Specialty Summary. Manages, directs, supervises, and performs analyses of biologic and related materials in hospital, environmental, occupational, epidemiological, toxicological, or research and development laboratories; and teaches medical laboratory sciences. Related DoD Occupational Group: 26080



Duties and Responsibilities:

Directs and supervises laboratory services. Serves as Chief of Laboratory Services or as Chief of one or more areas of Laboratory Services. Supervises the management of reference data for members of the medical provider staff. Maintains records and reports on laboratory operations necessary to provide workload accountability. Serves on professional, technical, consultant, and advisory committees to improve working relationships with other staff members and to communicate with biomedical laboratory officers and members of other specialties within the USAF Medical Service. Participates in meetings of professional societies and symposia and disseminates information obtained to other biomedical science personnel.

Conducts scientific analyses. Performs and supervises analyses in one or more areas of biomedical laboratory disciplines including clinical chemistry, environmental and industrial hygiene, chemistry, toxicology, microbiology, hematology, coagulation, serology, immunology, blood banking, immunohematology and virology.

Performs specialized duties. Manages and performs the development, evaluation, and application of new, modified, and improved procedures, techniques, and equipment for updating the laboratory services, including data automation and reporting. Responsible for correcting any analytic technical problems within the laboratory. Maintains surveillance of scientific literature, and recognizes need for applying new or improved techniques and procedures. Consults with other medical staff members to determine their requirements for effective patient care. Stays abreast of current Air Force requirements and developments through consultations and meetings with Air Force biomedical laboratory officers and other members of the Air Force Medical Service.

Performs teaching duties. Teaches and instructs medical and related personnel in both technical and interpretive aspects for a variety of laboratory sciences.

Establishes and maintains a program of quality control commensurate with specified Air Force regulations and requirements set forth by select national accrediting agencies. Establishes and maintains the proper use of calibration standards, reference samples, and quality control charts. Applies standard statistical methods to daily laboratory results, and ensures that results are reported only when they conform to predetermined statistical limits and criteria. Participates in recognized proficiency surveys.

Ensures equipment, apparatus, and other instruments are in correct operating condition. Ensures instruments requiring calibration or other standardization are calibrated and standardized. Ensures faulty equipment, instruments, and apparatus are repaired or replaced. Updates present equipment.

Specialty Qualifications:

Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of one or more areas of specialization within the field of biomedical laboratory science.

Education. The following education is required as indicated:

For entry in AFSC 43T1A, it is mandatory to possess a baccalaureate degree in medical technology or equivalent from an institution acceptable to the Surgeon General, HQ USAF.

For entry into AFSCs 43T1B/C/D/E/F/G/H, a master's degree is mandatory in the area of specialization identified by the suffix.