What do medical laboratory scientists do?

Medical laboratory scientists provide important services in clinical laboratories in hospitals, government clinics and private laboratories. They perform diagnostic tests and health screening investigations, which are important in the diagnosis of disease, evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment, and research into the causes and therapy of disease. Entry to the profession is controlled by legislation, and graduates of our BSc(Hons) in Medical Laboratory Science programme are eligible for direct entry to Part II of the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board register.

Most medical laboratory scientists will be able to work in the four major areas within medical laboratory science:

• Cellular pathology
• Clinical chemistry
• Haematology and transfusion science
• Medical microbiology and virology
  
  

What are their career prospects?

Medical laboratory scientists have a choice of career options in:

• Medical laboratories in hospitals, health services and private clinics
• Medical biotechnology
• Pharmaceutical industry
• Forensic and environmental science sectors
• Agricultural and food testing industries

Our graduates can also choose to work in research laboratories or pursue further study to master's or PhD levels.

Professional recognition

Our graduates are eligible for Part II registration with the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board of Hong Kong, which is recognized by the Supplementary Medical Professions Council. Registration is legally required to practise as a medical laboratory technician/technologist in local medical laboratories. Graduates are also eligible for associate membership of the Institute of Biomedical Science, UK, which is an internationally recognized professional qualification. Our BSc(Hons) programme is also recognized by the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) in which our graduates are eligible to take the certification examination of the organization, with successful candidates eligible to register as an MT(ASCPi) international medical laboratory technician.

Further information

For more details, please visit the website of our Department of Health Technology and Informatics at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/hti.