Table 1Transition record

medical laboratory managertomedical laboratory assistant

A medical laboratory manager already meets 19% of what the medical laboratory assistant role asks for. The move turns on 27 required skills not yet in the profile.

From medical laboratory manager

19%

Overlap1

To medical laboratory assistant

20 Skills carried over

27 Required, not held

85.8 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 85.8

This move: 85.8 of 100 · career change

1 Share of the medical laboratory assistant role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the medical laboratory manager profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 20 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A medical laboratory assistant role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a medical laboratory manager background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held paediatric phlebotomy procedures health and welfare
already held sterilise medical equipment handling and moving
already held clinical biochemistry natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held histopathology arts and humanities
already held microscopic techniques natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held maintain medical laboratory equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment

All 20 carried skills, including the 2 the medical laboratory assistant role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 52 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 information skills 6 required, 7 supplementary

required, not held archive healthcare users' records required
required, not held conduct routine blood testing required
required, not held perform cerebrospinal fluid analysis required
required, not held perform sample testing required
required, not held record test data required
required, not held test chemical samples required

optional, not held analyse blood samples optional
optional, not held analyse cell cultures optional
optional, not held carry out flow cytometry optional
optional, not held conduct cancer screening tests optional
optional, not held examine samples in dermatology optional
optional, not held interpret hematological test results optional
optional, not held interpret urology diagnostic tests optional

02 working with machinery and specialised equipment 6 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held examine cell specimens microscopically required
required, not held calibrate laboratory equipment required
required, not held maintain laboratory equipment required
required, not held operate scientific measuring equipment required
required, not held perform laboratory tests required
required, not held use chemical analysis equipment required

optional, not held perform PCR covid test optional
optional, not held carry out quality control in microbiology laboratories optional
optional, not held perform fertility laboratory procedures optional

03 handling and moving 6 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held check the received biological samples required
required, not held label blood samples required
required, not held transport blood samples required
required, not held mix chemicals required
required, not held prepare samples for testing required
required, not held send samples to laboratory required

optional, not held collect biological samples from patients optional
optional, not held dispose medical waste optional

04 health and welfare 3 required, 8 supplementary

required, not held automated analysers in the medical laboratory required
required, not held blood type classification required
required, not held techniques of blood-sampling required

optional, not held densiometry optional
optional, not held blood collection on babies optional
optional, not held blood donation optional
optional, not held dermapathology optional
optional, not held electroencephalography optional
optional, not held fine-needle aspiration optional
optional, not held urolithiasis in the urinary tract optional
optional, not held blood transfusion optional

05 assisting and caring 2 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held work safely with chemicals required
required, not held wear appropriate protective gear required

optional, not held perform reconstructive microsurgery optional
optional, not held perform stem cell transplantation optional
optional, not held perform bone marrow transplant optional

06 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held microbiology-bacteriology required
required, not held laboratory techniques required

optional, not held tissue cytogenetics optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a medical laboratory assistant role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 20 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply safety procedures in laboratory skill
already held maintain medical laboratory equipment skill
already held assist in the production of laboratory documentation skill
already held biological chemistry knowledge
already held clinical biochemistry knowledge
already held clinical cytology knowledge
already held cryopreservation knowledge
already held data protection knowledge
already held histopathology knowledge
already held immunology knowledge
already held interpret medical results skill
already held maintain healthcare user data confidentiality skill
already held microscopic techniques knowledge
already held monitor stock level skill
already held order supplies skill
already held paediatric phlebotomy procedures knowledge
already held stem cells knowledge
already held sterilise medical equipment skill
already held virology knowledge
already held work with chemicals skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held communicate in healthcare required

optional, not held explain the molecular basis of a disease to patients optional

08 management skills 1 required

required, not held identify patients' medical records required

25 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held densiometry optional
optional, not held perform PCR covid test optional
optional, not held analyse blood samples optional
optional, not held analyse cell cultures optional
optional, not held blood collection on babies optional
optional, not held blood donation optional
optional, not held carry out flow cytometry optional
optional, not held carry out quality control in microbiology laboratories optional
optional, not held collect biological samples from patients optional
optional, not held conduct cancer screening tests optional
optional, not held dermapathology optional
optional, not held electroencephalography optional
optional, not held examine samples in dermatology optional
optional, not held explain the molecular basis of a disease to patients optional
optional, not held fine-needle aspiration optional
optional, not held interpret hematological test results optional
optional, not held interpret urology diagnostic tests optional
optional, not held perform fertility laboratory procedures optional
optional, not held perform reconstructive microsurgery optional
optional, not held perform stem cell transplantation optional
optional, not held tissue cytogenetics optional
optional, not held urolithiasis in the urinary tract optional
optional, not held blood transfusion optional
optional, not held dispose medical waste optional
optional, not held perform bone marrow transplant optional

18 held skills the medical laboratory assistant role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role arrange equipment repairs skill
not needed by the target role develop project schedule skill
not needed by the target role diagnostic methods in medical laboratory knowledge
not needed by the target role health and safety regulations knowledge
not needed by the target role healthcare administration knowledge
not needed by the target role interpret medical images skill
not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
not needed by the target role manage health and safety standards skill
not needed by the target role manage inventory skill
not needed by the target role manage schedule of tasks skill
not needed by the target role manage staff skill
not needed by the target role medical laboratory technology knowledge
not needed by the target role plan schedule skill
not needed by the target role project management knowledge
not needed by the target role provide test results to medical staff skill
not needed by the target role supervise equipment skill
not needed by the target role supervise laboratory operations skill
not needed by the target role supervise staff skill

14 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held automated analysers in the medical laboratory required
required, not held blood type classification required
required, not held microbiology-bacteriology required
required, not held techniques of blood-sampling required
required, not held laboratory techniques required
optional, not held densiometry optional
optional, not held blood collection on babies optional
optional, not held blood donation optional
optional, not held dermapathology optional
optional, not held electroencephalography optional
optional, not held fine-needle aspiration optional
optional, not held tissue cytogenetics optional
optional, not held urolithiasis in the urinary tract optional
optional, not held blood transfusion optional

Index

Other moves recorded from medical laboratory manager

Full index of moves from medical laboratory manager

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.