Medical laboratory professionals in-training advocate for the impact of their field

Laboratory testing is the single highest-volume medical activity affecting Americans, and it drives about two-thirds of all medical decisions made by doctors and other health care professionals.

Medical laboratory professionals form the backbone of health care and the public health system. They conduct approximately 13 billion laboratory medicine tests annually in the U.S.

Simply put, every time you enter a hospital or health care facility for care, your life is in the hands of a medical laboratory professional.

The Texas State University Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) program is a 2+2 bachelor's degree program. The first two years consist of prerequisites in science, math, and general education. The final two years consist of medical laboratory foundational and advanced courses. Upon completion of the program, majors sit for the national American Society for Clinical Pathology Medical Laboratory Scientist credential, MLS (ASCP). The TXST program has a 97% three year passing rate on the MLS (ASCP) exam which makes the university a national program of excellence.

Laboratory medicine, also known as clinical pathology, is one of two main branches of pathology, or the study of the causes and effects of disease. Pathology covers many laboratory areas, such as blood banking and microbiology. Clinical pathology diagnoses a disease through laboratory analysis of body fluids. Anatomic pathology diagnoses a disease by examining body tissues.

Students studying clinical laboratory science at TXST shared what inspired them to pursue their career track in honor of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (April 23-29).

Ryan Kerr

Ryan Kerr, a senior from Austin, TX, transferred into the CLS program after a year of being a music education major.

“I knew I wanted to switch to something science related, with the positive impact of being in healthcare, but without the direct patient component. I like the deductive reasoning aspect of lab work, so this seemed like a good possibility. I spoke with my biology professor, Dr. Wilson, about career paths and he recommended this one.

I would consider one of the most important qualities of a good clinical laboratory scientist to be the ability to be constantly adapting and changing. In the field, there are constant innovations and new applications of technology, so it is the laboratorian's job to stay well-versed on the theory behind different testing principles. It's also an important quality to have as healthcare environments are fast-paced and hectic environments, where you are interacting with all sorts of different people. The ability to adapt and respond to different people is vital for good patient care.”

Wesley Herrera

Wesley Herrera, a senior from McAllen, is set to graduate in August. Afterwards, he plans to work as a generalist in a hospital laboratory in the Houston area.

“For me, the most important thing about working in CLS is knowing that I play such an important role when it comes to the care of the patient. Knowing that the result I put out can help potentially save a patient’s life along with detecting diseases that may go unnoticed are the most important aspects of this profession.   

The most unique learning opportunity that I have experienced with the program are the rotations that we get to do throughout senior year. With these rotations we are able to apply what we learned in the classroom and apply it in a real hospital laboratory. Throughout these rotations, we are also acquiring more knowledge that we may not have gotten in the classroom which we can then use when we begin our professional careers after graduation.”

Crispina Harris

Crispina Harris, a Dallas-Fort Worth native, is excited to start her senior year next semester.

“A professor from Austin Community College saw my passion for the medical lab and connected me with CLS professor and chair Dr. Rohde. He introduced me to the major and it fit my goals perfectly. I strongly believe that your career should be doing something you love and are passionate about. This career fuels my passion and I am able to help others along the way.

After graduation I want to work at a lab or research facility focusing on lab instrumentation. I want to be able to build new lab analyzers or create new software for lab instruments that can better aid lab scientists, physicians, and most importantly patients. Working in CLS sales is also an option. MLS sales focuses on instrument promotion and installation. I would be able to travel and teach others how to use new analyzers or provide a lab with information concerning which analyzer would be best for them and their patient population.” 

Zaienab Raed

Zaienab Raed, a junior from Austin, plans to graduate in the summer of 2024.

“While working as a phlebotomist, I got an inside look into the field of laboratory medicine. There I got to see the behind the scenes of medicine and what exactly happens to the patient sample after it has been sent to the lab. It also showed me how important of a role the lab plays in the diagnosis of patients. Graduating as a generalist in a lab gives me the opportunity to continue learning and specializing after graduation. This characteristic is important as it allows flexibility for change and there is always room for improvement.”