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The most popular reviews in /r/medlabprofessionals:
There aren't pretty graphics and fonts but have you looked at the MLS Quick Review Cards? There are customer pictures in the review section that show the cards. I found them incredibly helpful in school and still have mine.
Organize your notes well. You'll want them at the end of your program in order to prepare for the board exams. Grab a copy of the Success in CLS book and follow along with what you're doing in class. Where is your program and when do you do the clinical rotations?
Edit: I'd also like to recommend the LSU book. Don't get it from Amazon though, for some reason it's rediculously priced. You can by it from them directly here. (thanks /u/Talkahuano )
Idk I like pomodoro technique method for study and retention.
For organization I try to use post-it flags and color coating if possible... I would start with the subject I did the best in so I felt like I remembered a lot going forward. Try and see the forest more than the trees. As an example say you finish that first subject you did so well in (Hematology right?) Then remember three MI markers-> MI is muscle -> which are a few muscle markers-> Instead of arbitrarily remembering AST is everywhere, I associate an organ and think hmm what can I do with that? Contemplate what tests you might see more of in the lab... maybe Google top 30 lab tests? I see a ton of Troponin-I but not so much AST(SGOT) because it’s specificity is higher making its predictive value better,
Finally I would say it’s all about being a detective as much as you can... That is what a Doctor has to do as well.. analytes come and go but why we have what we have has a logic chain...
One more recommendation, as for Micro get Microbiology made ridiculously simple. I am pretty sure that book takes the place of my significant other... Tell ur intern not to Loef around. Brilliant (also I make no commission on that recommendation to be clear)@!
Some fun bits... Some research has shown having coffee with chocolate mixed in is good for focus/retention they have to be together though which somehow works for me. My favorite combination I always felt helped me study (no science behind it that I know of). Coke and bananas. That snack always made me focus I am sure some B vitamin thing is partly responsible...
CellaVision makes a free app called CellAtlas along with the cell booklet that hopefully came with your Hematology text book that have great pictures and the app has a cell quiz that is fun and somewhat useful. Make an index card with RBC indices and the normal ranges to help you with differentials until you memorize them. Pictures and experience through repetition of actual differential will be your best friend. Make sure you study pictures/characteristics until you can tell the difference between the granulocytes and mono vs reactive lymphs is critical. I recommend the card with indices and cell counts be placed in your atlas for use when doing practice/assigned differentials.
Here’s a link for the atlas if you don’t already have one: Clinical Hematology Atlas https://www.amazon.com/dp/0323322492/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rw1MFbQMW0W07
Yea, receiving tech or technical assistant positions are what you want.
E.g http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=5eb53247ab7cb3f0&from=serp
And
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=5e59b398ccf8d580&from=serp
Get whatever shoes you want and these insoles.
This is the only thing that has worked for me.
I got ya.
There's a forum on Indeed.com just on the MB ASCP exam. Lots of people have shared their experience. I studied this thread all throughout and passed with a pretty good score.
Also, study with Lela Buckingham's book. I made flashcards with this book. Amazon link here:
https://www.amazon.com/Molecular-Diagnostics-Fundamentals-Clinical-Applications/dp/0803626770
Good luck.
Yes I guess you are right.
You see, stock photography is very competitive industry. If I type search phrase "covid test" on shutterstock.com I get over 10K results (lot of photos don´t make it to database because they must first be approved in terms of law aspects and image quality (those are very very strict)), so content creators must try very hard to make their photo stand out to be discovered by news, journalists or whoever has task to find perfect illustrative image. You will surely find image of swab there and other images that perfectly reflect reality, but those will not be as catchy.
In such competitive area, a lot of creators will not care that their image does not reflect reality. A lot of them probably don´t even know what the reality is, they are just good in thinking as customers and what visualization could tell the story the customer wants.
​
Other aspect is that some journalists probably don´t know these things either, they just search on stock for the image they feel is the best and probably won´t deal with inaccuracies in the image. I mean more general and tabloidish ones. You probably would not see this in Molecular biology journal.
Check on indeed. http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=bc6ec8c1df30cf81&from=serp
https://www.ashi-hla.org/resource/resmgr/Lab_Directory-Nov2015.pdf
You can also contact the labs directly for any questions.
Edit: That is how I got my previous job. I contacted the director and asked if they were hiring any time soon and stayed in touch.
>https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/comments/2enbvj/should_i_go_back_to_school_for_accounting_or/ck18z83
>Depends on the area of course. I live in the Southeast where we get paid the least. I make about 35k/year. It's not much but it works in this area. Demand is high for techs too. Everyone knows about nurses and doctors but no one even knows we exist so it's usually not something people think about when looking at careers. Not to mention there are a lot of older techs retiring. It has it's days, but I do love my job. It's extremely important although unappreciated and I can help people without actually having to have any kind of contact with them.
35k?!
I'm still in school and am not a CLS yet, but I don't think you're gonna be able to get into a CLS program without taking micro or ochem classes. So you'll definitely have to get those done before applying. All programs have prerequisite courses you need to finish.
A quick google search shows the following requirements to get a CLS in CA: http://www.indeed.com/forum/job/medical-technologist/Requirements-get-CA-CLS-license/t202484
Edit: I think as long as you follow the CA requirements and take those certain courses, you should be able to apply for a CA license.
I also would have assumed that those labCE scores were more than enough. Do you have this book? I only used this and labCE. I took the MLT, which I'm sure is alot easier than MLS but maybe this can still help https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0967043441/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_glt_fabc_5DTSK6QQ5JHRR77JHBEH
I used the BOC book and Clinical Lab Science Review: a bottom line approach.
The BOC was overkill and the questions were significantly harder than the actual exam. I felt that because I over studied the BOC, it really helped make me feel the actual exam was a piece of cake.
The Review book was SUPER helpful. Had all sorts of mnemonics and cartoons that helped with the memorization stuff. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0967043433/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_MGHCCJ3D4MJJ8SMADXTQ Definitely wasn't this expensive when I bought it. Maybe try to track down a digital copy.
At 46 I don't think it'll be a problem. My former position was as a histology supervisor and I hired a tech in her early 60s. Just entering the field, I would recommend book Histology Hacks because it's all the little tricks that are not taught in school. Good luck in your career!
Try to schedule with an occupational therapist if you have a chance/insurance. They can give you exercises to do! In the meantime, you could try arthritis gloves and see if they help you. Some people find them uncomfortable and restricting, but I have found them useful for aching hands.
There's also some unscrewing tools, but I'm not sure if they fit or are allowed: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0783MRH89/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_n9xUFb8R5GR7M?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I did the labce adaptive learning exams. They mimicked the boc pretty well. Just don't get discouraged when you score a 40 or 50% on it. They give you really tough questions. Learn from them. For study guides I really liked the lsu book. It's usually cheaper on the school's website than Amazon.
Clinical Laboratory Science Review: A Bottom Line Approach https://www.amazon.com/dp/0967043425/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fRMWAbK16XCT1
Yeah, I ordered some of these off Amazon so I can at least wash them if I have to reuse. They’re like bandanas. They won’t protect against a virus, but hey...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074313K8P/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_bkPCEb4X2YXK1?vs=1
I recently passed the SCYM. My experience was clinical leukemias and lymphomas. I would not describe my experience as extensive - flow was part of my job responsibilities while working in a clinical hematology laboratory. I did not feel the exam was clinically heavy. It seemed to be more focused on basic/advanced understanding of flow theory/principles as outlined in ASCP’s content guideline. Besides my practical experience (in retrospect), two resources I feel prepared me the most are:
Flow Cytometry First Principles Second Edition
For me, “First Principles” was best. I only used “Practical Flow” for reinforcement studying.
Good luck
Atlas of Peripheral Blood: The... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0781777801?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Learned a lot of good information from here. It’s not thick like other textbooks and is pretty straight to the point in my opinion. It also has images for reference.
Diffs is learned through doing many diffs and what makes you a great hematologist is correlating what you see with the disease state (which this book does).
When I am on the bench, if I know the patient diagnosis, I know what types of cells I should see. If I don’t see certain cells types, it helps me question and validate the information I am seeing. Be careful though, this practice may lead to some bias… keep this in mind, you don’t want to over call.
This was a life saver during my clinical rotations!
And still use it today, along with Scott & Baileys Microbiology textbook
Polansky cards are dense....but gold.! Don't overdo it. A little each day.
Sorry for the Amazon link, but the book is great. I graduated MLT May 2021 and have been working/licensed since July 2021. There should also be an exam package on Media lab. That exam package is great. DO NOT be discouraged by a low result the first time around. The questions can be hard. Use the adaptive learning style. It's similar to the actual exam. Most importantly, look at their reasoning why a question is right or wrong. Sometimes, knowing which answer is WRONG is just as good as knowing which answer is right
I did an exam each day (not as bad as it sounds) and a little review from the link I added and the Polansky cards. Got my license about 2 months post graduation.
Deep breaths. You got this. :)
This is a link to the Amazon page for the Q and A book. I’d purchase it there but it’s not available.
One of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M1XZXGU/ref=dp_iou_view_item?ie=UTF8&psc=1
There's gonna be a ton of boxes to open and having this in your pocket beats running around trying to find a box cutter or trying to use scissors to slice things open. Also, like other people have mentioned, pens. Refillable preferably.
I like these micro books - https://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/medical-microbiology-9780323673228.html
Bailey & Scott's Diagnostic Microbiology https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WJFY58G/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_KGGNCTXJPT2J62PA8GFW
Some of your instructors will not allow electronics in the laboratory sections of the classes and you may need to bring printed material to class. At the time I thought this was a good justification for buying books but I feel pretty scammed right now. The Rodak atlas is pretty garbage (you get one picture perfect example for each cell type, and cells in reality never look so perfect). The textbook that I bought for mycology was in black and white and also didn't help me much during lab exercises.
Dang, only 10 minutes?! That’s so bizarre, the lab program I’m in tests us over phleb and we practice drawing on each other. It’s just such a weird thing for it to not be taught in depth to nurses since y’all do most of the draws.
But that’s besides the point. You can get a badge buddy with the order of draw on it and some other useful info. Here is a cheap one I found on Amazon. Hope this helps you out! :-)
http://www.hl7.org/index.cfm They have certification in HL7 and a lot of resources.
This was also a short read HL7 For Busy Professionals: Your No Sweat Guide to Understanding HL7 https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0993994504/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_i_FR6TZGDY41EPZD985Q26
Our lab runs at least 76 and over the summers keeps going up to 80 or even 84. Overheating contributes to my tachycardia. Here's my solution: keep water bottles in the fridge and frozen treats in break room. Put water on your skin when you first come in and on breaks.
And most importantly: get yourself a high quality personal rechargeable fan and put it next to you and run it while you're working. I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CKP5YN9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share If you're still overheated and you've already expressed the issue, then yes, I would look into finding a new job.
Our lab runs at least 76 and over the summers keeps going up to 80 or even 84. Overheating contributes to my tachycardia. Here's my solution: keep water bottles in the fridge and frozen treats in break room. Put water on your skin when you first come in and on breaks.
And most importantly: get yourself a high quality personal rechargeable fan and put it next to you and run it while you're working. I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CKP5YN9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share If you're still overheated and you've already expressed the issue, then yes, I would look into finding a new job.
Lol i just showed you a purchase contract on my 728,000 house that is now selling for 742,000 and I showed you my emergency fund.
Here is my fidelity account https://imgbb.com/
Do you need me to keep going or are you going to apologize?
This is basically A = (B*C)/(D*E*F), you've been given five of the variables, and are asked to solve the sixth. This is pretty basic algebra. You need to isolate the correct variable, then plug the numbers in and solve.
Demo lesson on isolating variables
That page may look basic, but it's exactly what needs to be done with this formula.
Alternatively, are your answers off by a consistent factor, or does it seem more random? If your answers are consistently 1000 or 1000000 times larger or smaller than the correct answer, it might be a conversion thing, pg to ng or vice versa.
If they're off by a different factor, but still fairly consistent, you might be multiplying where you should be dividing, or dividing where you should be multiplying. Again, that's an isolating variables thing.
At any rate, good luck.
Clinical Lab Scientist, Government Contract -128K, 2 years exp.
There's some complaining and remember, forums often attract those that vent, but this might be worth reading for you:
~~Living in Alaska, it may not be average. But here in the continental states, it is.~~
Here's what the ASCP 2013 Salary Survey says:
>Although salaries appear to have increased over time for the overall profession, there is not a considerable difference between the average hourly wages of laboratory professionals working in their current occupational title for 1 to 5 years compared with those working for longer than 30 years (Tables 19-21). Results from the survey also show that higher-level laboratory personnel work an average of 31 to 50 hours per week and that a typical laboratory professional holds more than one job in the clinical laboratory. Laboratory professionals working in more than one clinical laboratory may explain why vacancies remain relatively low, but is consistent with a critical shortage of qualified personnel.
The ASCP response to the "shortage" is to: >As a response, the report offered suggestions such as targeting the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) pipeline and providing support to nontraditional students and prospective students from rural areas.
Only one comes to mind and I've posted it on here before.
https://www.slideshare.net/AnnetteOlney24/a-handbook-of-routine-urinalysis-pdf-69194454
It's for UA. It's old, but it is the only book that has literally been at every lab I've ever worked at for the last 20 years. It's always called 'The Nuns Book'.
Congrats!
I LOVE the Polansky quick review cards. They were great for school and the board exam.
Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple They have it one Amazon.
There are also different editions at different price points, and if you Google "Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple - Academia.dk" you can also find a free PDF of the Third Edition.
I LOVED this book. It doesn't cover everything, but what it does was really helpful to me.
The WHO deemed working night shift a carcinogen in 2007, just so you know. Working night shift shortens your lifespan considerably. A shorter life is probably a blessing if you work for Quest though.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rotating-shift-work-health_n_6417644
So it looks like the cards have been updated. https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Review-Medical-Laboratory-Science/dp/0803629567/ref=pd_aw_sbs_1/139-5732499-2052466?pd_rd_w=D9Crm&pf_rd_p=ced68ad8-bc34-4785-bbee-0583081705be&pf_rd_r=7JMDQPPE146Z8G5FZV6X&pd_rd_r=33ebb1d9-76ae-45e4-b127-59...
And the book, I'm not sure which you're referring to, but I'll see if I can find which it is on the ASCP recommendations.
Concise review cards to aid in studying for the exam, not sure if its specifically for ASCP though. I borrowed them, but this is what I used, the person I borrowed them from paid like $50 for them I have no idea why they're so expensive now. You can buy similar cards for cheaper though, not sure which one is good though because these were the only.ones I used. https://www.amazon.com/Clinical-Laboratory-Science-Examinations-Polansky/dp/B004PJGQHI
I bought some super helpful flash cards, I didn’t really use the book much because my ADHD won’t allow it lol, but the cards helped me SO much
I wear Merrell Bora Moccasins. I replaced the laces with a set of no-tie ones, though.
If I'm wearing jeans I wear Converse or Sperrys. Some days I will wear my Tieks ballet flats, but only if I'm off the bench.
There are. I used labce and these review cards. They're a bit bulky, but I tended to do them by subject until I could vomit them out in my sleep and then just put them to the side. And don't freak out when the labce tests go sideways, take the time to review the right answers as well as the wrong ones.
I felt like I was failing the whole time, and it took a bathroom break to settle down enough to pound out the rest. Definitely take a break if you find yourself having that moment. And if you can eliminate at least one or two answers as certainly wrong, you up your chances from a 25% guess to a 50% 'educated' guess.
Good luck when you take it!
I get the desire to have one. You'll definitely experience better quality scopes at university or during an internship, but sometimes it really is fun having a personal use one to get familiar with its use. I had one in high school, I have so many good memories with it, and I know I wouldn't be here without those tinkering couple of years. I still think I was better at gram staining at 15 than I am now.
I don't personally have this so I can't really speak to the total quality, but it seems like it would be a good jumping off point within your budget.
I looked it up ( Gosky Adapter for Phone ).
Most reviews are for using with telescopes or binoculars to look at wildlife or for astronomy.
The 2 things that stopped me from ordering one right now were:
>(1) Review for Microscope: "It's really difficult to get it set up right. On our microscope scope you really need to hold the phone further from the objective than this allows. Nobody in the lab uses it."
So I thought I would order it and see how it does with a microscope to photograph cells, & just return it if the images were bad or adapter was difficult to use. Buuuuuut...
>(2) No Returns: " Terrible design squeezes the sides of the phone right where the buttons are located, making it useless for my OnePlus 5T. Further, the way it clamps onto the eyepiece is pretty weak and will not support a steady setup, even if it doesn't compress your phone's buttons as it does mine. I wanted to return this item but Gosky has a "gotcha" return policy. They never even responded to my return request. STAY AWAY from this bad product and disreputable seller."
I will see if I can find a different one that allows me to return the product though. I'll share if I find one.
Edit: Many of the 3rd party vendors on Amazon (if not all) do not offer free returns or even returns. I contacted Amazon (after reading they their epically long policies) - if you file a form called "A to z form" with your Amazon account, then Amazon sends you a box with prepaid postage so you can send it back, then Amazon refunds you. Customer service also said "usually a phone call to make a complaint, especially if you have Prime, is enough to get Amazon to refund you without having to file a form and send the item back". Coolio!
Solo core night tech for two years here. For me it's routine, routine, routine that keeps me working and also sane. Within my cycles I get off my shift around 730 AM and sleeping by noon. Wake up around four hours or so later (no alarm), try to do some sort of workout for a half-hour, eat, then go back to bed until about nine-thirty (with alarm) and get ready to go to work. When I'm off my cycle I'm prepping food so that I don't have to think about what my meal's going to be when I'm working (I'm used to eating the same thing for a few days).
Two things that helped me sleep were blackout curtains and also an eyemask. Sometimes I'd use the two in combo, but the latter was necessary because my room was hot AF and the curtains had to be open or I'll fry. If you go to get one, find one that really works for you. I think I bought a half-dozen from Amazon until I hit one that actually worked for me: Here's the one that worked for me.
​
Hey idk if you got your answers, but I don't think it's any of those. You might be thinking of vacutainers for blood collection. Viral transport mediums are used for things like this, and the one I found pertaining to what you said had this in their medium:
Sucrose, HBSS solution, Bovine serum, albumin, Buffered solution, Gelatin, Amino acids, Antibiotics, and Phenol Red
I am absolutely digging the jogger style svrub bottoms from dickies. They are slimming yet flexible so if baggy is your thing they might not be for you. https://www.amazon.com/Dickies-Dynamix-DK040-Natural-Jogger/dp/B07K2HNPBN/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=scrubs+dickies+drop+crotch&qid=1597790961&sr=8-4
I saw these on Amazon. Looks like a good option for reusable mask. Not sure how it compares to an N95.
This one:They have a rocker sole which seems to take off basically all the impact. I've worn the same pair of shoes for 3 years and haven't had to replace it.
Man the Casios are P U R E C L A S S and are actually very popular for their utility and price point over at r/watches. F91W is a reliable classic for $10. If you double the price to $20, you can get one of the stainless steel ones like the World Time Casio Men's AE1200WHD-1A Stainless Steel Digital Watch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0094B79CI/
I googled 'Bloodgeek' ... found a rather strange app for Alexa ??
Pretty please, can you clarify what blog you were referring to? I would love to check it out.
Waterproof and non-slip. I wear Columbia ATS Trail Lite sneakers and love them. Simple design and they say WATERPROOF on them just in case anybody questions their appropriateness ;)
Essentials of clinical laboratory science by John Ridley.
https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Clinical-Laboratory-Technician-Solutions/dp/1435448146
"Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple" was very helpful through my MLS program, the ASCP generalist exam, and still as a reference at the bench. Here's an Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1935660152/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_todeBbCRTCF6J
I got one of these prior to my clinicals and it is enormously helpful. Even the older techs snagged it once in awhile to double check something!
If you can manage, don't get a side job until you get through the first semester. A lot of people are overwhelmed that first semester with the amount of coursework.
Also, look into getting a resource that has all the material together like Success! Don't try and learn it all at once, but study from it supplementally to your lecture material for the your tests.
This one? If so, its also my favorite. If you ever get the chance to see the author Bernadette Rodak at a conference, take it! She is incredible. (She goes by Bunny last I knew) I loved every minute.
I got my HT and HTL 20 or so years ago. I tried to read as many histotechnology text as possible. Freida Carsons Text was the best since it is well organized and well written. I think this is the link to the latest edition http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0891896317/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687462&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=089189411X&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0MD4KJMDEA7QF8E2KEF8
I have noticed that there are a lot of study guides out there including flash cards which, if you think about it, you can make yourself. IMO, a lot of test prep is just to make money. If you sit yourself down and memorize Frieda Carsons text and maybe read Bancrofts you should be ok http://www.amazon.com/Bancrofts-Theory-Practice-Histological-Techniques/dp/0702042269/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0RCJACYDH8A80MDCXEFZ
After a little research I came across this one with good reviews and a good price. The camera is not great, but I don't plan on using it anyway. Anyone have any experience with AmScope products? http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-B120C-E1-Magnification-Illumination-Double-Layer/dp/B009VUPIKM
I used Success! in Clinical Laboratory Science and found it to be a good review with a lot of practice questions and explanations, as well as outlines for each chapter.
<em>Clinical Laboratory Science Review: A Bottom Line Approach</em> is a good review book with a lot of helpful tips on remembering difficult-to-memorize facts that you'll need to know.
- The ASCPi is such a new thing I have no idea how a lab manager would perceive it. If anything the ASCPi is used internationally as an ASCP outside of America, not the other way around. If anything the lab manager will probably ask the interviewee what the ASCPi is. There is no definitive answer on this.
2 and 3. This is an INCREDIBLY broad question. The test is VERY difficult and inclusive of the full range of the MLS profession. The can ask you what disease state and ANA stain indicates and then which of these bacteria are urease positive the next.
There is no ONE book that will go over everything.
This one looks good to start off with and not that expensive.
I played the free quiz game on LabCE's website. You get questions from all the disciplines until you miss five questions. There are no limits on how often or long you play.
These cards are awesome and they fit in lab coat pockets so you can review them while you are waiting on timers, centrifuges, etc.