Who’s Who in the Lab: A Look at Laboratory Professionals

Summary Table

Position	Education and Training	Responsibilities
Laboratory Director	Doctoral degree (e.g., MD or PhD) Board certification recommended	Directs and manages all lab operations and ensures quality patient care Interprets test results, with consulting pathologist
Technical Supervisor	Doctoral degree (e.g., MD or PhD) Board certification recommended May be the same person as the lab director	Provides oversight of technical and scientific functions of the lab
General Supervisor	May be the same person as the lab director or technical supervisor Depending on lab and experience, CLS/MT or CLT/MLT may qualify	Provides oversight of day-to-day functions of the lab
Medical Technologist (MT) or Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS)	Bachelor degree in medical technology/biological science or completion of accredited CLS/MT program Licensure/certification required by most employers	Performs routine tests; develops new test methods under supervision; performs quality control tests; becomes group or team leader; supervises, teaches, delegates
Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) or Clinical Laboratory Technician (CLT)	Associate degree and completion of accredited CLT/MLT or certificate program Licensure/certification required by most employers	Performs routine tests and quality control tests under supervision on CLS/MT
Specialized Fields
Cytogeneticist	Doctoral degree (e.g., MD or PhD) and board certification	Performs cytogenetic analyses to diagnose chromosomal abnormalities in human genetic diseases
Cytogenetic Technologist	Bachelor degree (B.A. or B.S) in the sciences or medical technology CLSp(CG) certification recommended	Prepares biological specimens for cell culture and microscopic analyses as part of cytogenetic studies; assists the cytogeneticist
Cytotechnologist (CT)	Bachelor degree and completion of accredited CT program	Examines human cells under microscope for signs of pathology (e.g., Pap smears for signs of cancer); with appropriate experience, may supervise a cytology laboratory
Histotechnologist (HTL) or Histologist	Bachelor degree and completion of accredited HTL program	Prepares tissue samples for microscopic examination by pathologist and performs complex procedures; can supervise histologic technicians and, with appropriate experience, may supervise histology laboratory
Histologic technician (HT)	High school degree and completion of accredited histology program	Prepares sections of body tissues for microscopic examination by pathologist, processes tissue biopsies, assists histotechnologists
Phlebotomist (PBT)	High school degree and training or work experience	Collects blood samples from patients for lab tests

* Compiled from “Careers in Medical Laboratory Technology,” published by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists; “Clinical Chemistry: Partnerships in Healthcare” by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry; the Association of Genetic Technologists; and Laboratory General: CAP Checklist 1 (April 1998). The specific name for many of these positions varies by location.

Each lab must have on staff a sufficient number of personnel who meet the qualification requirements to perform the functions needed for the volume and complexity of testing performed at that lab. For this reason, the make-up of each lab differs in terms of the number and type of personnel that are on staff. Other people may also be seen working around the lab, including assistants, students in training, medical residents, pathology residents, and research fellows. However, the people holding the positions described above are the key people who will be handling your sample, performing the tests, and ensuring that the results they provide to your doctor are accurate, reliable, and timely. You may never meet them, but they are a crucial part of the health care team that cares for your health.