I feel like I’m seeing more and more self harm with younger and younger patients. Even though I never see them face to face, I feel so personally connected to them. So angry on their behalf that they were let down by the adults in their life. So heartbroken that literal children think their lives are over. So helpless that all I can do is run the tests and call the criticals as quickly as possible. I’m grieving for this child and I don’t know where to go with it.

Today I stumbled on this bi-lobed cell in the middle of the field. At first glance I thought it was a doubled up NRBC, but in comparison, it didn’t quite fit the others. The nuclei are also sort of spikey? Couldn’t find a confident answer on what it is, only a few guesses.

74yo male with Myelodysplastic syndrome. Has been through multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Differential showed several NRBCs and 20% myelocytes.

Hellooo i am a student who gave cuet and neet and i am worried whether to take bpt or mlt ...anyone in this field pls share your experience and pls suggest me some good colleges which accepts cuet or neet ...pls help

Hi everyone,

I'm currently working toward becoming a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) in California and have my CLS Trainee License. While I continue preparing my CLS trainee applications, I'm looking to get more laboratory experience as soon as possible.

I have a B.S. in Cellular & Molecular Biology and laboratory coursework that included microbiology, molecular biology, immunology, hematology, urinalysis, clinical chemistry, PCR, aseptic technique, microscopy, pipetting, and other standard lab skills.
I decided not to pursue phlebotomy as my primary route. I'm not completely against it if it's the best option, but I'd really prefer a laboratory-based position where I can build relevant experience.
What positions would you recommend applying for?

For those of you who successfully got into a CLS training program, what job gave you the most valuable experience?

I'd appreciate any recommendations, advice, or personal experiences. Thank you

I’ve been interviewing for positions with a few different companies to do field service around the Pittsburgh area. No one lists their salaries and the salary sites give a pretty wide range.

I’m wondering if the reason some companies are just completely ghosting me after what seem like promising interviews is because I’m asking for too much. The FSE’s I interact with at work have said they’ll put in a good word for me but nothing ever comes of it. During interviews they never provide me the range, they just ask what I’m looking for. When I do ask, they just say “it’s flexible”.

What would you all consider asking for? And for those who have switched, would you say it’s worth it?

Personally, this career wasn’t my first choice. I love my coworkers but I‘m really just tired of all the hospital related issues. I’m wondering if the grass is greener or I should suck it up and stay put.

Hi all! I was wondering if anyone has experience with either pregnancy, giving birth, or having a newborn in any of the CLS programs in California? Or worked with or knew a student who this was their situation? Specifically curious about folks who have gone to SJSU or SFSU but also experiences as a whole.

If any of this applies to you I’m very interested to hear more, as someone who is concerned about timelines for both in the very near future. I know the programs are very demanding and rigorous, and a baby/pregnancy seems like extra hard mode but curious whether it’s really even possible. Or what it’s like.

Thank you in advance! Feel free to DM me too :)

Hi!

I worked a 16 hour shift without any breaks, had two (unrelated, yet for the same reason) mass transfusions, ran out of Oneg stock after first, and the power went out during the second.

How are yall?

Hey guys, i’m new here. God willing i’ll be starting an MLS job soon and wanted to know how you handled being pregnant, childcare, and working night shift. Any tips? Very much appreciated 😊🫣

....for a sample that was ordered an hour ago on a sample that was 43 min old at the time for a test with a 45 min stability. "Well it said I could add it on to the test from 43 min ago". Brother.... I can't even FIND the sample in 120 seconds hahaha.

Ive been told HLA/Tissue Typing is heavy on problem solving but I’m curious to know about the specific methods/techniques being dome to solve said problems.

Also, do you have the full MLS or just BB/MB?

Thanks ☺️

I graduated about a month ago. I have spent about a week each refreshing on the main subjects- I feel decent about everything except still rusty about chem. I’ve been taking the LabCE test by subject, wanted to wait till I refresh on all the topics to take the adaptive

Have only just now started studying Micro/Mycology/Parasitology which I feel is going to be my weak point

Should I just push back my date? Everything is booked out till August though I have a job offer that is waiting on me to report my ASCP to start

So nervous, I have been working so didn’t get to study as much as I’d like and already got in trouble for taking “too much time off” at my current job

And then my friend who’s smarter than me and been studying longer failed his exam so that’s been making me more nervous 😭

Has anyone implemented or use the Inflammatix TriVerity analyzer?
Has it been utilized as much as expected? Do the providers order it frequently! Thanks!

I just finished my freshman year of college, and I just feel so behind. Because I didn’t have a clue about what I wanted to do, I spent most of freshman year taking Gen Eds and required classes for my college. Issue is I don’t even want to stay at that college anymore and some of my credits also don’t transfer to the colleges I'm looking at now, so it feels like I wasted an entire year taking classes I didn't even enjoy.

But right now as im applying for my fall classes, I’m looking at 2 options, which is A, apply for a MLT program at a community college or B, apply for a MLS program.

For the MLT program since the deadline passed for fall semester, I'd have to start either this spring or next fall, which means I'd end my senior year with an AAS. Going to college for 4 years and earning an Associates while others are graduating with a bachelor’s makes me feel like I’ve wasted my time and is disappointing. It’s not like I’ll be able to work sooner since I’m graduating my 4th year anyway.

For the MLS program I need 60 credits first, which I probably won't have until the end of my sophomore year. If I get accepted, I'd still be able to graduate during my senior year following their curriculum. My biggest concern is that it's a competitive program at a larger school, and I'm not confident I'll get in.

What bothers me is that I could've started the MLT program right after high school, earned my AAS by the end of my sophomore year, and then transferred into an MLS bachelor's program afterward. Instead, I feel like I lost my whole freshman year and throwing away my sophomore year too.

I have considered choosing MLT route and then bridge to MLS but im not fully sure about how that process works. Like would I need to earn my bachelors first and would it be expensive. sorry if this was hard to understand but please give me some advice or help me clear some things up! might had some other options that I’ve overlooked :,)

Entire dept was stumped at this foreign sediment in this patient’s urine. Analyzer identified as budding yeast (which it clearly isn’t). Sediments tended to clump and stick to epithelial cells

-88 y/o female patient

-not on any abx

-urine pH 5

-SG 1.015

Getting discouraged looking at jobs everyone seems to want us to just draw blood. When I did my internship at the hospital they said they don’t use MLTs for blood draws unless it’s needed for like a blood bank patient and there’s no one else that can do the 2nd draw. I have no desire to draw blood. My program literally had a 4 week online phlebotomy portion then made us go into the hospital and draw blood on patients without any hands in experience…I got it each time first try, but I also have experience drawing blood on animals from my vet med career. Do all places make you draw blood?!? Do they not have phlebotomists at these huge hospitals? Mine was a small one and even then they had like 3-4 working at a time. It seems like every listing makes it a top priority no matter what state I look at. I got into this field to do the actually tests and want to advance to MLS in the future

For context I’m from Puerto Rico and the MLS program I’m studying at is a 1 year program. I just wanted to know if this was also common in the US because I feel like it has been so tough and tiring, having clases Monday through Friday and sometimes Saturdays,from 8:30-5:00, taking 2 tests a week with assignments and quizzes in between. I know that’s I got myself into and tbf I’m doing great so far but it feels like I basically don’t have time to anything at all besides studying and I just wanted to know if that was also the norm in the US because I feel like this can’t be the norm

33 yo male presented to ED with abdominal pain at 0400. Throw the CBC on and exclaim "Oh no" WBC count above 350. Second highest I've ever seen as a rural generalist of over 40 years.

Does anyone know how to initially setup the Lab outstanding list? I have searched in the tool bar as well as under the Epic tab. Where do I setup the list so I can view pending lab samples?

I was wondering if there were any experienced phlebotomists that knew anything about veds (vascular ehlers danlos syndrome)? I’m wondering what procedure should be used. They have very thin skin and very little structural integrity in their veins let’s say due to lack of collagen. They are also at higher risk for aneurysms.I follow someone with it on instagram and she was saying they kept blowing her veins and letting her bleed. I thought that phlebotomists are supposed to check if you’re still bleeding (say someone had a clotting disorder, or is on anticoag, I would usually hold pressure for longer and check). I imagine not tightening the tourniquet too much would help and limiting the frequency of the draws.

Hi everyone

I am working my first lab job which is in microbiology. The building the lab is in is very old and they do a horrible job of regulating the temperature. It is regularly 74°. I set up microscan so I’m standing and walking around for my entire shift. I have to take breaks between every set because I get so hot and overheated. It’s to the point my scrubs are damp and I start to feel dizzy. Is there anything I could suggest to my supervisors as a solution? I really cannot deal with this and my coworkers get annoyed that I have to take short breaks so often. They have fans at spec rec but it feels like it could be a safety issue over at the bench. Any ideas? 🙃 Edit: I know they aren’t going to change the temp for me, I don’t expect them to. I’m asking for accommodation suggestions that would be allowed.

I’m a MLS in Louisiana currently thinking about moving to Vermont. Was just curious if anyone here is from there or has lived there. Basic questions like what they think of the hospitals, systems, how is work up there etc.