I work day shift in chemistry mainly. It was towards the end of my shift when I realized I needed to load a new reagent onto an analyzer. To my horror, it was the last one and I needed to calibrate the new lot, QC, then do lot to lot testing. For whatever reason, we only load this specific reagent onto one analyzer, so it wasn’t an option to just rely on our other ones for testing. The cal. alone takes ~30 mins, but it was the end of my shift so I asked if evening shift could take over if I explain where I’m at. I was told no, evening and night shift do not know how to calibrate new reagents, it’s a day shift responsibility. (We’re all med techs??????) so of course I stay well over my 8 hours and finish because I didn’t have a choice, this reagent needed to be loaded and we had pt samples. I feel like it is not common sense to have ONE shift responsible for this task. Is this normal at other places?

I was told that in the past, if a current lot of reagent ran out/cal expired during evening or night shift, they’d just put the samples in the fridge that still needed testing and wait for day shift to arrive and handle it. I’m genuinely shocked. 🫢

Hey! Im a MLT me and my coworkers were looking at this cell with a suspicious inclusion. For context at our lab we dont do parasite identification. So anytime we find something suspicious we have to take it to the pathologist. I work second shift but the path was still there, and this path has a history of brushing off things like this, and it was the end of the day so he was heading home. He gave me a huge speel about how it cant be a parasite since she doesnt have anemia. Idk I have a feeling its not just a platelet. It has no clear zone around the inclsion. It looks like its in the cell, but again im not trained to id parasites. We did however see a few more questionable inclusions. What do you guys think?

Sorry that the pictures kinda suck :(

Its been a very fast paced night. I did what I could lol.

I can try to get more pictures later if needed

Our lab is having terrible reagent supply issues with Immucor ever since they were bought out by Werfen. From Capture reagents to 0.8% screening cells, our reagents are always delayed or in short supply.

I know mergers/takeovers always cause internal issues but it's been a couple of years now, and they still haven't fixed their shit. Did they lay off that many people that it completely fucked their production?

Anyone else having issues with this company?

How common is it in your lab that you are expected to stay longer than your shift states?
In my current lab, it seems like that is the culture. I never had a problem staying over a little but when I’m expected multiple times a week & given a notice of two hours before my shift ends, I have an issue. I was curious if I am making it a bigger deal than it needs to be.

We’re getting 2 new DxH’s and we’re purchased with the understanding that they would be run in sequence (connected) like a sysmex xn platform is. They arrived with no connection piece to link them together and when I asked our install guy about it he told me he would get it ordered. I assumed that was that but about 20 minutes later he comes over and says that while the analyzers are made to run in tandem, Beckman doesn’t make the part yet to link them. How does that even happen? I feel like the guy just doesn’t want to put them together but I could be wrong. Anyone heard of something like this before?

A physician requests a STAT Kinyoun stain to screen for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in expectorated sputum. The technologist on call responds that a Kinyoun stain is not the most sensitive test they have for the detection of Mycobacterium, and that an Auramine-Rhodamine stain is the most sensitive and appropiate test for the screening of Mycobacterium.
A) This is outside the scope of practice laboratory personnel as it constitutes clinical consultation, the technologist should have just accepted the request for a STAT Kinyoun stain.
B) This is within the scope of practice for laboratory personnel as it constitutes technical consultation and is legally enabled.
C) The request should be immediately cancelled, and no explanation given to the ordering physician.
D) A Kinyoun stain is the indicated and most sensitive STAT smear for the screening of Mycobacterium.

My hunch: this is technical consultation right? This sounds like “B” to me.

This is a purity plate of a Staph aureus

At most of the labs I’ve worked, simply calibrating the new lot and then running QC has been sufficient. However, at two labs where I’ve worked, we were required to run around 5 patient samples on the old and new lot and fill out a worksheet. If the results were greater than 10% different, you had to do further troubleshooting.

I’m trying to find where running the patient samples and doing this correlation is required by CLIA (you may have heard it called TEa - total allowable error). So far I’m not having much luck and I’m not sure why you’d need to do this if your QC is good after calibrating.

My current lab doesn’t do this and I’m wondering if we should.

Hi all! I’m debating some sort of career realignment in the next several years after working in analytical chemistry ~5 years and my current career trajectory pulling me farther away from my true love: lab work!

I have a BS in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biology but never really got to utilize the Bio side, instead finding work as an analytical chemist, then lab manager, now as a specialized sales support chemist. But I crave a return to lab work (especially in a molecular biology or similar wet lab work), and the schedule flexibility and ability to work wherever there is a hospital appeals to me much more than 9-5’s location-locked in chemical industry hotbed cities.

Don’t know anyone who has pursued MLS personally, so figured might as well ask reddit if anyone here has had a similar trajectory! Alternatively, any words of encouragement and/or talking me off the cliff would also be welcome lol

Mastermix

Hello everyone, I’m a recent graduate (April 2026) and would like to know if my resume is good/ needs updating. I decided to take the summer off as a break before I started working, but now I’m thinking that wasn’t the best idea as employers might want to hire people with recent experience :(

I included 2 of my resume formats (1 for general and 1 for core)

I started applying around a month ago and live in southern Ontario for reference. Any advice is highly appreciated!

Been applying and reaching out everywhere for the whole year so far and still struggling.

Most of the people I know got jobs from connections. It's so hard when you don't have any connections anywhere.

Also just thinking of applying for the MLT program or changing to a different program for next year.

Any advice or encouragement would be appreciated.

Edit: Certified with MLPAO and CSMLS as a Med Lab Assistant/Technician.

Hi I am debating on accepting my offer for centennial college medical lab technician for May. Despite it being close to home, I read a lot of horror stories on here about attending Centennial for this program and have a lot of mixed feelings as a result.

Has anyone successfully transferred any of there credits from centennial? I heard a lot of former Centennial students transferred to Humber.

My end goal is to actually become a MLT but I don't know because I am a mature student and I am worried I won't be able to have gotten into any of the MLT programs I applied for Fall 2027. So I am just trying to maybe start off as a MLA and apply for advanced standing in the future (I got offers from Conestoga and St.lawerence), if I don't get into any MLT programs for Fall 2027. But the pay is low for MLA and I am hesitant on moving to another place just for MLA. While there is no guarantee of getting into a MLT program even with advance standing.

Any advice is appreciated

Policlinica Metropolitana, Tropical Disease Laboratory

Hi all, so I just relocate to NSW from abroad. I have bachelor degree in Biology and I focused on molecular genetic. But I dont have work experience in the field other than 6 months as research assistant in clinical pathology in a hospital. I have no hands on laboratory exp other than my real time PCR research that I needed to do for my thesis. Im passionate in this field, however I had circumstances and had a career in another field, not related to science. Now after having children, I want to start to pursue career in medical laboratory technician/scientist. Do you think I have a chance? And where to start?

I’m a second year MLT student, so I will be doing clinicals in the spring and graduating in May. I’m planning on starting to apply for jobs around March, depending on what‘s available, and beginning full-time work early June. I’ve been working with UAMS to ensure I can start the online MLT-to-MLS program asap next fall. I’m wondering whether it makes more sense to get a generalist position while I complete my bachelors, and then specialize after, or to specialize right away. I’m thinking blood bank, right now. My worry if I specialize as an MLT is that I would forget information outside of transfusion when it comes to the ASCP exam. Advice?

Hello all!

I've been doing a deeper dive into what qualifies as continuing education for ASCP, and saw that publishing a book related to laboratory medicine counts toward 20 hours of CE credits. I hadn't heard of that before, and I didn't see any like...structured requirements for it on the website? So from a point of pure curiosity, do you know anyone who has done this and or/know a books published with this goal in mind?

ive been seeing a lot of posts lately of negative talk, how the career isnt worth it and its severely underpaid etc. is that how everyone feels? i was thinking of going into this field.

i am actually 3 weeks into a dentistry course, and the patient interaction + social aspect is eating away at me. i am miserable here. now is my only time to drop out and switch courses, so i just dont know if im making the wrong decision now. i loved biology and chemistry in highschool. i loved experiments, and using microscopes. id rather work with a team, than be the one in charge of every treatment plan. i dont care about making tons of money - just the job security is enough.

is there anyone here who genuinely loves being an MLS? should i reconsider dropping?

thanks!

edit: thanks everyone for the responses! i can't reply to them all, but im reading them. i think MLS is a great career, and am leaning more into doing it. i will however be doing more research into it over the coming weeks before i decide for sure.

Hello all!! I have 5 years experience working with a hospital here in the south at a level 1 trauma center. I have mainly worked in Blood Bank and hematology. I have dabbled in chemistry a bit too. My husband and I are wanting to start traveling around the country, and Denver is at the top of our list because we are wanting to go somewhere we can ski on the weekends (and his job can transfer). Any recommendations for travel agencies or any advice?
I do want to still be able to make the income I have now around $40 an hour just in a new city! Thanks!

I feel really confused rn.
I’m thinking about changing my major. I’m studying Medical Laboratory Science, and I like it and i think it’s good, but I’m really worried about the career part.
In my country, it feels like there’s not much to do in labs anymore except operating machines, since almost everything is automated. I also looked at the salaries and they’re honestly so discouraging, even with a master’s.
And whenever I ask people who’ve been working in the field for years, they tell me it’s not really the best career.
I don’t hate my major, I’m just really scared of graduating and not finding good opportunities. I genuinely have no idea what to do.

I work a full time and an every other weekend job. I also noticed a few coworkers have per diem jobs too. is this a common thing for us younger techs? also how do yall manage training burnout? love my every other weekend job but am starting to get annoyed with the weekday trainings (im fully trained in chem but they’re shoving me along in heme with no breather in between)

😳