What is the job of a medical lab assistant?
Medical lab assistants, commonly referred to as MLAs and clinical lab assistants, are responsible mainly for specimen preparation and work alongside medical technologists and medical technicians. MLAs handle the computer work involved in receiving and registering specimens. They ensure each specimen has the proper label and is in the correct tube for the test being run. Typically after the MLA has finished preparing the specimen for the test, the medical technician or medical technologist (MT) actually runs the test on the specimen. Medical lab assistants are able to perform basic tests such as urinalysis but blood tests must be run by medical technicians or medical technologists. Lab assistants also generally handle laboratory billing and coding.
