This past Wednesday, Bradley professor Valerie Bennett’s section of KHS 110 (“Introduction to Health Science”) invited Anna Weisbruch and Kaitlyn Carpentier from OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center to give a presentation on their experiences working in the field of clinical lab science.
Wednesday’s event was advertised to anyone interested in clinical lab science and produced a turnout from students even outside of Bennett’s KHS section. The event was the second in the “Healthcare Speaker Series,” which are events hosted by Bradley’s Health Professions Advising Center. On Aug. 31, Amanda Scott, Bradley’s Department Chair and Program Director of Occupational Therapy, gave a similar presentation on careers in occupational therapy.
In a brief introduction before the scientists’ presentation, Bennett summarized the purpose of the events as aiming to give students a glimpse into various concentrations of healthcare work, as KHS 110 is a health class angled towards underclassmen that are relatively new to gaining experience in the field. She further noted what she found particularly special about clinical lab science.
“[It’s] one that people don’t always think about, but [it’s] super important whether you decide to be a medical lab scientist or [if] you become a doctor or a PA or any other healthcare profession,” Bennett said. “You’re going to be sending samples for testing, and diagnostic testing is good to know a little about.”
Weisbruch and Carpentier’s presentation consisted of an in-depth look at procedures and studies relevant to professionals in medical laboratory science (MLS), as well as a rundown of standard work settings and a personal vouch for the value of MLS.
Weisbruch began by introducing medical laboratory science through processes that students were familiar with, such as testing blood drawn from donors and urine in cases of UTIs. Carpentier elaborated on how lab professionals play a vital role in communicating test results on samples to healthcare providers like doctors for purposes like transfusions and diagnoses, as they often spot abnormalities before anyone else does.
“If somebody has a type of bone marrow cancer, you are probably going to be the first one to find out,” Carpentier said.
The scientists went on to discuss topics including specimen collection, urinalysis, hematology, microbiology, Gram stains and blood banks, giving a rundown of what goes into each procedure alongside visuals like microscopic sample images and a table showing which blood types are compatible for donation.
On the subject of work settings, Carpentier noted that professionals can report to anywhere from clinics, private practice facilities and higher education to forensic labs, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and research institutions. She also stated that there is a variety of pathways that one can take to become clinical lab-qualified, which include associate’s degrees and assistant work.
“The options are endless; it just depends on what you want to do with it,” Weisbruch said.
The scientists concluded the presentation by reiterating its purpose of raising awareness. Bennett and Weisbruch also took the time to promote two major options for students: the medical lab science program, where students do Bradley coursework for three years and spend their senior year in a clinical lab setting, and the medical technology concentration of the biology major, where students can do their full four years at Bradley and embark on a year-long clinical internship after graduation.
“From what I’ve heard, pretty much wherever you do your clinical internship year, they’re gonna be desperately making you job offers to stay beyond that since they spent a year training you already,” Bennett said.
They recommended the MLS experience for its opportunity for students to apply the knowledge they will learn and for the benefits, including a $20,000 sign-on bonus and a competitive yearly salary of $62,000-89,000.
“I would love to see every single one of you in our cohort in three years,” Weisbruch said.
