Infographic: The Increasing Need for Medical Laboratory Professionals

Coming off of Thanksgiving break, with thoughts of gratitude and appreciation, we recalled the often unrecognized but critical role of medical laboratory professionals. Functioning mostly behind the scenes, these technicians and scientists work diligently to execute on diagnostic testing and patient care – and we will need even more of them as the population ages and precision medicine expands. However, data shows there is actually a shortage of people entering the laboratory medicine workforce. With job growth and needs rising, awareness will be key to attracting more talent.

The University of Cincinnati has created a detailed and compelling infographic about the state of the laboratory medicine profession, with statistics on job functions as well as future career outlook. With 4-5 billion medical tests performed in the United States each year, and up to 70% of a physician’s decisions influenced by laboratory test data, a shortage of qualified professionals could truly stifle patient care.

Have a look at the data below, and help spread the word to soon-to-be or recent graduates who may be looking for a rewarding and promising career path. We are cognizant and thankful every day for the essential contributions of laboratory medicine professionals and thank the University of Cincinnati for sharing this infographic.