Lab Technician Course After 12th: Eligibility Criteria, Fees, Top Colleges

What is Medical Laboratory Technology?

Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) is an allied healthcare field that focuses on conducting laboratory investigations to diagnose diseases. It involves analysing blood, tissues, and other bodily fluids to detect infections, abnormalities, or foreign substances, helping doctors make informed decisions about treatment and patient care.

Around 85 per cent of medical decisions rely on accurate clinical investigation reports, as treatments or surgeries cannot proceed without proper diagnosis. To build a career in this field, students can pursue different medical laboratory technician courses, which will be discussed further in this article.

Various Disciplines of Medical Laboratory Technology Courses

In the modern era of medical sciences, medical laboratories keep upgrading the existing diagnostic techniques and adopting high-tech technologies. With the involvement of special investigations and sophisticated computerised equipment, various disciplines of laboratories are growing day by day. Listed below are some of the popular disciplines in the Medical Laboratory Technology course.

• Pathology
• Pharmacology
• Microbiology
• Forensic Medicine
• Human Anatomy & Physiology
• Clinical Biochemistry
• Molecular Medicine
• Blood Bank & Immunohaematology

A lab technician course after the 12th is likely to familiarise students with all these different aspects of Medical Lab Science. Keep reading to know more about the Medical Lab Technician course details after class 12th.

Who is a Medical Lab Technician?

A medical lab technician is a healthcare professional who performs chemical, haematological, immunologic, microscopic, and microbiological diagnostic analyses on body fluids such as blood, urine, sputum, stool, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), peritoneal fluid, pericardial fluid, synovial fluid, as well as other specimens.

Medical Laboratory Scientists and medical lab technicians work in clinical laboratories at hospitals, reference laboratories, biotechnology laboratories, and non-clinical industrial labs.- Model curriculum handbook Medical Laboratory Science, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Allied Health Section).

What are the Various Lab Technician Courses?

Lab Technician courses are popular choices for high school graduates. Having a 10+2 or similar diploma is a must to apply for these lab technician courses. Below, we have provided medical laboratory technologist courses at the diploma and undergraduate levels.

Diploma in Medical Lab Technology (DMLT)

The DMLT course after the 12th is a two-year long programme, including six months of the internship period. The diploma in medical laboratory technology framework is the same as the BMLT course with the same objectives, and common lab technician subjects are Human Anatomy and Physiology, Clinical Microbiology, and Haematology.

In India, more than 300 colleges offer DMLT courses. More details on a diploma in medical lab technician courses, such as top colleges along with lab technician course fees, are provided in the table below.

Bachelor’s in Medical Lab Technology (BMLT)

BMLT's full form is a Bachelor's in Medical Lab Technology. It is a three-year degree programme, along with a six-month internship period towards the end. The BMLT course aims to help students acquire all the necessary and crucial skills required to practise as professional lab technicians. For instance, performing a full range of clinical laboratory tests, making specimen-oriented decisions, and developing and evaluating test systems.

Also Read: BSc Medical Laboratory Technology Course

This is one of the most sought-after medical laboratory technician courses after 12th to pursue. The BSc MLT course syllabus covers several important subjects, namely Human Anatomy and Physiology, Clinical Microbiology, Haematology, Blood Banking, Bacteriology, Histopathology and Cytopathology, Medical Mycology, and Virology, among many others.

Below we have provided the data on BMLT courses in government colleges as well as private colleges, along with lab technician course fees.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Medical Lab Technician

The roles and responsibilities of a Medical Lab Technician after completing a Laboratory Technician course after 12th would be the following-

• Collection of specimens like blood, urine, stool, sputum, semen, tissues, and body fluids for various biochemical, microbiological, pathological, blood banking, and haematological investigations.
• Accurate diagnosis for proper treatment
• Early disease detection- they make cultures of body fluid and tissue samples to determine the presence of bacteria, viruses, and fungi
• Perform investigations for differential diagnosis
• Control the development of contagious diseases
• Perform complex protein and nucleic acid testing on human cell samples
• Collect, type, and crossmatch blood; prepare its components for transfusions
• Participate in National eradication programs like Polio, HIV
• Medical disaster management
• Maintenance of records and preparation of statistics
• Manufacturing vaccines and antisera like DPT, meningitis, anti-snake venom, Testing and certifying medicines.

Also Read: Careers Beyond MBBS For PCB Students

Employment Areas After Laboratory Technician Classes

After completing the medical laboratory technician courses after 12th, some of the work environments available for the graduates are listed below.

• Central and State government hospitals/ health institutions
• Private hospitals/ clinics/ health institutions
• Research institutions like CSIR, ICMR, ICAR, and BARC
• Autonomous and other bodies like AIIMS, PGI Chandigarh, and the Red Cross Blood Bank.
• Clinical/Diagnostic and research laboratories

Jobs Profile After Laboratory Technician Course

At the entry level, after completing lab technician classes, he or she can work as a Medical Laboratory Technologist, whereas other job profiles post a few years of experience (increasing order of rank) include-

• Technical Officer/ Senior Technical Officer (MLS)/ Chief Technical Officer (MLS)
• Medical Laboratory Scientist/ Deputy Technical Manager/ Technical Manager/Clinical Laboratory Demonstrator
• Assistant Professor/ Associate Professor/ Additional Professor/ Lecturer
• Deputy Quality Manager/ Quality Manager
• Director Laboratory Services/ HOD

Lab Technician Salary Range

An entry-level professional in Medical Laboratory Technology can earn around Rs. 25,000–35,000 per month, which may rise to Rs. 1.5–2.5 lakhs per month with experience and higher positions. After completing an MLT course after 12th, students can explore various job roles, as mentioned in the table below:

Source: Ambitionbox

Also Read: Online Medical Laboratory Technology Courses & Certifications

Medical Laboratory Technology has played a very significant role in the advancement of medical sciences in the past few decades and shall continue to add value to this industry and the health of the country at large. The Lab Technician course qualification helps the candidate to get a job in both private and public organisations.

Several online medical lab technician courses are available to enhance skills, offering rewarding opportunities in India and abroad. Pursuing this career can be highly promising if it aligns with the interests and goals of aspiring medical laboratory technologists.