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FACTOIDS:
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• After a 20-year study, fertility specialist Dr. Harry Fisch reported that New York men have higher sperm counts and better semen quality than Los Angeles men.
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• Per 1999 medical data, 2 million people are hospitalized and as many as 140,000 die each year from side effects or reactions to prescription drugs.
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• The invention of the microscope is variously accredited to Dutch spectacle maker Zacharias Janssen in 1590 and to Galileo, who announced his invention in 1610.
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- Clinical laboratory testing is crucial to detecting and diagnosing diseases. Laboratory technicians perform most of these tests.
- These technicians examine and analyze body fluids, tissues and cells. They look for bacteria, parasites and other microorganisms. They analyze the chemical content of fluids, match blood for transfusions and test for drug levels in the blood to show how a patient is responding to treatment.
- People in this field use automated equipment and sophisticated, expensive instruments capable of performing a number of tests simultaneously. They also use other lab equipment, including microscopes and cell counters.
- Lab technicians also maintain glassware, instruments, logs and record books. They also troubleshoot and help with special projects.
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- If anyone might consider you ditzy, this is not the field for you. Remember: We're talking about detecting and diagnosing diseases here. "Attention to detail" carries a whole new meaning when lives are on the line.
- Manual dexterity and good vision are keys to success in this vocation. Color blindness can be a prohibitive factor in some cases. Also, comfort with technology and computers is important.
- Clinical lab technicians are frequently expected to have knowledge in biology, chemistry and medicine. They must also be good at documentation.
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- Medical and clinical laboratory technicians generally have either an associate’s degree from a community or junior college or a certificate from a hospital, vocational or technical school, or one of the Armed Forces.
- Some states require laboratory personnel to be licensed or registered. Information on licensure is available from state departments of health or boards of occupational licensing.
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- There are counteracting factors here. On the one hand, advents in technology are eliminating some clinical technician positions, but an aging population is creating more work for clinical labs. The bottom line is that job growth for lab technicians is projected to be about the same as it is for jobs on the whole through 2008.
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Sources: Online Occupational Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics; Bartleby; UselessKnowledge.com; American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
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