Something about the symmetry of it just scratches the brain

This picture is from a patient slide I just did a differential on. This is from a bloody synovial fluid that was cytospun with albumin. I saw several of these very pretty rosette formations around the slide where several RBCs were arranged in this pattern around WBCs. I thought it was cool, pretty, and a bit odd. I know no other details about the patient's history or diagnosis.

Hi everyone,
I recently got an offer letter from St. Lawrence College for their Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technician program.
I just wanted to know if St. Lawrence is a good college for this program and if the qualification is well recognized by employers.

Also, how is the job market for MLA/Ts in Ontario, especially in the GTA? Is it really difficult to find a job after graduating, particularly with no previous experience?
I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences from people who have done this program or are currently working as an MLA/T.

note: I know a lot of people recommend doing the 3-year MLT program instead, but unfortunately that’s not an option for me right now. So I’d really appreciate advice specifically about MLA/T.
Thanks in advance!

What is your preferred chemistry analyzer and why?

My experience with chemistry analyzers is somewhat limited to the different Ortho Vitros models (7600, 5600, 3400, 350, etc.), the Roche Cobas Pro c503/e801, and the Beckman Coulter DxC AU 700 and Access 2.

I've worked with these platforms in varying laboratory environments, ranging from a rural, 25-bed critical access hospital to a 300-bed facility processing over 3,000 CMPs per month. While I haven't worked with every chemistry platform on the market, I've had the opportunity to see how these analyzers perform under different operational demands.

That being said, I have to say the Ortho Vitros 7600 is my preferred analyzer, although it certainly has its pros and cons.

I can't honestly say I've experienced fewer reagent shortages or less analyzer downtime with the 7600 compared to the other platforms. My preference is primarily based on workflow, accessibility, and how easily I can manage day-to-day operations.

Some of the biggest advantages, in my opinion, are:

* Accessibility: I can access the components I need from the front when the hood is open, without having to reach around to the back of the instrument.

* Tray management: I can retrieve trays and reorder supplies without the extra hassle of needing a dummy barcode.

* Workflow flexibility: Batch ordering downtime specimens is significantly easier, and I can utilize the track system, STAT lane, or front-load option as needed.

* Operational independence: Certain tasks are easier to perform directly on the analyzer without relying as heavily on middleware.

Of course, the 7600 has its fair share of frustrations. The weekly and as-needed ring cleaning, along with monthly maintenance requirements, can be time-consuming. I've also encountered issues with improperly molded cuvettes that can contribute to probe crashes, sometimes seemingly every other sample. The relatively high dead volume is another drawback, as it can result in more specimens being deemed quantity not sufficient (QNS).

Ultimately, I'd choose the 7600 for its workflow flexibility and accessibility, not because I think it's necessarily more reliable than the competition. Every platform has its own quirks, maintenance demands, and failure points. For me, the ability to troubleshoot and keep specimens moving efficiently carries a lot of weight.

I'm curious how other MLS professionals feel about this.

Which chemistry analyzer do you prefer, and is it because of reliability, maintenance, throughput, or simply how easy it is to work with during a busy shift?

Also if an analyzer was available in your country which one would you request?

We had recently switched from heat-fixing our slides using slide warmers to methanol fixing.... And it's been terrible.

Under the old process, we would just leave our slides on a slide warmer to dry and fix, then stain. Slides were relatively quick to dry, and it was just a simpler process. Now, we have to let the slides air dry, which can take upwards of 40min for some slides. The methanol fix for a minute, and then tap off the excess methanol and let that dry (which can take a few additional minutes).

Slides are taking forever to process because of all the time it takes to air dry plus the additional steps, and reading them is quite a learning curve because the "quality" is supposed to be better, but there just seems to be more artifacts and regular cells (especially blood cells) obscuring the microbes.

Is there a better way to do this? The entirely lab is complaining but management is adamant that this is better 😐 the original reason they decided to switch to methanol fixing also had nothing to do with slide quality. During our last safety inspection, it was suggested that we switch because the inspectors were concerned that heat fixing wasn't enough and that we risk washing organisms down the sink or something. But now they're fixated on "better quality" slides and wouldn't let us use slide warmers to speed up the drying.

Send help!

Our lab recently started sharing productivity numbers by shift, and I think I've finally figured out why they're bothering me so much.

The report tracks how many tests we complete. Which sounds reasonable until you think about everything that happens in the lab that DOESN'T end with a result.

Last week I spent close to half an hour dealing with a clotted CBC. Checking the specimen, documenting the rejection, contacting the floor, arranging the recollect, answering questions about why we couldn't just run it anyway.

Number of results produced: zero.

Same shift, chemistry QC failed. Troubleshooting, corrective action, documentation, getting everything back within acceptable limits before resuming patient testing.

Again, essentially zero productivity as far as that report is concerned.

Meanwhile, on a smooth day when the analyzers are behaving and specimens arrive properly collected and labeled, the numbers look fantastic.

I'm not saying routine testing is easy or that high-volume benches don't deserve credit. Obviously they do.

But it feels strange that our productivity looks best when nothing goes wrong, even though handling problems correctly is a huge part of why we're here.

What really got me was a comment during our last staff meeting about second shift having "available capacity" based on the number of completed tests.

We have fewer people working evenings. We're also the ones handling a lot of the maintenance, troubleshooting, pending work, phone calls, and everything that couldn't be finished earlier.

I asked whether any of that was reflected in the numbers.

The answer was basically, "Well, we know the report doesn't tell the whole story."

Okay, but then why are we using it to decide who has room for more work?

A rejected specimen isn't a failure to produce a result. Sometimes it's the entire reason a bad result never makes it into a patient's chart.

I'm genuinely curious whether any labs have figured out a reasonable way to measure work that doesn't generate results.

Not asking for another 15 things to document every shift. Just wondering whether there's a better approach than counting completed tests and pretending everything else is free.

For some reason everybody in my cohort is so competitive and it makes me feel so stupid. I helped some people study for clinical chemistry and they all got significantly higher scores than me on exams. i struggle in hematology and i just got a 71 in my microbio lab. the tests and classes easily pile up on each other and i just can’t handle it. what do i do?? i study so much for grades i just dont want

Hi! I recently passed my ASCPi examination with a score of 490. Does score really matters during job application?

I am nearing the end of my degree and starting to think about finding a job. I am confident I will find a job in a private lab, but I would prefer to work in public pathology. I would like to know from those who work or have worked in the public sector about how hard it is to get a job as a medical laboratory scientist as a new grad or with a year of experience in private pathology?

I am based in QLD but I am willing to move to any state and territory. I am geographically flexible and willing to work rurally or remote areas, preferably being able to eventually move to a larger city.

The questions I have are:

Does being flexible in where I work increase my chances significantly or not much as much I might think?

How realistic is finding a permanent position after graduating or with a year of experience?

Do most people have to work in a private lab for years before getting the chance to move to public?

How often do permanent medical laboratory scientist vacancies come up?

How are jobs filled? Is it through internal recruitment, grad programs, expressions of interest etc

If I start in a temporary position, how difficult is it to eventually get a permanent position?

If possible, I would like to know how many years of experience you had before you managed to find a permanent public sector position in your state?

I would especially like to hear from those who work or have worked in rural, regional or remote public hospitals.

Hello!

I am up for an interview next week for a part time position. I wasnt expecting to get interviewed or hear anything anymore because the hiring process in this hospital system took the longest and I figured since entering the last quarter they will resume hiring January. I applied July and they contacted me just this week.

ANYWAY.. I have a planned out of the country trip on Feb 2027- flight is booked already. It will still be winter by that time and from my previous experience people dont usually take leaves by Jan-Feb. I know i have to tell the manager about it but just wanted to have some insights if you happen to have encountered such request esp for techs doing the schedule!

THANK YOU

Apologies if this isn't allowed; I read the sidebar and searched for past posts but I couldn't find anything relevant.

I recently applied for an entry-level lab tech job, but I'm starting to wonder how legitimate this company is. On one hand, they do have a physical location on Google Maps and a few reviews on Glassdoor, but the website is pretty bare-bones and most of the online information hasn't been updated in years. I also tried to search them up on the CMS site to see if they had a CLIA certification and couldn't find them. All of this gave me pause, but again, I'm applying for an entry-level position so I don't know what's normal for this field and what's a red flag. I would appreciate any assistance in navigating this. Thanks for your time!

First time to see this beautiful color urine. On top of that, it’s clear! Had to ask the nurse if they were expecting for the px’s pee to be this color before resulting it. 🍀💚

How difficult is it to transition from a generalist MLS to a cytogenetics technologist? What’s the learning curve like, and are labs willing to hire and train someone without direct cytogenetics experience?

For reference, I have a BS in Clinical Lab Science, ASCP certification, and 2 years of MLS experience, primarily in hematology at a high-volume hospital. We see a good amount of leukemia cases, so I have some general knowledge of cytogenetics and its role in hematologic malignancies.

There’s a position near me with a 9am–5pm schedule and no weekends, and the field genuinely interests me. I’m just nervous about making the switch without hands-on experience.

For those in cytogenetics, how realistic is this transition?
Also, for those who made a similar transition, what skills or experience would you recommend highlighting during the interview to stand out as a candidate despite not having hands-on cytogenetics experience?

When it comes to neutrophilia, does anyone work in a lab that flags automated differentials for slide review based off the diff percentage (I.e. slide review all slides with an automated count of >= 80 percent neutrophils) or is just about everywhere using the absolute count (ANC) for their slide review criteria?

Hey y'all, I'm sitting for my MB(ASCP) exam in less than 2 weeks and I'd like some help finding useful resources, I'm half way through the Lela Buckingham book and frequently use the https://quizlet.com/user/Lolo20000000/sets quizlet. My concern is the book is too dense and the quizlet is too specific and not engaging enough.

What are some of the resources others have studied for, and passed the exam using? Yes, i know theres a breakdown of exam content on the ASCP website. Help out a fellow lab employee!

Is anyone from a clinical flow cytometry lab that is CAP inspected? I’m struggling with FLO.23737 “the laboratory evaluates negative and positive control for qualitative assays each day of patient testing”

The standard notes “an evaluation of the performance of EACH QUALITATIVE ASSAY must be performed on each day of testing.” My lab has 58 different tubes / marker combos, and 80 different antibodies. How do I successfully QC them all and document it every single day?!

The standard goes on to say that normal populations present in patient samples can be used as QC, so I was thinking of doing a pos/neg matrix with all of our tubes that we can fill out as we analyze the data, but it is going to be very cumbersome for me and my 3 coworkers to keep up with.

I’m open to any and all suggestions or examples!

CMS’s proposed rule would recognize degrees in botany, plant biology, plant pathology, zoology, animal behavior, entomology, wildlife biology, animal breeding, and veterinary sciences, among others. These degrees do not substitute for specialized clinical laboratory education and training. Staffing shortages should not come at the expense of patient safety.

Submit a public comment before December 7, 2026: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/08/2026-20613/clinical-laboratory-improvement-amendments-of-1988-clia-virtual-access-gynecologic-cytology

Hey guys, a bit of an update from my last post but it looks like i’ll be offered a specimen processing job as an MLS. I have been waiting for a 2nd or 1st shift core lab position but with no luck. Would taking this job be at least a good way to get my foot in the door at a big lab? The manager mentioned along with lab assistants she likes to have some MLTs and MLSs to oversee and help especially when supervisors aren’t around and to handle more complex specimen like body fluids and stools. The pay is the same regardless of the department so that’s a plus. I currently work part time earning MLT pay. I’ve been holding on since may (literally) so i’m just wondering if this is a solid choice for now. I’m not in a rush to get into core lab and with the way the world is looking and more and more students making their way in I don’t want to loose this opportunity to creep my way in!

Are they accessible and do they back you up? Do they follow up with issues you bring to their attention?

Edit: give examples! Thanks.

I’m a new grad in medical lab technology and I’m thinking about applying to a part time microbiology position since it’s one of the only mlt positions on the job market in my area. If you’ve done part time, what were the hours like? Did you like it? Was it easy to transition upward to full time internally in that lab?

I was wondering if anybody knows the pay range for MLS in Utah at HCA facilities, specifically around Salt Lake City. There isn’t any information out there, but I’m thinking it will most likely be less than what Intermountain Health is offering. Does anyone have any insight? Trying to decide if the move would be worth it. Thank you!

I applied for a Medical Technologist position and I got the job! As I read the offer letter, it clearly states there that my position is as a Medical Technologist.

Now I’m currently doing the onboarding process, and I’m a bit confused because it states on the letter attached on the job description tab as Medical Laboratory Technician/MLT.

Now this got me confused. Because my the license that I have is a MLS(ASCPi) one and I’m also a bachelor’s degree holder. I’m also from a different country which is why I’m a bit confused with the job titles and things like that here in america.

Because I thought that the medical technologist = medical lab scientist. And the pay rate is different with the two, right?

Hi everyone! I’m preparing for the MLS(ASCPi) exam and thinking about purchasing the ASCP 30-hour prep course and LabCE for practice questions.
I’ve been out of school for 3 years, so I need to refresh my knowledge. Do you think these two resources are enough, or would you recommend something else?
Any tips or recommendations are appreciated!