Laboratory diagnostics: training, further education, studies, schools at a glance

In contrast to conventional medicine, which mainly uses blood values to confirm or rule out a suspected diagnosis, holistic medicine sees connections between individual laboratory values and the causes of their deviations from the normal value. Holistic laboratory diagnostics are important for this. Not only one affected organ is considered, but the person as a whole. Therefore, the scope of naturopathic blood tests is generally greater than when searching for an individual diagnosis, whereby only all blood values together result in a therapeutic consequence.

As a rule, the following subjects are offered in a laboratory training course, in which you will acquire the essential basic knowledge.

• Scientific foundations
• Analysis process, laboratory diagnostics
• Healthcare system
• Biology
• Chemistry
• English
• Computer science
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Medical microbiology
• Hematology / Hemostaseology
• Histology / Cytology
• Clinical chemistry
• Immunology
• Systemic diseases

Medical laboratory diagnostics examines the following materials:

• Body fluids, e.g.
  • Blood
  • Serum
  • Nerve water
  • Sperm

• Body excretions, e.g.
  • Urine
  • Chair
  • Sputum

Allergy laboratory diagnostics can be used to measure both the total amount of IgE and the amount of specific IgE antibodies directed against certain substances. Not only can the specific IgE antibodies against suspected allergen sources (pollen, animals, food) be determined, but also against so-called individual allergen components. These are mainly proteins, i.e. protein molecules, which as individual components of allergen sources can trigger an immediate-type allergic reaction. This can be carried out in the case of allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis (e.g. hay fever, house dust mite allergy), neurodermatitis, bronchial asthma or food allergies.

The Biomed. Laboratory Diagnostics program includes the following subjects:

• Scientific basics
• Scientific work
• Analytical procedures and laboratory diagnostics
• Management and healthcare

For the laboratory and diagnostics sector, MPA career changers need to learn the following:

• Hygiene, occupational safety
• Preanalytics, analytics, postanalytics
• Capillary blood sampling
• Reflotron analyses
• Urine status
• Chemical analyses with QC
• Spotchem D, EZ, DRI ChEM
• Immunological detection methods
• Mononucleosis, pregnancy, drug screening
• HbA1c, C-reactive protein, ACR, troponin T with Cobas 232
• Hematology and hematogram preparation

There are many ways to complete training in the field of laboratory diagnostics.

At university of applied sciences (UAS) level, for example, this looks as follows:

• If you have a vocational apprenticeship (EFZ) and a vocational baccalaureate in a field related to laboratory diagnostics (e.g. healthcare assistant, practice assistant, dental assistant, druggist, laboratory assistant or pharmaceutical assistant), you can start studying at a university of applied sciences without an examination and further work experience.
• If you have an apprenticeship and a vocational baccalaureate in a non-specialist profession, you must first gain one year's work experience in a professional field related to the field of study.
• Prospective students with a baccalaureate or a specialized baccalaureate must also first complete a one-year work experience in a professional field related to the field of study. At this point, it should be mentioned that it is also possible to take into account internships related to the professional field.

The respective providers / schools will inform you about the exact and binding admission requirements.

If you are trained in laboratory diagnostics, you will usually work in medical laboratories. You work there for the purpose of prognostics, diagnostics, prevention and treatment of diseases.

However, you can also work in biomedical research or in an advisory capacity, for example. For example, you can help healthcare professionals with the interpretation of test results.

A job in laboratory diagnostics requires the following personal requirements:

• Analytical thinking
• Interest in natural sciences
• Independent way of working
• Sense of responsibility

Biomedical laboratory diagnosticians UAS carry out the following activities:

• Biomedical laboratory technicians UAS plan, organize and carry out laboratory tests independently.
• They evaluate the results, taking into account influencing and disruptive factors.
• They prepare the data with computer support, document it and make it available in a suitable form.
• You are responsible for analysis and process quality in the laboratory and for communication with clients.

Medical laboratory diagnostics involves the examination of body materials using optical, chemical or immunological analyses, usually with the help of automated procedures. It is used to detect diseases or to monitor progress and therapy using laboratory values and is the domain of laboratory medicine, or "laboratory medicine" for short.