A relatively unpopular career path, Medical Laboratory Science is actually quite interesting -with special perks! Read on to find out!
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Medical Laboratory science is a form of medical science that deals with uncovering and providing laboratory information from laboratory analyses to assist physicians in the process of patient diagnosis and treatment, as well as in disease monitoring or prevention.
A Medical Laboratory scientist can take on any of these roles in a medical field for an organization:
- Medical analysis
- Quality control testing
- Laboratory tool maintenance
- Organization of laboratory supplies
- Research activities
QUALIFICATION AND TRAINING NEEDED
For a successful career as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Nigeria, you need to have the following qualifications, with additional training.
- Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Laboratory Science or any related course
- Additional Degrees e.g Masters (Optional)
- Professional Laboratory training
- Any other related certification.
WHERE CAN YOU WORK?
With a degree in Medical Laboratory Science or any of the associated courses of study, you can work as a laboratory scientist in any of these;
- Hospitals
- Testing laboratories
- Consultancy
- Research and product development
- Insurance underwriting
- Forensic medicine
- Forensic science
- Healthcare
- Education
- Others
PAY RANGE
The average salary of a medical laboratory scientist, across these fields and sectors is, N150, 000.
- Low -N100,000
- New Entry -N200,000
- Mid Entry -N350,000
- Senior level -N500,000
- High -N1.5M+
KEY SKILLS
Following the completion of training and certification as a laboratory scientist, it is important to possess some key skills.
These skills include;
- Attention to detail
- Strong analytical skills
- Excellent communication
- Teamwork
- Decision making
- Organizational skills
- Dedication
- Leadership
- Time-management
Medical Laboratory Science is an interesting field and if you pursue it diligently, you could make a great career out of it!