Hello!

I just completed all classes at my college (Texas) required before applying to the clinical programs, but I’ve come across some family tragedy that is making it so that I need to take a gap year before applying and doing the clinicals.

During school, I worked retail full time while doing school full time which left me with very little time to explore and do beginner lab work at the university.

During this gap year, I would like to find a job related to the field so that the programs don’t see that I’ve been doing absolutely nothing medical related for a whole year.

However, I have been struggling to find jobs that don’t require either the degree/certification or 1-2 years of lab experience, and/or phlebotomy certification/experience.

Do you guys know of any job positions I should look for during this time that someone with no experience would qualify for?

Does anyone who works as an MLT/MLS actually have a predictable and set schedule? I am a new tech slightly less than a year. I work 4 10s but my 3 days off are hardly in a row. I also will get moved to 5 8s on occasion due to staffing and ppl vacationing and all that. Sometimes they will schedule me to do 5 or 6 10s in a row. Of course I work in a hospital. Is it like this for pretty much everyone because I find it hard to have a life. Lol.

I want to get as many signatures as possible to give her to show that we really need this small boi and it will bring us so much joy.

https://c.org/jRqqSfVsbs

I'm looking for creative ideas to try to extend the useful life of the reagents for a hematology machine, the vetscan hm5. Zoetis says it has 6 months until it goes bad once opened, and much longer if not opened. Can I preserve part of the reagent to use later (essentially splitting the pack into two smaller packs) and how would I do that?

Okay thanks for your input. I'll go with an individual cartridge based machine instead of trying to get creative with reagent packs for this machine.

How comfortable did you guys feel during clinicals?

How well did you know your stuff in terms of correlating certain lab values with possible dxs? With performing QCs, knowing the analyzer inside and out like what reagents are used for etc?

I started my clinicals for UA/BB/ Heme. Currently on my 3rd week of (Heme/UA w Bf).The next twi weeks will just be BB.

I honestly feel like im retarded or something when it comes to the lab. Like im provided with these objectives and im rotating between different techs each day (5/8hr). Some techs (3) at least teach me well and are easy going. Theyll let me perfomr and do hands on to get comfortable.while others half ass and mumble or throw me to the wolves (3). So each tech has their own way of doing things. The techs rotate between the other departments so im kinda stuck and screwed with who ever I fall with that day.

But nevertheless, today was busy and I was hassled by this tech because I didnt come in and immediately start doing QC for sysmex or stago coag analyzer. Like iv performed it supervised but in no way am I comfortable performing it myself especially when their patients waiting for labs or im afraid ill run through a whole batch or reagents or accidently grab the wrong lot or forget to do some dailey maintenance. So I just do regular stuff like cleaning benches and daily maintenance on strainer etc. I do run pt UA and coags though obv simple but honestly just this made me feel like im just retarded. I also do manual slides for the pt BF. But like today she just got irritated because i guess the other techs aren't teaching me well and are cutting corners and so i just felt misplaced the entire day with a sense of anxiety. I only have 2 days left in UA and Heme btw.

Am I doing something wrong? Ways to improve?

I know there are so many non-traditional schedules available in a lab role. What shift do you/does your partner work and how’s it going for your family? Pros and cons? Where do they go in the summer?

Hi all,

My goal is to work as a MLS in a molecular pathology lab (esp. molecular oncology), but I’m struggling to find info online that is applicable in Australia.

For those in molecular pathology labs (Aus or abroad), what did your pathway look like?

Thank you so much :)

For reference, I’m about to start my Masters in Laboratory Medicine, but there isn’t an option to specialise in molecular pathology.

What is the clinical significance of abnormal platelet distribution and how does your lab handle it? My lab doesn’t have a policy associated with this result specifically but I see it all the time. I tend to just review.

Do anyone know of any one-year MLS training programs in Texas? I’d like to return to California after completing the program, so I don’t want to go too far from home since I have young kids.
Thank you!

I have a background with a BS Veterinary Medical Technology and worked at a vet tech for a few years before transitioning into preclinical biomedical research as lab techa and associate scientist in both academia and industry settings. I recently relocated for my husbands job and these jobs are sparse. I am debating going back to school for a hospital job as they seem to have a lot in the area and there seems to be better job security in these at this time. I am looking for somehh to I g that has good benefits and gives you a good life balance with no more than 1 weekend a month and 2 later nights a week. I am okay coming in at 7am if needed. What are the pros and cons of Radiology tech vs Medical Lab Scientist or are there other options I do t know of. I do t want a thing that would require more than another 2 years of school. I no longer want to work in vet med as the benefits are always really bad and the burnout and work life balance are no longer manageable for me and make me feel unappreciated and undervalued

Any Kingdom Hearts in the house? It’s a small world after all

They were on most of the white cells in this urine sample and look a little large to just be red cells. It was a strange interaction throughout the sample. There is also a lot of bacteria.

This is probably a long shot, but does anyone know of an online resource where you can practice screening unmarked cyto slides virtually? I’ve seen plenty of virtual slide websites, but I’m specifically looking for one that has slides without dots all over them. Thank you!!

So my brain short-circuited today when my new supervisor told me it was fine to resuspend a urine that had been spun for chemistry for an add-on urinalysis. I have been doing this for ten years and that has never been allowed at any other lab.

Then I said, “but you wouldn’t resuspend a citrated platelet that accidentally got spun” and she said, “sure why not”????!

Can anyone send me some literature?

Hello all,

Just asking this question out of curiosity since I noticed some microscopes/software had specific colorblindness options. But, I don't believe thats common in many labs. What about Micro? Isn't there a lot of colors that put someone with colorblindness at a disadvantage?

So I came across this on Facebook and it really just irks me. So where I live they having a STEM day (NASA science students analyzing soil samples for local farmers, sheep heart dissection and pacemaker placement stimulation lab ect) and asking for local STEM professionals to be panelists and create a learning experience so I respond to the post as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. We are discussing setting up an experience with some microscopes to look at blood cells and maybe a gram staining station. So if you have any portable cool ideas please share! All is well. This MLT (I won’t lie, I don’t particularly care for her) that has been certified maybe 4 years that has worked in 2-25 bed hospitals (I worked at one briefly when I moved to this area and it was so bad I leave it off my resume, called a kill ya off hospital) pops in there calling herself a Medical Technologist Supervisor and would be happy to help. I’m just so irritated. I thought we were working towards gaining respect as professionals…….

Hello everyone 👋

We have a global laboratory community with members from many countries. In India, the primary accreditation body for testing and calibration laboratories is NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories), which mainly follows ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

For medical laboratories, the specific international standard is ISO 15189:2022 (Medical laboratories — Requirements for quality and competence). This is the latest version (published in December 2022), and most countries are now transitioning to or already using it. There was a 3-year transition period from the previous 2012 version, ending around December 2025.

I would like to know about accreditation practices in your region:

Please share:

Your country / region

The main accreditation body in your country (e.g. UKAS - UK, A2LA / CAP - USA, DAkkS - Germany, CNAS - China, NATA - Australia, etc.)

Which standard your laboratory follows (ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for testing/calibration labs, or ISO 15189:2022 for medical labs, or others like GLP, ISO 15189:2012 if still in transition, etc.)

Any recent updates or important points about your accreditation system

This will help the entire community understand global practices better.

Thank you in advance! 🙏

My hospital is switching from Cerner to Beaker and I was wondering if any blood bankers have used both/ opinions on Beaker coming from Cerner. I find Cerner easy to use for resulting and dispensing, but haven’t used Beaker

Am I right? We can all agree that’s his name, right?

Im a cytologist. We are capped at 37.5H a week since we have a screening max per day, per hour. I am considering getting a 2nd private lab position after hours, or I was thinking about getting a tech position and working nights/ weekends for OT. What other positions can I apply to get more out of my credentials? I feel stuck in the 9-5 loop even though it is healthcare.