r/medlabprofessionals

pretty self explanatory title. i'm in my second semester of MLT classes and our labs using hemacytometers are easily the worst we've had so far. we've used some outdated materials since the program here has been around for a while and there's only so much equipment we can afford, so i was wondering if hemacytometers are a daily used lab when in an actual hospital?

I currently enjoy my role and get paid fine, but management doesn't seem to distinguish between ASCP-certified MLS professionals and uncertified biology graduates.

Since our pay scale doesn't account for certification, I’m wondering: do labs that distinguish between certified techs and uncertified biology grads typically see better wage growth and recognition in the long run, or is this lack of appreciation common across the field?

I interviewed at a few places that at least have a separate grade for certified individuals. The managers all told me that they think having certified individuals is important.

Hey so I'm (20F) a first-gen pre-med (end goal is forensic pathology) and am graduating with my Bachelor of Science in molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences from the public University in my state. I hope to go (as in get accepted) to medical school by the time I'm ~24/26 since I need financial aid and AMCAS requires parental tax info to get that (I'm estranged from my family and left home at 15). I currently work at a nursing home as a receptionist (I got EMT certified at 18 but the job was not what I expected) and I was told upon hire that there were scholarships for me to get my ASN/BSN through the company. This was my gap year(s) plan. On Friday, the HR manager tells me casually in passing that the scholarship money ran out and corporate is not going to refund it so I'm basically screwed.

I'm now looking for jobs that I could use my degree in and MLS/MLT--pretty much any medical laboratory position--looks so perfect and ideal to me. I wish I knew about the MLS 4 year degree but alas I cannot go back in time. Any advice? I'm applying to jobs right now that say "certification expected in X days/years from hire" but I wanted to know if anyone has personal/second-hand experience on a situation like mine. Thanks!!!!

So for fasting bloodwork, i was always told nothing after midnight. No food or drink. So i complied. Got the blood draw first thing in the morning. No problem.

However now im seeing that im actually suposed to be drinking water to to stay hydrated. That being a bit dehydrated means that some/ all of my numbers may be a little high due to the increased concentration of my blood.

What is the truth?

Should i be drinking water or not?

Are numbers like a1c and lipids, a little higher than the true value?

Was i dumb?

In med school I was warned about nurses, but I never expected that the rudest and most toxic people I would encounter during intern year were respiratory therapists. I get that their job is hard and thankless, but I’ve seen outright malpractice committed out of spite (against the doctor or nurse), I’ve frequently heard them berate families and patients for asking them questions, and I’ve even met one who I genuinely question if she understands respiratory physiology whatsoever. As always, honorable mention to the C suite, but at least I as a resident don’t have to deal with those folks on the daily.

Best Android Tablet PDF App Like Drawboard for Heavy Studying / Large Hyperlinked PDFs?
Hey everyone,

I’ve been using Drawboard PDF on desktop with huion h640p graphic tablet, and it has been amazing for studying. I recently got a Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, and I’m looking for an Android tablet app that can offer a similar experience.

A big reason I liked Drawboard is that it had features that were extremely useful for my workflow as a medical student:

• Direct Text Highlighting (highlight typed text instantly, not only freehand highlighter)
• Hyperlink support
• Smooth PDF annotation and handwriting
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Great desktop-level workflow

What I usually do is combine all PDFs of the academic year into one large file, then design a first page that works like an index/table of contents with all lectures listed and each one connected using hyperlinks.

So for me, hyperlink support is very important because it saves a huge amount of time when navigating large study files.

Also, Samsung S Pen support is very important (pressure sensitivity, button support, smooth writing, low latency).

What I’m looking for on Android:

• Text highlight tool
• Hyperlink creation/editing
• Strong S Pen support
• Pressure sensitivity
• Ink to Line / shape correction
• Smooth handling of large PDF files
• Direct editing of original PDFs
• Good handwriting latency

So my question is:

Would really appreciate recommendations 🙌

https://preview.redd.it/g04r761ytcwg1.png?width=1782&format=png&auto=webp&s=8753204899a37d162995aca09040ac9e3732cbe8

https://preview.redd.it/y9jbb61ytcwg1.png?width=1581&format=png&auto=webp&s=0b88b461b040b160698b50a2c2b945f8e2dfa4c7

Chem part 1

https://create.kahoot.it/share/ascp-boc-chem-part-1/42c4268f-7b30-4bb8-8f13-b372e06bd2df

Chem part 2

https://create.kahoot.it/share/ascp-boc-chem-part-2/f75cfe9b-bf48-4e22-9ef0-78a219386d6d

Realized Kahoots can be 200 questions. Plz let me know if there are errors or you have suggestions.

Hey

Hey everyone,

I’m working in a lab where we process around 1200 CBC samples per day, and we’re running into a recurring issue with sample organization.

Our current workflow is pretty straightforward: once a rack is completed, it gets placed in the fridge. The problem is that by the end of the shift, we occasionally discover a few samples that didn’t get processed. At that point, we’re stuck digging through a large volume of racks (sometimes all 1200 samples) to track them down, which is inefficient and frustrating.

I’m curious how other high-throughput labs handle this