Volume 37 Number 4 | August 2023
Jeremiah Oh, MHS, MLS(ASCP)CMMBCM, ASCLS Developing Professionals Forum Vice Chair, ASCLS-Georgia Developing Professional Director
As the 2022-23 membership year draws to a close, I find myself looking back on the changes that developed and followed me this year. Between preparing for an upcoming BOC exam, closing out the academic year, and fulfilling my responsibilities to ASCLS, it was easy to lose myself in the work, especially with a full-time job in the mix. However, the opportunities and experiences that helped me progress professionally were made possible through the support of colleagues and classmates. As professionals working in a healthcare environment, I believe that it’s important for us to find our “community” that we can contribute to and develop our professional identity from. Whether it’s getting through your program alongside classmates, meeting familiar faces at local Society meetings, or making new friends hundreds of miles away at the national level, having that sense of belonging to a greater whole not only benefits us as individuals, but strengthens our community.
One of the most interesting aspects of the concept of a “community” is that it can be found practically anywhere you look for it. A community doesn’t have to be strictly bound and defined through professional associations and can be as simple as your relationship among other classmates in your program. For example, the shared experiences of preparing for tests, completing assignments, and following along laboratory procedures were moments that I could relate to with my classmates. Being able to push through these hardships with other individuals only focused our dedication to developing our craft.
On the other hand, professional organizations such as ASCLS offer opportunities to directly contribute to the profession. Involvement can include everything from volunteering at local events to participating in national forums. Meeting other students from different programs truly reminds you that the struggles we experience to succeed are also shared by hundreds to thousands of other students across the country. Regardless of whether you decide to become formally involved with larger organizations or find solace among your classmates and friends, having that support network to rely on makes the duties and responsibilities of our profession easier to take on and meaningful to fulfill.
“Regardless of whether you decide to become formally involved with larger organizations or find solace among your classmates and friends, having that support network to rely on makes the duties and responsibilities of our profession easier to take on and meaningful to fulfill.”
I’m reminded of how far I’ve progressed as a professional and as an individual every time I interact with fellow ASCLS members. As a Developing Professional who just recently began their involvement with ASCLS within the last year, it humbles me to remember all that I’ve done in a year and excites me to know how much more there’s left for me to do. Our role as students means that we have so much to discover and explore what ASCLS has to offer while also introducing fresh perspectives and inspirations to the community. Developing Professionals are truly unique to the structure of ASCLS and serve as an essential component to diversifying the community, expanding membership, and advancing the profession.
Similarly, being able to get involved with other professionals from incredibly varied and diverse backgrounds really emphasizes the passion and commitment we share to better the profession and ourselves. Having that sounding board present through other members provides the opportunity to find what’s best for achieving the goals you want to establish for yourself. At the same time, the act of participating in constructive dialogue adds a distinctive voice to the conversation that otherwise wouldn’t be there. In other words, your presence in ASCLS already contributes something that is wholly personal to you.
To all Developing Professionals and potential members exploring their career for the first time, ASCLS can only continue to grow and develop through you. Through ASCLS, you’ll find a welcoming community, endless professional opportunities, and personal development. Without you, we risk the stagnation of our community as a whole and will lose the unique outlook each of you brings to ASCLS. If you are considering joining or renewing your membership, I highly encourage everyone to do so and explore everything ASCLS has to offer. To me, this past year has been eventful to say the least, and I felt that there was a place for me in the Society where I could grow and develop my professional identity.
As healthcare professionals, I know that each of us are strong and capable individuals, but I also know that our community makes us that much stronger. Being a part of a community opens so many doors, and if you make the most of it, you’ll find it as transformative as I have.
Jeremiah Oh is a Senior Verification Technologist at Immucor, Inc., in Norcross, Georgia.