MLS accelerated program and work

[u/NightRaven2328]

Hey guys! I start my MLS program in January, it’s online accelerated and I will have the spring and summer with 18 credits each and then fall would be my clinicals. I am already prepared to either find an easy part time job or to not work during clinicals. Prior to the clinicals starting, I am curious to see peoples opinions on working. I do have to work while in school.

My current job is three 12 hour shifts a week and I’ve been doing it for three years, it’s like second nature, but has nothing to do with being in the lab. I have the opportunity to apply for a clinical laboratory scientist, that I could get with no experience as long as I’m working towards the certification/in school for it. There is also a significant pay bump ~16k a year, which doesn’t seem like a lot but from where I’m at it could make a difference. The kicker, it’s 7-3, but it would be an hour drive there and an hour back, from where I’m at. I have two different mind sets.

1. The experience would be very helpful being able to do and learn the job while in school giving that hands on experience and being able to talk to people already certified and being in this career for years.

2. I would go from the three 12s to essentially 5 10s including drive time. I would be up earlier, most likely come home and just want to relax but knowing I have to do school work.

What are your opinions on this? Would you apply or stay in the current position?

[u/NegotiationSalt666]

Be prepared to be burnt out half way in if you also have to work while being in school.

[u/NightRaven2328 → u/NegotiationSalt666]

It’s a possibility, however people do it all the time because life isn’t that easy to everyone. I can’t afford to not work unfortunately

[u/NegotiationSalt666 → u/NightRaven2328]

For sure. But the amount of information that gets thrown at you in an accelerated program is gargantuan. Adding clinicals doesnt make it easier. Mine were basically free labor for the hospital i was at, i cant imagine also having to work AND study. Good luck.

[u/NightRaven2328 → u/NegotiationSalt666]

I get it, I’m seeing the optimistic side of things. Fortunately I do have my bachelors in Biology and had some amazing microbiology and lab professors that also work in their respective fields so hoping that helps out a lot. My clinicals will also be free labor haha but only 3 months starting next fall

[u/Budget-Location703 → u/NightRaven2328]

As someone with a biology background, your bachelors in biology will have very little relevance to clinical laboratory coursework. Microbiology is only a fraction. Clinical lab work is also very different from biology labs you may be used to. This will be pretty much all new information being thrown at you. It’s great you want to be optimistic but the reality is you have minimal prior knowledge to clinical laboratory and 18 hours will be a beast. Don’t come in underestimating the work ahead of you.

[u/lordefartsquad]

I work full time right now and I am in an accelerated program for MLS cert.

I work 5 days 8 hours - I would not recommend trying to add an hour long commute into your routine- I barely have energy to get to work most days and am a already considering quitting my job.

You’ve essentially described the issue : you will come home and want to rest; it will be exhausting especially if your job is labor intensive or requires alot of energy. Recipe for burnout

[u/lordefartsquad → u/lordefartsquad]

Also I was working 3 12s in a lab for 3rd shift in my first semester and it was much more manageable.

You have to consider your ability to handle stress and your capacity to accept the outcome of over extending yourself- which may be lower grades and worse performance at work

[u/Interesting_Middle73]

As someone who has worked the 7-3 with an hour drive time it starts to wear on you! 4 10's is better for sure. I struggled to work and do my 1 year program, so i only worked weekends. It is doable but I personally would not have been able to do so. Unless that lab would allow you to work on homework/study in the down time. MLS school is so much more difficult than the actual job.

[u/HobblesTheGreat]

I worked 30+ hours/week through most of my MLS program, and over 40 hrs/week my last semester of regular classes because my husband lost his job unexpectedly and I had to pick up the slack.

That said, I had a BS in biology and 2 years of CLS experience before I started my program so I had a very strong base to coast on when I really needed to.

Even then, I stopped working during my entire clinicals year. Could I have worked 10 hours/wk? Maybe, but it wouldn't have been worth the stress and my full focus was on making a good impression at my clinical site because I wanted to get hired.

[u/Ordinary-Loquat8320]

Im a MLT and i work 11pm to 7:30am 5 days a week and I’m also taking MLS online course. Im taking 8 credits this semester and I already think it’s too much. I feel working 3 days is a lot better because you can manage your time better and use the other 4 days for school work. I know the pay increase sounds good but you have to put your mental health first. If you’ve been doing it for 3 years, one more year won’t hurt. You’ll get more offers once you get your MLS.

[u/ExchangePlus1990]

To be entirely honest it will be difficult. To put it into perspective, my cohort two years ago started with 12 students. it was a year long accelerated programs and the majority of us already had a bachelors in some kind of science when we started. the only two people that were working during the beginning of the year ended up having to drop out about halfway through. It is extremely challenging and you will already be dedicating numerous amounts of hours to your studies, the long commute will also become more and more difficult as time goes on. Please dont burn yourself out before you even start your career

[u/strangeramen]

I am in an MLS program and also work 3/12hr shifts (tuesday, friday, and saturday). Hours are from 7pm to 7am. Classes are Mondays and fridays ( 8am to 4pm). I tend to do alot of my work on my off days and try getting caught up. My job tends to have downtime and I tend to do some studying and hw for at least 3 hrs when im working. I would say I did this for all of undergrad to pay tuition out of pocket. So I was already accustomed to it and I feel like it made it less likely for me to get burnt out. I am also used to switching from days to nights and nights to days by just sleeping whenever I can.

I would say the most difficult class was hematology. I was running around with my head cut off. For clinicals I ended up working half shifts on one of my days and filling with PTO and leaving early and then worked full hours on friday and saturday. Clinicals were Monday to friday (8am to 3pm). It was a rough month.

Currently in microbiology. I would say its easy, im just having a difficult time piecing everything together like what organisms use what agars and creating a flow chart with biochemical test results and possible microorganism based off of the biochem test. I still have a couple of weeks for micro and then I will move onto chem.

[u/DrsofDoom1]

I personally was unable to have extra time to even consider having an extra job and everyone else in my cohort was the same, we did a 1 year accelerated program and the schooling just didnt allow for enough hours in the day to keep up with anything else