What Does a Clinical Microbiologist Do?

Category: What is Clinical Microbiology? Last Updated on Thursday, 14 March 2013 10:36

A Clinical Microbiologist --

• Deals with identifying bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections which helps to prevent epidemics and has a large influence on the clinical management of patients.
• Plays a central role in the detection of new infectious agents.
• With expertise in the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical areas of laboratory science, determines the method of sampling, confirms the cause of infections in humans and animals and what antimicrobials may be effective for treatment, and interprets complex results to clinicians and healthcare professionals.
• Works on the prevention and control of infectious human diseases and other health hazards caused by pathogenic microorganisms.
  
  Watch a video to learn more about the day-to-day activities of a Clinical Microbiologist.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaw16xE5ooM

Where Does a Clinical Microbiologist Work?

• Commercial and Reference Laboratories (where more complex lab tests are conducted and evaluated)
• Federal and State Government
• Hospitals
• Pharmaceutical Companies and Diagnostic Instrument Manufacturers
  State and Local Public Health Laboratories
• Universities and Medical School

Clinical Microbiology in the 21st Century: Keeping the Pace
This report discusses the current status of clinical microbiology, the directions in which it is headed, and solutions for the problems of today and those likely to be encountered in the years to come.

A Day in the Life - Microbiology
This video from the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia's video series features a day in the life of Australian Pathologist, Dr. Sally Roberts.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/O-QfqxvKWaM