[Future guidelines for medical technologists].

In this symposium, ways in which medical technologists can contribute as supporting members in Japan's health care system will be discussed. Improvement in the job specifications of health care professionals has been identified as a major pillar of Japanese health care reform. As members of the medical support team, along with university professors and medical laboratory researchers, medical technologists will be expected to improve their knowledge and skill. Medical technologists should therefore be prepared to make great efforts to progress according to expectations, and these things must be kept in mind as a future guideline for medical technologists in Japan.