A Lab Manager's Guide to Getting Ahead

Being motivated and showing resourcefulness are what separate a star from the pack

Hard Work, Resourcefulness, and Great Mentors Required

When Lydia Coleman was 25 years old and worked as a staff member in a laboratory, before a surveyor’s visit she asked her then-boss whether managers had done anything in advance to prepare for the survey and had thought about what kinds of questions might arise. Coleman’s boss immediately realized that her employee’s questions showed initiative and enthusiasm for making the workplace run more smoothly, and she expressed her opinion of what a good idea that was. Six years later, Coleman had showed so much enterprise and learned enough to apply for and land a laboratory supervisor’s position, and for the past 35 years she has been either a manager or a director in the health care laboratory industry.

Read more: A Lab Manager's Guide to Getting Ahead

Source: LabManager

The PhD journey: A guide to applying, starting and succeeding

To postgraduates, a PhD may seem like an ideal opportunity to improve research skills prior to future work. However, the application process is a competitive and often challenging experience. This article seeks to de-mystify some of the common questions surrounding PhD applications and provide some hints and tips for potential applicants.

1. Is a PhD for you?

An increasing number of postgraduates are applying for PhD study to develop their academic and professional skills. However, before you begin to consider searching for positions, you must be fully aware of what studying for a PhD actually entails. A PhD is the highest degree a person can achieve. It will involve around three years’ full-time (up to six years’ part-time) work, culminating in a thesis of somewhere around 80,000 words. It is research-intensive, with you developing and leading projects and writing papers in your chosen field of study. Although you will have the support of two or more specialist supervisors, a PhD is by-and-large independent work.

Read more: The PhD journey: A guide to applying, starting and succeeding

Source: academia

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Biomedical Laboratory Scientist Career: Salary, Requirements and Overview

Medical laboratory scientists require a significant amount of formal education. Learn about the degree, job duties, and certification to see if this is the right career for you.

Essential Information

Medical laboratory scientists, also known as medical laboratory technologists, conduct lab tests related to the detection and cure of diseases. They use complex medical equipment to analyze body fluids or tissue samples for bacterial infection, hormone levels, and other chemical components affecting human health. A bachelor's degree with a major in one of the life sciences can open the door to this career.

Required Education	Bachelor's degree
Other Requirements	Certification or licensure required in some states
Projected Job Growth (2012-2022)	22% for medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians*
Mean Annual Wage (2014)	$60,560 for medical and clinical laboratory technologists*

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Salary of a Medical Laboratory Scientist

Wages for medical laboratory scientists vary based upon experience and job location. The mean annual salary earned by medical and clinical laboratory technologists was $60,560 as of May 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov). Hospitals are the largest employer of medical and clinical laboratory technologists; those working in this environment earned an average salary of $61,600 annually in 2014. However, the highest paying industry, according to the BLS, is pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, paying an average salary of $71,910 as of May 2014. The BLS also states that the projected job outlook for medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians is 22% for the years 2012-2022.

Read more: Biomedical Laboratory Scientist Career: Salary, Requirements and Overview

Source: bls.gov

Six Signs to be a Biomedical Lab Tech

You’ve always been the type of person who takes a painstaking amount of time to make sure the details are correct and meticulously recorded. You’re a multitasking whiz who enjoys order and routine in your life. Wouldn’t it be great if you could find a career that capitalized on all of these characteristics?

It’s important to make sure that your personality and natural gifts align with the profession you pursue. You’ll be happy to hear that a medical lab tech career might be right up your alley! This will allow you to join the fast-growing healthcare field while still getting to work a technical, behind-the-scenes job.

If this seems like an ideal option for you, keep reading to see if you have what it takes to launch a successful medical lab tech (MLT) career!

6 Signs you’re cut out for a medical lab tech career

We spoke with Tammy Renner, Rasmussen College’s national MLT program director and 33-year MLT veteran, to identify some common characteristics that the best MLT’s share. See how many describe you!

1. You’ve always loved science

MLTs usually have a strong background in chemistry, biology and physiology. Specifically, knowledge of tissues and cells is required, as is an expert understanding of chemical compositions and interactions.

Read more: Six Signs to be a Biomedical Lab Tech

Source: rasmussen

Building a career in the biomedical laboratory sciences.

Passion is the key to success, says Jim Smith in his keynote speech at the London NatureJobs Career Expo.

Jim Smith is a successful scientist by anyone’s measure. The UK scientist helped discover key growth factors required for the early development of embryos, and has received numerous awards for his scientific contributions. Smith now juggles three high-level roles at the UK Medical Research Council (MRC), National Institute of Medical Research and the soon-to-be-opened Francis Crick Institute in London with the running of his own lab at the MRC.

Like many people who have excelled in their field, Smith’s career has the illusion of being planned from the start. However he says this was not the case. He didn’t study biology until he was persuaded to take a cell biology class at the University of Cambridge while studying for a degree in natural sciences.

He fell so in love with the subject that he progressed to a PhD studentship with the famous development biologist Lewis Wolport. “You should allow yourself to fall in love with your subject, become engrossed by it,” Smith says. This passion is a key to success he stresses, because it drives you to put the necessary effort in. “There are times in your career when you know that working twice as hard will produce double the results, at these times you should work 3 or 4 times as hard,” Smith says.

Finding the ‘niche’ in science that you are most passionate about can be challenging.

Read more: Building a career in the biomedical laboratory sciences.

Source: naturejobs

What Does a Medical Laboratory Technician Do?

You’ve heard about the exciting career opportunity in the healthcare industry, but you don’t exactly picture yourself as a nurse. It’s important to know that not all healthcare careers involve direct patient care. There are in-demand opportunities in the field that allow you to work behind-the-scenes while still having a positive impact on people’s health.

Becoming a medical lab tech (MLT) is one of those opportunities. The bright future of this field is indicated by the 30 percent projected increase in jobs through 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

That stat alone should pique your interest about this career. But it’s not enough to make up your mind. Before choosing to pursue this profession, you need to be able to answer the following question: What does a medical lab tech do?

So what does a medical lab tech do? They work in laboratory settings that aid in disease and illness diagnosis – but that is merely the tip of the iceberg. The variety of duties that an MLT performs makes it an ever-changing position that demands creativity and problem-solving skills.

But before you can realize you want to become a medical lab technician, you should be able to answer the following question: what does a medical lab technician do, anyway? Keep reading to find your answer!

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What Does a Medical Laboratory Technician Do?

Source: Rasmussen College

Career Path Guide: How to Become a Clinical Chemist?

If you want to become a clinical chemist, you first need to determine if this career path is a good fit for you. If the following description sounds like you, then you’re probably well suited for a career as a clinical chemist:

Those who become clinical chemists have a keen interest in contributing to the body of knowledge of medical science, as well as helping healthcare practitioners save lives and improving the quality of life of patients by helping with early detection of various diseases and health conditions.

In order to become a clinical chemist, you will also need the emotional and intellectual capacity to complete all of the necessary academic work. You will also need a high stress tolerance, as this is required for when you don’t achieve immediate results in your work.

If you want to become a clinical chemist, you should be comfortable working in a laboratory or a clinical setting, and you should be comfortable sharing your opinions and findings with others. You will also need a good amount of manual dexterity in order to accomplish many tasks in this career, such as performing tests and using specialized equipment.

Below we've outlined what you'll need to begin a career as a clinical chemist. We've also included helpful information for this career, such as job description, job duties, salary expectations, a list of possible employers and much more!

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Career Path Guide: How to Become a Clinical Chemist?

Source: AcademicInvest