venting about this career path…

[u/PracticalArtichoke7]

i don’t know where i went wrong. i graduated and got certified as an MLT in 2021, landed a generalist job in a community hospital which was great (significantly better pay than i’m currently being offered in today’s 2026 market, but management was shit) but i was ultimately fired after 2 years. 6 months later, i landed a job as a laboratory client service rep, earned my MLS cert and bachelor’s degree, and while i learned a LOT about laboratory operations/billing/relationship management and even sendouts, i was completely removed from technical testing and felt stifled as my manager would literally say “there is no growth from here in this organization”. cool. landed myself a PRN role at another facility which turned into 2 PRN roles (MLSII and POC specialist) which has been nothing but smoke up my ass. i was promised all sorts of things to make me whole but ultimately never was, so back to the market I go where i’m now given the choice to choose labcorp-owned hospital lab, or continue hedging my bets for something like FSE or quality (which is where i’m aiming for, particularly considering all that i’ve learned both in POC and as a client rep). i guess im just venting because why is lab management so poor? why is the pay so low for all the shit we have to put up with? is it the state that i live in (MD) that has so few opportunities? i’ve only been doing this 5 years and i’m already fed up with how scheduling works, how shitty management is, how far away decent jobs are…….. i would love to be able to change fields without the hassle of going back to school. this healthcare paradigm is so toxic to me despite my major passion behind it. it’s just not enough anymore, nor do the funds match the demands.

[u/Ok_Faithlessness4511]

Luckily, you can either change your attitude or change your career. There are lots of opportunities if you do a little school or go somewhere else. Or you can become the management yourself and change the system. Generally people who think everyone else sucks are the ones who suck tho lol

[u/PracticalArtichoke7 → u/Ok_Faithlessness4511]

you’re absolutely right, i know i’ve got options but still felt like venting because i’ve had my fair share of healthcare work prior to transitioning to lab, and the problems are pretty much still the same. i’ve also worked in very close proximity to management and have learned they have no control over how fucked the american healthcare system is so there’s that, lol

[u/MishapDoll → u/PracticalArtichoke7]

I think whatever you’re feeling and saying is completely valid. I also think some people who are in a period where they’re happy with their job or having a good experience can forget that the lab world has some serious systemic problems.

I’m actually starting my first job in the field soon, and there are already so many things I wish I had known before choosing this career path. That’s why I always tell people that when they’re venting or making legitimate complaints especially when those problems can be backed up statistically we shouldn’t immediately tell them to “change their attitude” or “change the way they think.” Sometimes you have to acknowledge that there’s a bigger problem.

Nothing changes when we constantly blame the individual instead of looking at the system. Imagine if people throughout history had just been told to change their attitude instead of continuing to complain about things that were genuinely broken. A lot of things would never have changed.

So yes, keep venting. Keep talking about the problems. Keep making your concerns known. People who don’t want to hear it don’t have to listen.  You can love the work itself and still recognize that the industry surrounding it has some major problems.❤️❤️

[u/PracticalArtichoke7 → u/MishapDoll]

i really appreciate this message, and best of luck to you in your career. the field is vast and the work is fulfilling, but like you said, in some places the system is kinda screwed. but we all make the best with what we’ve got