Discovering what ails you is what fuels us.
Medical laboratory scientists and histotechnologists impact patient care at the basic level and determine the presence, extent or absence of disease by analyzing blood, other body fluids and tissues.
Essentially, finding a treatment for a patient starts with identifying the problem, and medical laboratory scientists and histotechnologists do just that.
More than 70% of a patient’s treatment is based on the discovery work of laboratory professionals.
Who You Are
You are the detective of the healthcare team, connecting patient from prognosis to treatment options via the doctor. You can specialize in two areas.
Histotechnologists prepare human, animal and plant tissues for analysis. As a histotechnologist, you might discover cancerous cells in a biopsy indicating skin cancer.
Medical laboratory scientists analyze and perform laboratory tests on blood and other body fluids. As a medical laboratory scientist, you might find cancerous cells on a blood smear indicating leukemia.
Starting salaries average around $55,000 per year with an undergraduate degree.
What You Do
Medical laboratory scientists and histotechnologists perform lab tests, interpret data, analyze results, and communicate with other members of the health care team.
You work in hospitals, clinics, or labs including pharmaceutical companies, forensics labs, veterinary clinics, and other laboratory environments.
WVU’s job placement is 100% for those looking for employment in the field.
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Leading the Way in Research
WVU is one of only 115 higher education institutions in the U.S. to receive the Carnegie R1 designation for the level of scientific activity and graduate education on campus.
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