MLT course

Medical Laboratory Technology or MLT Course focuses on teaching students to perform laboratory investigations relating to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. It is an undergraduate degree program with a course duration of 3 years, usually pursued by students after completing their 10+2 or its equivalent. Students wishing to pursue an MLT Course are required to analyze human fluids, like Blood, Urine, Stool, Sputum, Synovial- fluid, Cerebro-spinal fluid, etc. under microscopic examinations to aid doctors in diagnosing the disease correctly. MLT Course admissions are conducted through entrance examinations such as JEE main, JEE advanced, JNUEE, etc. In order to ace these entrance examinations for MLT Course admissions, candidates may check out MLT Course Subjects to get a clear understanding of the course structure. 

All interested students to pursue a degree in MLT Course can do worry either via classroom learning or distance education. However, it is important to keep in mind that all institutes offer different course options for admission to MLT, depending on their individual factors. Some of the top colleges to offer MLT Courses are Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Jamia Hamdard University, King’s George Medical University, Christian Medical College, Government Medical College, etc. MLT Course Fee may range from anywhere between INR 20,000 to INR 4,00,000. Students who graduate from the MLT course can find jobs in CT scan technician, MRI Technician, Pathology Technician, Optical Laboratory Technician, Dental Machine Technician, X-ray Technicians, Laboratory Technician, Medical Officer, Radiology Technician, Laboratory Manager, Research Associate, and more.

Mentioned below in the table are the important highlights of MLT course degree, comprising all the necessary information for a student to understand the course detail, its scope, and opportunities:

A course in Medical Laboratory Technology is a good choice for students who want to pursue a career in the field of medical sciences. The basic utility of clinical diagnostic testing majorly relies on the validity of the test methodology. To be precise, the work responsibilities of a medical laboratory scientist include ensuring specimen quality, data-logging, performing calibration, interpreting test results, validation, testing control products, maintenance, and troubleshooting of instrumentation. Thus, the role of medical laboratory scientists is always in demand in various health centres, hospitals and nursing homes, to ensure fulfillment of all of the above-mentioned responsibilities. 

Students wishing to pursue a degree in MLT Course have to appear for the entrance examinations required to qualify for the first round of admission procedure. Upon the successful completion of the same, shortlisted candidates are then further selected for the final rounds of the admission process. MLT Course duration is of 3 years, and students after graduating the same are eligible to opt for high-paying career prospects in the private as well as government sectors. 

The scope in MLT courses in the field of allied health services is significantly high. Some of the reasons for students to choose MLT courses are mentioned below in detail:

• Growing need in the healthcare industry: The healthcare industry is growing almost at a rate of 18% annually. Therefore, trained technicians are needed all over the world. Also, the onset of multiple and complicated diseases growing in the world due to changing lifestyles has created a huge demand for skilled MLT professionals.
• Multiple work opportunities: Once a student gets a degree in MLT, he/ she gets exposed to an ocean of opportunities in global job markets. They can work in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, pathology labs, blood and organ banks, diagnostic centres, etc.
• Opportunities to work abroad: The international medical industry has a huge demand for allied health science professionals, especially MLT professionals. Therefore, the career opportunities available abroad for MLT graduates are enormous. The salary package offered abroad is high and the work environment is even much better.
• High salary packages: With the increase in demand for MLT professionals in the healthcare industry, the salary packages offered to them are pretty decent. They are valued for their skills and recruiting organizations are ready to pay excellent salary packages for the right candidates.
• Flexibility at the workplace: Medical Laboratory Technicians work in a wide range of facilities including hospitals, clinics, laboratories, pathology labs, diagnostic centres and more. Candidates can choose to work in a setting that they enjoy the most. Depending on the organization, they can also choose the schedule for working according to their needs such as weekdays, nights or even weekends.

MLT courses can be divided into three categories:

• Certificate Courses: It is a short term course with a duration of 3 to 6 months which varies from one institution to another, depending on various factors. It focuses on topics such as prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases through a clinical laboratory test.
   
• Diploma courses: Also known as DMLT, it is a 2 years programme that can usually be completed after passing class 12th. It is a paramedical course that focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease using clinical laboratory and other physical tests.
   
• Degree courses: These include all the bachelor’s and master's degrees in MLT. A Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Technology (BMLT) is one of the most preferred courses by the students, which is a 3 years degree program. While pursuing this course, students can get specialization in many areas such as microbiology, haematology, pathology, clinical chemistry, immune pathology, biomedical techniques, virology, radiology, bacteriology, genetics, cytopathology, serology, histology, coagulation, toxicology, etc. A Master in Medical Lab Technology is a 2 year PG programme that includes fascinating subjects like molecular biology, human anatomy and physiology, etc.

The eligibility criteria for MLT courses are different for different course types. While some of the courses can be pursued right after Class 10, others require a minimum of Class 12 qualification or its equivalent. However, the general eligibility requirements of MLT courses for each course level can be understood from the following table:

• All candidates must have completed Class 10 and Class 12 with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate.
• All candidates must have PCM or PCB as their core subjects in Class 12 or its equivalent. 
• All candidates must have qualified for the entrance exams for admission to MLT Courses.
• For admission to MLT PG Courses, all candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree in MLT with at least 50%-55% marks from a recognized university.

MLT Course entrance exams are conducted by the institutes for admission to various courses. The total marks of the question paper is 100, and all questions are usually in both MCQ and Subjective formats. The question paper contains the following sections: Qualitative Ability, Communicative Ability, Logical Ability, General Knowledge and Current affairs and Science related subjects.

Some of the popular MLT Course entrance exams are listed below:

• AIIMS Paramedical
• NEET
• JIPMER Paramedical
• JNUEE
• PGIMER Paramedical
• JEE
• BCECE Paramedical

MLT course subjects contain all the knowledge of the important topics and concepts about Medicine, Hospitals, and different theories, vital to study the Medical Laboratory Technology course. The course is widely divided into core subjects and elective subjects. Mentioned below in the table are some of the important subjects required to be studied in MLT courses categorized into year-wise divisions: 

First Year MLT Course Syllabus 

Second Year MLT Course Syllabus 

Third Year MLT Course Syllabus 

MLT course is offered by many reputed colleges and universities across the country. Some of these colleges with the courses offered are listed below:

The scope of MLT is not only limited to India when it comes to better carrer opportunities with lucrative salary packages. Studying MLT abroad necessarily implies that a student could gain access to the best programs and facilities the world has to offer. MLT courses aren’t offered in many countries, so therefore, some of the popular universities and colleges abroad which offer MLT courses abroad are listed below:

• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Canada
• Maryville University, USA
• University of South Australia, Australia
• University of Cincinnati, USA
• Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
• Queensland University of Technology, Australia
• University of n\New Brunswick, Canada

Some of the essential skills required for MLT Courses are mentioned below: 

• Orientation towards Research and Development
• Problem Solving Skills
• Ability to follow rules and protocols
• Analytical Skills
• Technical abilities
• Quantitative Skills
• Quantitative Skills
• Communication skills

The demand for medical laboratory technicians or technologists in India is considerably high, enough to support a wide range of applications and specialisations. Moreover, the MLT scope in India is likely to continue to rise in the coming years.

• The scope of the MLT course is very broad and graduates with a Medical Laboratory Technology degree can find employment in a variety of industries all around the world.
• A career in the field of medical laboratory technology is one of the most challenging and rewarding in today’s times. A technician or technologist learns something new every day, which is beneficial to their work.
• Medical Laboratory Technicians can work in pathology labs, research labs, urologist offices, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and a variety of other settings.
• Apart from the aforementioned options, an aspirant can also work as a lecturer or teacher in the education field.
• With the passage of time, the MLT course has grown in terms of what a student learns during the course, thereby expanding the scope.
• Blood banking, clinical chemistry, haematology, immunology, microbiology, cytotechnology, urine analysis, and blood sampling are all part of the Medical Laboratory Technology sector. There are a plethora of sectors in which graduates can find acceptable employment.
• MLT professionals have a variety of work prospects in the healthcare industry. Clinical lab technologists are needed in every hospital and healthcare facility to detect issues and diseases that cause patients to become ill.
• Another particularly high-income option that is available to professionals who have gathered a few years of experience is to work self-employed. 

The healthcare industry is growing almost at a rate of 18% annually. Therefore, trained technicians are needed all over the country.

There are many career options available for students who graduate in Medical Laboratory Technology. A candidate can work at various profiles after completing MLT courses. Some of the popular job profiles along with their job description are tabulated below:

The annual salary of the various job profiles available to candidates who have completed an MLT course depends on various factors like recruiting organizations, work experience, qualifications, etc. However, the average annual salary of popular job profiles can be understood from the following table:

Some of the top recruiting agencies for MLT course graduates are listed below:

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
• Forensic Science Laboratory
• Apollo
• Batra Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Delhi
• Columbia Asia Referral Hospital
• Manipal Hospital
• Fortis
• Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai
• Paramount Health Services
• Cactus Global