Contact alumni and ask them to attend career fairs at their high school or college; send them materials to use, such as career brochure, CD, video, slides, etc. (See Multimedia Resources tab)
Require current students to participate in an outreach program each semester to publicize clinical laboratory science to the general public:
- Career days where students explain the profession and present an activity via an interesting case study or demonstration (e.g., microscopes with normal and abnormal cells, microorganisms, or practice phlebotomy arms)
- Volunteer to provide an informative lecture or discussion to the local AARP chapter about common diseases/testing (e.g., diabetes or anticoagulant monitoring)
- Serve as a judge for a local science fair
- Volunteer at a health fair
Create lesson plans for science classes at elementary, middle, or high school science classes and volunteer to teach or assist in presenting with the teacher.
Build a professional relationship with high school counselors and/or biology and chemistry instructors in the area by corresponding with them one or two times per year; provide information about the shortage and predicted job needs, resources your program has available for presentations/demonstrations, science fair projects/judges, etc.
Develop a summer course for middle or high school teachers; teach simple lab experiments to use with their students that will promote the profession as a career path. Provide them with a list of online resources about the clinical laboratory.
Create a joint initiative with clinical sites and laboratory education programs.
- Encourage hospitals to set up tuition reimbursement plans or scholarships in exchange for employment for a set period of time after graduation
- Set up joint recruitment efforts with clinical sites
Collaborate with other health profession educational programs within your institution in recruitment activities.
Increase public awareness of laboratory professionals.
- Write an article for the local newspaper or university/college newspaper
- If local newspaper classified ad section publishes articles about jobs/career opportunities, contact the section editor and offer information for an article
- Contact local TV station to provide information about the worker shortage; invite local reporter/camera person for interviews and taping for feature story
Contact your state chapter of the following organizations to develop personal relationships via exhibits or presentations at state meetings:
Partner with Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) to help disseminate information about the profession; locate a center in your state.
Attend career fairs at high schools and colleges; offer to exhibit or present information or a demonstration about clinical laboratory science.
Speak at local student clubs, such as Health Occupations Students of America, Beta Beta Beta for biology majors, pre-professional clubs, or at middle school or advanced high school science classes.
Schedule open house events in the laboratory during Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (4th week in April each year); invite prospective applicants from nearby high schools to participate.
Create and print bookmarks with brief information about clinical laboratory science and distribute to local public libraries or junior/high school libraries.
Create and distribute tear-off posters for distribution to local colleges and universities for bulletin board display.
Create programs for non-traditional students and biology and chemistry majors with BS degrees that allow more flexibility (part-time programs, CLT articulation programs, etc.).
Create a one- or two-semester hour course (Health Careers or CLS Introductory Course) to publicize the profession and career opportunities with open enrollment for any science major.
Develop a measurement system for the different recruitment strategies and periodically evaluate effectiveness (e.g., number of applicants, web statistics, number of students requesting applications; number of students seeking personal advising).
Lab Tests Online—This site is a collaborative effort of 15 laboratory organizations and more than 20 laboratory companies; it provides a wealth of information to the public and other health professions educators.
The Amazing Pull Out Pop Up Body in a Book—This book, by David Hawcock, illustrates the human skeleton and organs. Use as a demo to show how laboratory tests relate to the human body. Designed for children 11+ years old. ISBN 0-7894-2052-X
Magic School Bus—This is a series of books designed to engage and instruct children in different science topics. Visit www.scholastic.com. Three of interest are:
- Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie—A Book About Germs, by Joanna Cole, ages 5-7
- Magic School Bus Chapter book #6: The Giant Germ, by Anne Capeci, ages 7-9
- Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body, by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan
Glo-Germ—Enlightening demonstration to show how germs are passed from person to person and how to wash hands properly.
Activities for Immunology—These activities may be used in high school biology classes as part of a unit in immunology, the circulatory system, or the virus or bacteria unit to enhance student learning.
