question for any serology/immunology lab techs...

[cardsurgguy]

I'm considering applying for a position as a serology/immunology lab tech at the hospital I currently work at

If anybody does this now, how do you like it? Tough job? Long training?

I just finished a micro major undergrad, and took immunology, and like the subject, but I'm allergic to labs, I hate basically any lab work, but it's 5 bucks more an hour than the PCA job I currently have, which I also can't stand

figured if I'm going to have a job that I hate, mind as well make 5 bucks more doing it
it's only for a couple years anyway while I finish the mba in health program I'm in

I'd like some input on this job to make my decision from people who have done it

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Friendly]

I'm considering applying for a position as a serology/immunology lab tech at the hospital I currently work at

If anybody does this now, how do you like it? Tough job? Long training?

I just finished a micro major undergrad, and took immunology, and like the subject, but I'm allergic to labs, I hate basically any lab work, but it's 5 bucks more an hour than the PCA job I currently have, which I also can't stand

figured if I'm going to have a job that I hate, mind as well make 5 bucks more doing it
it's only for a couple years anyway while I finish the mba in health program I'm in

I'd like some input on this job to make my decision from people who have done it

It is a difficult job and very hands-on. You have to be very, very meticulous. You will most likely be running SPEPs (Serum Protein Electrophoresis) - serum CSF, and sometimes urine from patients. You cannot make mistakes with these gels. I would not take the job if you feel this way.

 

[pratik7]

I agree that it requires precise work. Immunology usually involves performing blots (usually western), sequencing and PCRs.

I am working with western blots and natural autoantibodies and it sucks cause nothin ever works. Enjoy

 

[cardsurgguy]

Do you 2 work in immunology research?

b/c that's not what this is
I probably should have posted this before, but it's a clinical lab, as in take specimens taken up on the hospital's units and analyze them to ab/ag presence, etc

so that would be stuff that is well-established, stuff that works

research on the other hand is cutting edge stuff that hasn't been done before, that never works

I wouldn't do research, but this is regular clinical run basic tests on samples to detect presence or no presence

You 2 work in clinical or research immunology labs?

 

[pratik7]

research

 

[Croatalus_atrox]

I'm considering applying for a position as a serology/immunology lab tech at the hospital I currently work at

If anybody does this now, how do you like it? Tough job? Long training?

I just finished a micro major undergrad, and took immunology, and like the subject, but I'm allergic to labs, I hate basically any lab work, but it's 5 bucks more an hour than the PCA job I currently have, which I also can't stand

figured if I'm going to have a job that I hate, mind as well make 5 bucks more doing it
it's only for a couple years anyway while I finish the mba in health program I'm in

I'd like some input on this job to make my decision from people who have done it

I'm a medical laboratory technician who works as a generalist, but I'm pretty familiar with all clinical laboratory departments. It depends on the state you are working in but most clinical laboratories will want you to be an ASCP certified (or eligible) Medical Laboratory Technician or Medical Technologist before they will hire you. It has to do with the hospital and laboratory regulatory agencies. Some places will allow non-certified techs to work as lab assistants, but they will usually be paid less than the certified techs and have lesser responsibilities (which mostly involve specimen collection).

Have you spoken to anyone in the laboratory about hiring yet? If you have, I'm kind of surprised that neither they nor the job posting mentioned anything about certification, since most labs won't hire anyone without it.

 

[Friendly]

Do you 2 work in immunology research?b/c that's not what this is

Diagnostic immunology falls under the umbrella of lab medicine. I repeat: you probably shouldn't take this position if you feel that way - you'll just annoy the med techs and clinical staff.

 

[cardsurgguy]

I'm a medical laboratory technician who works as a generalist, but I'm pretty familiar with all clinical laboratory departments. It depends on the state you are working in but most clinical laboratories will want you to be an ASCP certified (or eligible) Medical Laboratory Technician or Medical Technologist before they will hire you. It has to do with the hospital and laboratory regulatory agencies. Some places will allow non-certified techs to work as lab assistants, but they will usually be paid less than the certified techs and have lesser responsibilities (which mostly involve specimen collection).

Have you spoken to anyone in the laboratory about hiring yet? If you have, I'm kind of surprised that neither they nor the job posting mentioned anything about certification, since most labs won't hire anyone without it.

ASCP MED TECH PREFERRED. ONE YEAR OR BS IN BIO WITH AT LEAST 1 YEAR EXPERIENCE WORKING IN LABORATORY.

That's what the website says . "ASCP Preferred" so it sounds as though it's not required. It only says BA/BS required with 1 year lab experience, which any BA/BS in a science would have anyways.

The position pays 14.65 an hour compared to the 9.23 with more for shift differentials I get 10 mostly an hour now for the PCA job I have now and during college. Having less responsibility in something sounds good for me. As it is, I hate the job I have now, such back breaking dirty work. So even if I hate this one too, the payment is much better and no cleaning up incontinent 80 year olds. Plus it's 20 hours per week.

Also, atrox, what is "less responsibility". If I'm not ASCP certified (I'm in NY in case that means anything), what kind of stuff do you think I could be doing? And do you think that 14.65 is worth this "less responsibility"?

 

[Croatalus_atrox]

ASCP MED TECH PREFERRED. ONE YEAR OR BS IN BIO WITH AT LEAST 1 YEAR EXPERIENCE WORKING IN LABORATORY.

That's what the website says . "ASCP Preferred" so it sounds as though it's not required. It only says BA/BS required with 1 year lab experience, which any BA/BS in a science would have anyways.

The position pays 14.65 an hour compared to the 9.23 with more for shift differentials I get 10 mostly an hour now for the PCA job I have now and during college. Having less responsibility in something sounds good for me. As it is, I hate the job I have now, such back breaking dirty work. So even if I hate this one too, the payment is much better and no cleaning up incontinent 80 year olds. Plus it's 20 hours per week.

Also, atrox, what is "less responsibility". If I'm not ASCP certified (I'm in NY in case that means anything), what kind of stuff do you think I could be doing? And do you think that 14.65 is worth this "less responsibility"?

I don't know what the situation is at your hospital and how desperate they are to have the position filled, but most laboratories are pretty inflexible about the ASCP certification. If the decision comes down to two applicants, one with the certification and the other without, the certified tech will win. When they say that they want one year of lab experience, they are generally talking about clinical laboratory experience, not the kind of academic lab experience you get from college. But it wouldn't hurt to ask...it's not like you'll be losing anything by applying, and some labs will consider your academic preparation sufficient for the job in the absence of other candidates.

Be aware, though, that the clinical laboratory is a medical profession, just like being a nurse or x-ray tech. Certification and training is important; they don't just let anyone be a nurse or x-ray tech, and lab techs are pretty wary of allowing non-professionals to practice in the field. When too many non-medical lab techs are allowed to work in the field, it creates the appearance that the training and certification we received isn't necessary and lowers the respect for our profession.

When I say less responsibility, I mean it in the sense like a nurse having less responsibility than a physician. You'll still do lab related work, but it will probably have more to do with specimen collection (ie. drawing blood) than with running tests. But if you are hired as a laboratory technician with your qualifications, I imagine you'll probably be doing the same work as the regular techs, after proper training, of course. As a general rule, you'll be paid less than a certified tech will, but I don't know if the pay quoted above is the base salary or the pay for a certified tech. In any case you could possibly be doing stuff like testing for syphillis and mono, and running titers for infectious diseases like herpes, varicella, and measles. That really depends on the size and capabilities of the hospital laboratory though.

I don't know too much about being a clinical lab technician in NY, but I don't believe they have much in the way of state regulation regarding medical laboratories. As far as I know, they don't require that you be licensed in New York to work as a tech in the state. That's good for your chances of being hired anyway.

Good luck if you decide to apply.

 

[cathyg]

Here's what most serology sections do: RAs, Mono tests, Strep tests, Pregnancy tests, RPRs, Rubellas, etc. Nothing high tech, you use test kits for the most part - easy stuff... Definitely not back breaking dirty work, you may find it boring.