Clinical chemistry technologists prepare specimens and analyze the chemical and hormonal contents of body fluids. Clinical chemistry technologists in small laboratories perform many types of tests, whereas those in large laboratories generally specialize.
Clinical Chemistry is concerned primarily with quantitative analysis of substances found in blood or blood serum. Other fluids such as urine, spinal fluid and pleural fluid are often analyzed.
What Clinical Chemistry Technologists Do?
-measure chemical elements and enzymes in blood and body fluids
-performing special chemical analysis including electrophoresis and radio
-performs all duties related to the preparation, identification and testing of specimens. The complexity of tests performed, the level of judgment needed, and the amount of responsibility workers assume depend largely on the amount of education and experience they have.
Most clinical chemistry technologists work in hospital laboratories, but employment opportunities exist in private laboratories, physicians’ offices, HMOs, clinics, and commercial organizations such as pharmaceutical companies.
Although compensation varies, most clinical laboratory technologists receive standard benefits and salaries ranging between $27,000 to $38,000 per year.
Certification RequirementsThere are education, experience, and examination standards for certification by NRCC (National Registry in Clinical Chemistry).
After applications are approved, candidates are eligible to sit for examination. A candidate who passes an examination is then certified by the Board for the current year.
Earned bachelor’s degree with at least 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) of chemistry courses plus 4 semester hours (6 quarter hours) of additional natural science courses from an institution acceptable to the Board and a minimum of 1 year of clinical laboratory experience dealing with human specimens for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes.