Volume 39 Number 3 | June 2025
Sarah Steinberg, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, ASCLS Ascending Professionals Forum Vice Chair
The laboratory field is vast and ever evolving. As one who works as both an educator and a practicing medical laboratory scientist in a molecular laboratory, it is vital to not only stay current, but to stay on the edge of innovation. Our field no longer thrives in the shadows—it demands visibility, collaboration, and forward-thinking leadership.
Technology continues to redefine how we work, from automation to real-time PCR, next-generation sequencing, and beyond. But the most powerful transformation we’re seeing today is not just in instruments, it’s in how we educate and integrate laboratorians into the healthcare team.
In the Classroom: Interprofessional Education and the Future of Collaboration
Educational programs are beginning to embrace interprofessional education (IPE), where medical laboratory students train alongside nursing, pharmacy, radiologic technology, and other healthcare professions. This fosters a spirit of collaboration and respect across disciplines, something that has historically been lacking in the way laboratorians are viewed within the patient care model.
I’ve witnessed firsthand how students exposed to IPE become more confident, better communicators, and more willing to advocate for the role of the lab in clinical decisions. It equips them with not only technical skills, but also the soft skills needed to engage with physicians, pharmacists, and care teams.
“Now is the time to stop thinking of ourselves as ‘behind the scenes.’ The future of the laboratory profession depends on our willingness to lead, to innovate, and to speak up.”
In the Field: DCLS and the Rise of the Advanced Laboratory Practitioner
As our profession continues to gain recognition, we are seeing the emergence of the Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) role—professionals who serve as consultants, diagnostic stewards, and bridges between the lab and clinical providers. This is a monumental shift for our profession. It’s the natural evolution of where medical laboratory professionals should be: not just running tests, but interpreting data, optimizing utilization, and improving patient outcomes.
Imagine a future where every complex transfusion, sepsis case, or genetic result comes with a consult note from a DCLS. That future is already happening in some hospitals—and it’s changing the culture of diagnostics.
In the Lab: Molecular Medicine and the Edge of What’s Next
Working in a molecular lab, I see how rapidly things are advancing. Molecular diagnostics is no longer a niche—it’s the backbone of many critical diagnostic decisions. From identifying emerging pathogens to detecting inherited diseases and guiding cancer treatment, the lab is a driving force in precision medicine.
We’re being asked not just to process results, but to interpret trends, validate new assays, and advise on which tests are the most appropriate. The integration of bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, and real-time clinical decision support systems into our workflow is not a dream of the future, it’s the reality we’re building today.
Now is the time to stop thinking of ourselves as “behind the scenes.” The future of the laboratory profession depends on our willingness to lead, to innovate, and to speak up. As educators, mentors, and practitioners, we have a responsibility to push our profession forward—not just for our own careers, but for the patients whose lives depend on what we do.
To boldly go where no laboratorian has gone before means embracing change, standing at the forefront of science, and carving out our rightful place in healthcare.
Sarah Steinberg is the Medical Laboratory Technology Program Director at Casper College in Casper, Wyoming.