Scientist and some of them include; a wide range of job descriptions, a high employment rate and a relatively high salary. It also offers people the opportunity to provide healthcare without going through the stressful and lengthy period needed to study Medicine.
In Medical institutions such as Pharmaceutical companies and laboratories, Medical Laboratory Scientists run tests to determine the effects of drugs and chemicals on organisms. In hospitals and laboratories, they collect samples and carry out analysis on body fluids like blood, urine and stool to detect parasitic microorganisms and help in the determination of correct diagnosis.
Medical Laboratory Scientists can work in quality control and regulation agencies such as the National Agency for Food and Administration and Drug Control (NAFDAC) as well as the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) as analysts to determine the quality and safety as well as the absence of potentially harmful microbes in food items and consumer goods made by companies to ensure the safety of consumers.
Medical Laboratory Scientists work in research institutions which carry out valuable and important research in areas such as biotechnology and synthetic biology, and immunology. All of these are careers which provide a fair amount of career stability for a great return of investment with schedules which provide time to pursue other personal interests with a variety of career advancement options.
Studying Medical Laboratory Science gives one the opportunity to travel on 13 week or longer assignments to new places for things such as training on new procedures or research. It also gives on the ability to work alone in a small laboratory or in a large laboratory with a lot of scientists on one shift while earning a great salary. The average salary of a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Nigeria is about 123,000 naira per month though this may vary depending on employer, location, the type of institution and experience.
Olayinka Shyllon
This article is the intellectual property of www.nimedhealth.com.ng
