MedLabMaven

I have to tell the entire story because it's ridiculous.

Patient coughed up the 'blood clot' over Christmas and was concerned so she collected it in a margarine container and kept in her fridge for ~2 weeks before going to her physician. 2 weeks!

I don't know if this physician was just trying to please the patient, not looking etc but he put it in a formalin container and sent it to the lab "Query: Blood clot?". We took it out on the grossing bench and knew right away it was a tomato. We attempted to process it but of course, tomatoes are mostly water so it disintegrated once it was out of the processor.

I think the senior tech ended up having to call the physician and explain that it was clearly a tomato and we tried to process it but disappeared.

I work in histology so we get anything removed, sampled, coughed up, pooped etc to be processed and turned into thin sections for the pathologist.

I've only been there 2 months but here's what I've seen so far:

• Tomato submitted in sputum because the doctor thought it was a blood clot
• a giant blood clot (6 inches around) pulled out of patient through IV line.
• 1.2 ft long tape worm
• an anal bead that broke off inside the patient and was removed by the physician. The patient and the physican said "they didn't know what they were or how they got there"
• Teratoma
• Spleen with a bullet in it

THIS. Worst offence was they put a slide under the microscope and announced "THIS PATIENT HAS LOW TESTOSTERONE!" That is 100% not how thing are done.

As someone in Canada, I can definitively say YES, I would recommend it.

Pay in Canada is great and the job market is desperate for Lab Technologists - especially since 40-50% of the workforce is expected to retire in 5 - 10 years.

I went to school for 4 years, got a B.Sc in Microbiology and had zero job prospects out of school besides a start-up biotech company making $12/hr. I just graduated Med Lab in February and had a job lined up (Full-time, Benefits) at $27/hr plus premiums etc. I recently moved positions to a government job and will be making $31/hr + 14% premium due to not having benefits yet.

As for the career itself, it is what you make it. I love being able to use my scientific knowledge everyday and really feel like I'm helping determine the diagnosis of a patient. I will be working in TB and everyday I know I am helping to create a diagnosis and setting patients on a pathway to healing. I think over the next few years the view of Laboratory professionals is going to change, especially with the new generation (us!) being so vocal about why this is great profession.

Thanks! We don't get thanked very often (if at all) so it really means a lot when we hear it.