Friday, 1 June 2012

Online Schools for Lab Techs: How to Choose

Many colleges and universities offer online lab tech programs for students. A majority of the online associate's and bachelor's degree programs are hybrid, because most coursework can be completed online and lab work is conducted at an off-site clinical facility or on-campus laboratory. Students also must consider their overall career outcome when narrowing down online lab tech program choices.

How to Select an Online Lab Tech School

Award Level

Students should determine their overall career objective when selecting an online lab tech school. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of clinical lab workers is expected to increase 14% during 2008-2018 (www.bls.gov). Those who obtain an associate's degree focusing on medical lab technology can seek employment as a drug testing coordinator, medical laboratory technician, pharmaceutical research assistant or quality control technician. Earning a bachelor's degree in clinical laboratory science allows students to strive for jobs as phlebotomists, medical technologists, histotechnicians and pathologist assistants.

Program Types

Students considering online lab tech schools should determine if the programs are available fully or partially online. Hybrid programs may be offered in most programs and require students to complete their clinical practicum on-campus or through nearby clinical laboratories. Additionally, most online lab tech programs require students to submit health records before they can participate in lab work.
Students learn through online discussion forums, e-mail and instant messaging. In addition to Internet access, students may need to install computer applications such as Flash Player, Acrobat Reader, Shockwave Player, Media Player and QuickTime. Additionally, numerous programs may use Blackboard or other course management systems.

List of Common Online Lab Tech Schools

Online Associate of Science in Medical Laboratory Technology

An online associate's degree program in medical laboratory technology teaches students about clinical lab procedures and how to operate equipment correctly. Courses typically cover chemistry, medical terminology, hematology, microbiology and urinalysis. Most associate's degree programs are asynchronous and take two years to complete. These programs consist of online lectures, discussion forums and electronic bulletin boards.

Online Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science

A distance learning bachelor's degree program in clinical laboratory science can be completed in 2-4 years; if students obtain an associate's degree in a related field, they can transfer the credits into a baccalaureate degree. Online courses discuss human genetics, immunology, laboratory operations and virology.

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