Medical Laboratory Scientist
What the work is
Performs, validates and interprets the results of medical laboratory tests designed to assist in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human disease.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Prepares blood, fluid and tissue samples for microscopic examination
- Performs a wide range of laboratory tests on patient samples, including blood, urine and tissue samples
- Analyses samples to study, diagnose and treat diseases
- Evaluates test results and communicates these to Medical Practitioners
- Establishes the steps and rules of laboratory medical testing
- Operates and maintains laboratory equipment
- Ensures laboratory quality assurance and safety standards are met
- Prepares scientific papers and reports
- Supervises and teaches other staff such as Medical Laboratory Technicians
- Develops new methods and applies the latest improvements in technology for laboratory testing
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in the pathology laboratory of a regional hospital, running day and night. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A tricky result you spotted helps a doctor decide what to do for a patient straight away
- A night shift runs smoothly and every urgent sample is answered on time
- You teach a new technician to read a slide and watch it click
Hard days
- A wave of urgent samples arrives just as an analyser stops working
- A doctor on the phone wants a result faster than the test can safely be done
- Night shifts and a lot of responsibility with very little face to face thanks
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 244731, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.