A medical technologist is a certified laboratory professional responsibility for performing medical tests. Medical technologists may hold a four year bachelor's degree in the field, or a four year degree in a life science and a diploma from a certification program.

Medical technologists are entitled to use the credential "MT" after their names. Those certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology may use "MT(ASCP)". Additional certifications may also be used, such as the "SBB" (Specialist in Blood Banking) certification from the American Association of Blood Banks-accredited programs, or "H" (Hematology) or "BB" (Blood Banking). These can be appended to the credential, for example, "MT(ASCP)SBB".

In the United States, the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments define the level of qualification required to perform tests of various complexity. A medical technologist holds the highest such qualification, and is in general qualified to perform the most complex clinical testing, such as HLA testing (tissue-typing) and blood type reference testing.

External links

• Physician jobs
• U.S. Department of Labor information on Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
• American Society of Clinical Pathology's Medical Technologist career page