Volume 40 Number 4 | August 2026
Summary
The author shares his enthusiasm for starting the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) program, emphasizing the role of DCLS in advancing medical laboratory scientists from behind-the-scenes diagnostics to active patient care collaboration; supporting healthcare teams without replacing other providers; and advocating for improved patient outcomes through elevated standards of care.
Donald Kris Anunciado Jr., MBA, MLS(ASCPi), Volunteer Contributor
I am incredibly proud and excited to begin a new chapter in my career this August as I start the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) program at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC).
I believe that pursuing this education is advocacy for our profession. With the ASCLS Today theme this month as “Professional Advocacy,” I wanted to share what I am trying to look forward to with this journey and explore what an advanced practitioner can do for our profession. Bottomline is that this aligns with what our goal is in shaping what other people see who laboratory professionals are and our important contributions to the healthcare system.
From Bench to Bed and Beyond
I remember from way back in college that we, the medical laboratory scientists, are the backbone of diagnosis—we are the professionals dealing with patient samples, be it blood, urine, sputum, etc. We are always behind the laboratory doors and just there being unseen heroes of healthcare. With the DCLS, I believe that this role will take our expertise from the bench, to bedside, and beyond.
As medical laboratory scientists, we know a lot in terms of diagnostic knowledge because we are always seeing numbers and results in the lab. With the DCLS credential, we will be able to step out of the laboratory and be part of the patient care team. This degree also gives medical laboratory scientists the growth opportunity that we have been lacking in the lab. With the DCLS, I am looking forward to opportunities like being a high complexity laboratory director and serving as a clinical laboratory director, as a specialized consultant, and even going to laboratory informatics.
“At the end of the day, healthcare is not about focusing on ourselves; it is about saving our patients and helping others.”
Collaboration, not Replacement
There have been some pushbacks and misunderstanding about the DCLS as a profession. I wanted to highlight that we are not here to replace pathologists or any other healthcare providers, but we are here as a dedicated support system.
Our goal, like what all hospitals and healthcare should be, is to collaborate with all other providers to have a more comprehensive healthcare system. We support in terms of helping ensure that the right tests are ordered, results are interpreted correctly and correlated with the patient’s symptoms, and that the hospital itself as a business does not waste resources.
The Heart of Advocacy: Patient Care
At the end of the day, healthcare is not about focusing on ourselves; it is about saving our patients and helping others. The best professional advocacy I can offer as a medical laboratory scientist, and as a future DCLS, is dedicating myself to a path that allows me to help more patients.
By maximizing our efforts on positive patient outcomes, we naturally advocate for the future of what our profession holds in healthcare. The DCLS is more than just a title or a career steppingstone but rather it is a commitment to elevating the standard of care. I am incredibly proud to take this next step, and I look forward to collaborating with all of you to build a brighter, more integrated future for the laboratory profession.
Donald Kris Anunciado Jr is a certified Medical Laboratory Scientist working in Histocompatibility and Flow Cytometry at Rush University Medical Center. Outside of my clinical work and professional advocacy, my greatest support and daily inspiration is with my new puppy, Chanel Irene.