Blogs

Time to Renew!

By Christina Camillo posted 6 days ago
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Don't forget to renew your membership with ASCLS and continue to receive the great benefits that come with being a member! Go to www.ascls.org/renew today!
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Become a Delegate from Maryland!

By Christina Camillo posted 17 days ago
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Have you wanted to get more involved with ASCLS-Maryland but not sure how? Why not become a delegate (or alternate delegate) from Maryland to participate in the business of ASCLS as a whole. The term is one year. Delegate duties include: Voting in the election of the 2022-2023 officers, which occurs on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 Participating in the House of Delegates Meeting on Thursday, June 30, 2022, 10 am EDT Participating in the Mid-Year House of Delegates Meeting (tentatively scheduled for Sunday, January 15, 2023) To qualify, delegates MUST be registered for the Joint Annual Meeting (in person OR virtual) and must be members of ASCLS as ...
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Time to Renew Your Membership OR Become a NEW Member!

By Christina Camillo posted 04-23-2022
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It's that time of year - the time when ASCLS members are asked to renew their membership . It's also a great time of year to JOIN ASCLS if you've never been a member! Why is membership with ASCLS important for laboratorians? ASCLS is committed to creating opportunities for members to connect, learn, and contribute as a community of laboratorians. It has become clear over these past two years that forming connections with others and feeling a sense of community is essential to our well-being. ASCLS plays an integral role in creating connections and building community among medical laboratory professionals. What are the benefits of ASCLS membership? ...
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First Annual Joint Spring Meeting ASCLS Del-Mar-VA-DC

By Christina Camillo posted 04-17-2022
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Join us for our Joint Virtual Annual Spring Meeting on April 23, 2022, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm When: Saturday, April 23, 2022, 9 - 3:30 pm (Eastern Time) Where: Virtual Zoom meeting - Zoom links will be provided to registered participants before the meeting date. Registration Fees: ASCLS Members: $25 Non-Members: $35 Students – ASCLS members: $8 Students – non-ASCLS members: $10 To register, visit: ascls-va.org/registration Joint Virtual Annual Spring Meeting Agenda 9:00 - 9:15 - Welcome from ASCLS-DE, ASCLS-MD, ASCLS-VA, and ASCLS-CAS(DC) 9:15 - 10:15 - Opening Keynote Presentation (PACE 1 credit): Medical Laboratory Concerns in the Transgender ...
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The Need for Recognition - A Student Perspective

By Heather Herrington posted 03-09-2022
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By Katelyn Farrar, Clinical Diagnostic Science - Undergraduate Student When questioned about the different professions in health care, it’s likely that the majority of individuals would simply answer, “physicians or nurses”. Where do laboratory professionals fall in the healthcare pantheon? Why are professionals in our field so often overlooked? What needs to change for us to garner more recognition in healthcare? As a student, one of the most consistently asked questions I receive about my major is, “What is a Medical Laboratory Scientist?” or “What does a Medical Laboratory Scientist do ?”. These questions are expected as the laboratory profession ...
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Open Faculty Position at the University of Minnesota

By Donna Spannaus-Martin posted 02-02-2022
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Open Faculty Position Announcement Tenure or tenure track faculty member: Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor position (Job Code 9403) (Job ID# 345706) The University of Minnesota Medical Laboratory Sciences Program is seeking a full-time tenure or tenure track faculty member for the Twin Cities campus in their NAACLS accredited Medical Laboratory Sciences program. The position requires instruction and guidance of students, participation in curriculum and program development, engagement in quality improvement and advocacy, as well as curricular, recruitment, scholarship, and service activities in execution of the MLS Program mission. Duties and Responsibilities ...
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Labvocates Unite

By Heather Herrington posted 11-13-2021
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By Stephanie Noblit, Esq., MLS (ASCP)CM What does it take to be an advocate for the clinical laboratory or a “labvocate” as we like to say in ASCLS? Honestly, not much. You do not need to know the regulatory process by heart or understand every minute detail in a piece of legislation. All you need is a passion for the laboratory and a story. On October 25, labvocates from around the country gathered together both in person in Alexandria, VA and virtually for the annual ASCLS Legislative Symposium. We spent Monday learning about the issues currently facing the clinical laboratory from a variety of experts. Then on Tuesday we took our message to Capitol Hill ...
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AP's Acting Out In DC

By Jessica Lawless posted 10-25-2021
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Night walk around DC!
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Stuck Between a Vax and a Hard Place

By Heather Herrington posted 10-11-2021
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By Ogechi Ohaeto, MT Imagine being a brand new technologist working by yourself in the middle of a global pandemic. And you are the one in charge of the most important test at the moment - SARS-CoV-2. Your training was rushed and every positive result causes you to panic, wash your hands, and change your gloves. Your coworkers are miserable and quitting to go work at other facilities because of the mandatory overtime your director has implemented, but only for those in the Microbiology Department. This was my life in 2020, and I ended up being one of the coworkers who eventually dropped down to PRN, then left to go to another facility where I felt ...
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Patient Care Through the Kaleidoscope of the Laboratory

By Cheyenne Reyes posted 06-20-2021
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Patient Care Through the Kaleidoscope of the Laboratory By Jessica Lawless MLS(ASCP) CM I sit here on my back patio looking at my colorful Tibetan prayer flats and my rainbow pride lights, and I am reminded of how beautiful diversity can be. I have been working on ASCLS projects quite a bit lately, to prepare for JAM 2021 in a couple of weeks. My mind is swirling around how important it is to recognize and celebrate all the various perspectives that exist in the laboratory world. Each department attracts a different type of skill set and even different personalities. Hematology scientists tend to be very intuitive and determined. They look at ...
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Bridge Builder: How I navigated my first year as a laboratory scientist during a pandemic.

By Cheyenne Reyes posted 05-15-2021
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Bridge Builder: How I navigated my first year as a laboratory scientist during a pandemic. By: Jasmine Belton, MLS(ASCP) cm The builder lifted his old gray head; “Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said, “There followed after me to-day A youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm that has been as naught to me To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be; He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!” Excerpt from The Bridge Builder by Will Allen Dromgoole Growing up I always wanted to be someone's hero, as most of us do, right? Everything I did, and even my career path, ...
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Instructor/Assistant Professor- Medical Laboratory Science, Memphis

By Thomas Williamson posted 04-15-2021
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The Medical Laboratory Science Program, Department of Diagnostic and Health Sciences, College of Health Professions at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) invites applications for a 12-month, full- time position (instructor or assistant professor; rank to be commensurate with education and credentials) non-tenure track to contribute to UTHSC's teaching, research, and service missions. Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to, clinical microbiology course development, primary instruction of didactic courses using face-to-face and online delivery modalities; participation in student recruitment, retention, and admissions ...
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My Career Bookends and ASCLS in the middle?

By Cheyenne Reyes posted 04-13-2021
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My Career Bookends and ASCLS in the middle? Demetra “Toula” Castillo, M.Ad.Ed., MLS(ASCP)CM Almost 25 years ago, I made the best decision ever when I started in a medical technology program. I began working as a student in the hematology lab the summer after I started and landed a full-time position right after I graduated. As I began training other students in their clinical rotations, I found my passion for teaching and transitioned into a faculty position for my alma mater. Fast forward 15 years later, I loved being in the classroom but missed the lab work, so I returned to the laboratory part time. Then a little viral pandemic hit, and suddenly ...
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Funny Lab Week video

By Terri Buckley posted 04-06-2021
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https://woobox.com/d8exb2/gallery/l4FUN75faRM Enjoy some lab humor. Happy laboratory professionals week!
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The Most Common Questions I Face as a Traveler

By Cheyenne Reyes posted 03-26-2021
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The Most Common Questions I Face as a Traveler Cheyenne Reyes, MLS(ASCP) cm “How is the travel life? I have always thought about it but can’t commit.” I have to be honest, my answer changes based on my mood at the time, but the answer is never bad. The pros have always outweighed the cons thus far, but I won’t act like traveling is never stressful. Overall, I love the freedom and control it gives me. I am not stuck to any place, and I can choose where I want to go next so long as I am willing to put in the work for any state licensure/requirements I may need. Generally, I can choose what shift I want to work and prioritize a department over others. ...
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Where are the Smudge Cells in this CLL???

By Cheyenne Reyes posted 02-13-2021
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Where are the Smudge Cells in this CLL??? Krystal Yu, MLS(ASCP) cm Patient X is a 58-year-old Caucasian female who went to her primary care physician complaining of back and shoulder pain. Before this pain occurred, the patient was active and able to walk four miles a day, three days a week. CBC testing from this visit revealed leukocytosis, anemia with moderate polychromasia, mild anisopoikilocytosis,and 0-2 schistocytes per HPF, with marked thrombocytopenia. Differential showed lymphocytosis at 89% with approximately 60% of lymphs being slightly atypical. _________________________ 1 Normal appearing lymphocytes 2 "Atypical" ...
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Job Opening for Scientist - Beautiful Central California Coast

By Rick Berard posted 02-12-2021
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Hello Everyone, More Diagnostics, Inc. is recruiting for a Research and Development Scientist to join the team! The Research & Development Scientist, as the lead scientist at More Diagnostics, is a critical role for the company. This position will be responsible for directing new product development and managing existing products through design control. If you desire the opportunity to join a flexible and nimble business, based in the beautiful San Luis Obispo, California area, then keep reading. The ideal candidate will have a strong science background with a record of accomplishment in a laboratory production environment. Proven experience of success ...
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New Year, New Hope

By Cheyenne Reyes posted 01-14-2021
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New Year, New Hope By Jessica Lawless MLS(ASCP) CM Well, it is 2021. We survived the craziness of 2020 and are, unfortunately, continuing to push through the continuation of the craziness into this year. Despite some pretty significant political unrest (which I will NOT get in to), I am very hopeful for this year. I think that maintaining an element of hope is so important during these tumultuous times. I know. I know. Hope during COVID-19 is a scarce commodity, but I encourage you to find that hope in your heart because we haven’t fully pulled out of this pandemic at this time. We ALL need hope right now, so let’s go find it! First, ...
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The Long Way Home

By Cheyenne Reyes posted 12-18-2020
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The Long Way Home Heather Herrington, DVM, MLS(ASCP) CM I started a new job recently, doing testing for SARS-CoV-2, and the person who trained me did not have a medical background. At one point, it seemed to hit him how big of an impact we could have if we got something wrong. Either a false negative or false positive could be devastating, and as I watched this dawn on him, my unspoken reaction was, “Well, duh.” Medical laboratory science is actually my fourth career. I started off my adult working life as a veterinarian, doing primarily emergency and shelter medicine. For years, I have been acutely aware of how any mistake I made could be life-altering. ...
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How Has Being a Constituent President Helped My Career?

By Cheyenne Reyes posted 11-12-2020
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How Has Being a Constituent President Helped My Career? By: Ali Nussbaum, MLS(ASCP) CM How has being a constituent president helped my career? Becoming a constituent president is a prestigious opportunity that can be extremely intimidating to young, inexperienced leaders. However, the benefits are boundless to those brave enough to accept the challenge. A constituent society president typically serves in a 3-year term. During the first year they have the opportunity to learn from the current president, the second year they run the society and in the final year they help mentor the new president. This structure provides the maximum opportunity for ...
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