Do you like science? Would you like to know what causes infections and diseases – or how they make us sick? Do you find the idea of helping physicians diagnose patients appealing? If so, you might want to consider a career as a Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT).

MLTs perform tests that help physicians diagnose, monitor and treat disease. They can determine the cause of an infection and use sophisticated equipment to analyze blood's chemical components, like  glucose and cholesterol. They know how to use a microscope to identify normal and abnormal blood cells and determine a patient's blood type. MLTs supply the health care team with a wealth of critical information, both diagnostic and therapeutic.

The Medical Laboratory Technology program at Wake Tech offers the education and training necessary to become a highly qualified and successful MLT. The curriculum prepares you to perform clinical laboratory procedures in chemistry, hematology, microbiology and immunohematology. Coursework emphasizes the mathematical and scientific concepts behind specimen collection and laboratory testing, quality assurance and the reporting, recording and interpreting of findings involving tissues, blood and body fluids.

Students must successfully complete all first- and second-semester courses to register for clinical courses (MLT 254, 266, and 276). Admission into clinical courses is also dependent on a criminal background check and a urinalysis drug scree. The clinical affiliate will review the background check and drug screen to determine whether the student can progress to the clinical site.

Clinical experience allows students to practice the skills and techniques learned in didactic courses. Accompanied by a clinical instructor or clinical facility preceptor, students apply their new-found knowledge at the clinical site. The clinical experience encompasses all disciplines, as well as phlebotomy.