ASCLS Today is the membership newsletter of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.
To submit an article for ASCLS Today, contact Editor Debra Rodahl.
Written in collaboration with ASCLS and ASCP Board of Certification Medical laboratory science associations’ blogs, discussion boards, and listserv lists are continually populated with questions concerning what to teach laboratory science students, how to prepare for the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) examination, and what is or isn’t on the…
Jennifer Hawkins Randle, MSHA, CLC(AMT) The pre-analytical phase is viable in every aspect of a healthcare professional career. As laboratorians, we depend on phlebotomists for most of our preanalytical phase. It is not just the phlebotomists that the lab depends on for quality specimens. We depend on physicians and nurses to follow protocols and provide…
Cherika Robertson, MEd, MLS(ASCP)CM Excited. Nervous. Intimidated. Those were my initial feelings upon first arriving in Washington, D.C., for the 2018 Legislative Symposium. I had never thought of myself as being interested in politics, or much less as a lobbyist. But, I did know that I love the profession of medical laboratory science. And, this…
Payman Nasr, PhD, MT(ASCP) Distance learning is the result of progressive steps in the evolution of correspondence courses which had become popular in the first half of the 20th century. Over decades, as new technologies became commonplace, the correspondence courses adapted to the new technologies, until the 1990s at which time the internet became a…
Rebecca Matthews, MLS(ASCP)CM Imagine being a new graduate, fresh out of school and hungry for your first real job in the professional world. You have passed your certification exam and you begin searching for a generalist position in an effort to remain competent in all the disciplines. You are offered a position to work the…
Beth Warning, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, Region IV Director If you worked in marketing, the term WIFM would be standard language. WIFM stands for “What’s in it for me?” indicating that at the base of all sales are the needs of your target audience. In terms of our Constituent Society State meetings, WIFM can beused to drive…
The ASCLS Board of Directors is recommending the following changes to the ASCLS Bylaws. These amendments will be discussed and voted upon at the House of Delegates meeting to be held Thursday, August 2, 2018, at the Swissotel Chicago. Background: For the last two years, ASCLS leadership, including the board, and the membership, policy and…
Rana Walley, PhD, MLS (ASCP)CM, ASCLS-MS President; Lee Byrd, MT(ASCP)H, ASCLS-MS Board of Directors Member “Team A, for 5 points, what is the role of hemoglobin?” asked the Student Bowl Moderator, Lee Byrd. “Hemoglobin carries oxygen,” answered the captain for Team A. “Incorrect.” Came from the Hematology judge. “Team B, you have 10 seconds to…
Kyleigh Ellis, Region VII Student Representative Case Study: A young, recent college graduate walks into a lab setting to meet with a clinical laboratory supervisor seeking a job. He is sweating profusely and seems to be shaking. Stuttering, he admits to being extremely nervous. Signs & Symptoms Sweaty palms Nausea Weak knees Clnical Signs Nerves…
Rachel L. Alexander, MS, MB(ASCP)CM, ASCLS Molecular Diagnostics Scientific Assembly Vice Chair, Technical Supervisor for MicroGenDX As a 2011 master’s degree graduate of the Texas Tech Health Science Center Molecular Pathology program, I was bright-eyed and eager to begin my healthcare career. I felt enthusiastic about being a part of this new and specialized professional…