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

Important Work!
- 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

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
Biotechnology

Forensic

Companies

and Law Enforcement Laboratories

Transplant
Fertility

and Chemical Industries

and Blood Donor Centers

Clinics

Cosmetic

and Food Industry

Research

and Teaching Institutions

Laboratory Medicine specialist Requires:

- Excellent technical skills
- Problem solving,

- Data analysis,
- Computer skills, and

- Good oral and written communication

Who Works in a Clinical Laboratory?

Diploma
(2-2.5 years)
Diploma
(3 years)

Phlebotomist (PBT)

Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)

Clinical Laboratory Specialist (CLS) or

Bachelor's degree
Medical Technologist (MT)
(5 Years)
Cytotechnologist (CT)

Histotechnologist (HTL)
Masters
(1-3 years)
PhD (4-5 years)

Senior specialists, Department heads,

Coordinators
Consultants, Directors, Managers,
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??