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What is it like being a clinical lab scientist?

12th Grade High School Student

spring25 healthcare scientist laboratory clinical-research
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Kathleen’s Answer

Danica, thank you for this question! I'm retired from the clinical laboratory after over 40 years of loving it. The field is so often overlooked but is one of the most critical in Healthcare. Most every diagnosis and treatment decision is based on lab results. One of my favorite physicians always said, " Without the lab, doctors are just guessing. " The field has changed a lot through the years, but that fact has not changed. There are many different disciplines in laboratory medicine, and each tech is typically drawn to one or two specific areas, though many love the variety. The workload varies on the institution but the work life balance is good as the shifts are defined and rarely is one called on to work overtime unless there are unusual circumstances. The pay is not the best in Healthcare, but that depends on where you're employed. It is always a good, living wage. The CLS is like a detective, so that's fun! And the instrumentation is phenomenal. Keeping the analyzers in proper working order is part of the job, because getting accurate results is so important. There are many opportunities within the field beyond just hospital or clinic lab testing. With experience you can progress to consulting, inspecting, or research and development of tests and equipment, becoming a representative or technical trainer in the field. In the clinic setting you actually know the patients and have a strong sense of why your work matters. In short, it's a great field with many awesome opportunities. Go for it!
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Duane’s Answer

Hey Danica. I have been a lab tech for more than 20 years. Most of that time was in the Army. Being a lab tech in the Army was pretty nice over all. Depending on the size of the lab, it can be really busy or really mundane. I have worked mostly night shift since leaving the Army. I was a travel tech for 3 years and have been at my current hospital for 2 years. A normal day starts with receiving any relevant information from the previous shift. Then I will check for issues and make sure all supplies are good to go. The work flow is different for each lab and each section. I am a generalist and work in all sections. The night includes performing maintenance and running the quality controls. There is definitely down time to diddle around. I have been the only tech at a couple of the labs that are connected to an urgent care or small emergency room so a lot of you tube watching during that time. I am currently the lead tech on night shift. I have been a supervisor as well but prefer working on the bench and not having to deal with staffing and the other things that go with being a supervisor. Overall, I am glad that I chose this profession. I am pretty organized and meticulous so it fits with my personality. And I don't have to deal with other people a lot. There is some interaction and I had to do morning rounds and draw blood in the Army but only once after getting out. Consider all your options. Many of my Army buddies went into the lab information system field after being lab techs. Good luck.
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Duane’s Answer

Hey Danica. I have been a lab tech for more than 20 years. Most of that time was in the Army. Being a lab tech in the Army was pretty nice over all. Depending on the size of the lab, it can be really busy or really mundane. I have worked mostly night shift since leaving the Army. I was a travel tech for 3 years and have been at my current hospital for 2 years. A normal day starts with receiving any relevant information from the previous shift. Then I will check for issues and make sure all supplies are good to go. The work flow is different for each lab and each section. I am a generalist and work in all sections. The night includes performing maintenance and running the quality controls. There is definitely down time to diddle around. I have been the only tech at a couple of the labs that are connected to an urgent care or small emergency room so a lot of youtube watching during that time. I am currently the lead tech on night shift. I have been a supervisor as well but prefer working on the bench and not having to deal with staffing and the other things that go with being a supervisor. Overall, I am glad that I chose this profession. I am pretty organized and meticulous so it fits with my personality. And I don't have to deal with other people a lot. There is some interaction and I had to do morning rounds and draw blood in the Army but only once after getting out. Consider all your options. Many of my Army buddies went into the lab information system field after being lab techs. Good luck.
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