Careers

Career Description

There are more than 300,000 Airmen living around the world — add in their families, and you have more than half a million people in need of healthcare services. As a Biomedical Laboratory Officer, you'll not only perform a vital role in the Air Force medical community, but you'll also have the opportunity to manage a lab, develop and improve procedures, continue your education, teach and even participate in basic and operational research.

Career Tasks

• Provide precise, accurate lab data and conclusions to healthcare providers
• Manage clinical laboratory services and ensure that all data produced in the laboratory meet quality and accuracy standards required for the proper care and treatment of patients
• Perform laboratory duties such as analyzing biologic materials, evaluating the quality of data produced and providing interpretation to healthcare providers
• Perform management duties such as updating lab services, improving procedures, evaluating new equipment and ensuring compliance with laboratory-accrediting agencies
• Act as a teacher in a variety of lab sciences in support of continuing medical education
• Conduct scientific analyses in one or more areas or biomedical lab disciplines to include clinical chemistry, environmental and industrial hygiene, chemistry, toxicology, microbiology, hematology, coagulation, serology, immunology, blood banking, immunohematology and virology
• Participate in both basic and operational research
• Be at the forefront of new technology development, evaluation of emerging technologies and implementation of new procedures and processes in clinical and research laboratories
• Understand all aspects of clinical laboratory sciences and basic life sciences as well as laboratory support to medical systems supporting operations

Relevant Interests & Skills

You might like this position if you have interests in these areas:

• Health and Medicine
• Natural Science
• Business, Operations and Administrative

Becoming a Direct Commission Officer

To ease your transition into the Air Force, you'll enter a five-week training regimen designed to educate you on the ways of both the military and military healthcare. You'll participate in physical conditioning five days a week, leadership training and classroom studies.