Medical
Laboratory Science
Medical laboratory scientists provide
vital information for managing disease and health
care. They
run diagnostic tests on blood and other samples from
patients in hospitals and clinics, using dedicated
high-tech equipment and techniques to ensure the
quality of their results. It’s a practical,
hands-on
science with many specialist options to choose from
as your career develops, including forensics.
What can I do when I graduate?
Apart from the many opportunities
for academic medical research,
there are openings for careers in
New Zealand, Australia and further
afield. There is currently a shortage of
diagnostic laboratory scientists in
many areas. This, combined with wide
international recognition for the
qualification, means that graduates
often travel and change jobs as their
interests and experience grow. Some
move into pure research, or away from
general health into industry. A Medical
Laboratory Science degree is a fantastic
grounding for a challenging and
fascinating career in forensics.
What will I study?
By successfully completing the Otago
Health Sciences First Year you stand a
good chance of being able to enter the
medical laboratory science
programme. The Health Sciences First
Year counts as the first year of your
four-year BMLSc degree.
In the second year you learn how
the
human body functions. In the third
year you find out what happens when
things go wrong, and how to detect
these changes with laboratory tests.
Studies include diseases related to
blood, changes in body chemistry
related to illness, how to use
microscopes to study abnormal tissue
and cell structures, diseases due to
micro-organisms (viruses and
bacteria), how to use blood
transfusions in treatments, and how
to diagnose inherited diseases.
Your fourth and final year is spent
applying your new knowledge in the
real world, in community or hospital
laboratories in this country or
Australia. Students have a say in where
they complete their degrees and enjoy
the opportunity to experience life in
a new place.
Further information
The Course Director MLSc, Pathology Department,
Dunedin School of Medicine,
University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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