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Are you a Hematologist?
Hello! My name is Ngoc and I am a current high school student. I'm conducting an interview with any professional in the Hematology field for a Foundations in Health Science Class project about careers! A total of 13 questions that I made are required to be answered by a professional in the field of Hematology for my research project. Please spare some time to answer these questions and thankyou so much for your time.
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Valerie’s Answer
Hello Ngoc, I am a medical laboratory technician employed in a hematology and oncology clinic. We confirm diagnosis and provide chemotherapy and other treatments. We have two physician in this clinic, registered nurses (RN), licensed practical nurses (LPN), pharmacist and a pharmacy tech. What are you questions?
Hi Valerie thanks a lot for your time!
Here are my 13 questions (the last 3 questions are different from the last 3 Oncologist questions).
1) What profession did you choose? Why?
2) How many years of college did you need to go through?
3) What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
4) How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
5) Were you in a college program?
6) Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
Ngoc
7) Did you shadow another professional in the field?
8) Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
9) Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
10) What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
11) In the future, I was planning on either becoming a pharmacist, an oncologist or a hematologist. Can you give me advice on how I could decide between the 3?
12) If you could tell your younger self (as a college/med student) one thing you wish you would've known about your job (that you didn't know at the time), what would it be? Why?
13) Did you ever have any other jobs in mind? If so, what made you pick your current job instead of the other jobs you had in mind?
Ngoc
Thankyou so much for your time Valerie!!
Ngoc
Updated
Valerie’s Answer
Hello Ngoc, I am a medical laboratory technician employed in a hematology and oncology clinic. We confirm diagnosis and provide chemotherapy and other treatments. We have two physician in this clinic, registered nurses (RN), licensed practical nurses (LPN), pharmacist and a pharmacy tech. What are you questions?
1. What profession did you choose? Why?
a. Hello, I am Valerie and I have been a medical laboratory technician for 37 years. Why, because when I was in high school, I had an anatomy class that dissected frogs and cow heart. I enjoyed that. I have a cousin that was in the healthcare field, and she would stay with us when she was in college. She would share with me her work and I took interest in that field.
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
a. Medical lab technology has two classifications.
i. Medical Technologist is a 4-year BS degree. (I wish I had gone this route)
ii. Medical Laboratory Technician is a 2-year AS degree. This is what I currently hold. As well as an MBA in healthcare administration – this has placed me in management.
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
a. I worked as a phlebotomist while in college.
b. Medical Laboratory Technician in hospitals, reference laboratories, physician office laboratories and veterinary laboratories.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
a. Earning a Ph.D. in this field will be decided on what your goals are. Such as professor, research, writing etc.
5. Were you in a college program?
a. Medical Technology is a college program. Either a two- or four-year degree.
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
a. Yes, I did. I wanted to get into management, and I needed a BS degree in order to do that. Therefore, I enrolled in healthcare management to learn the management, financial side of healthcare.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
a. No, I did not shadow anyone until I started in training in the hospital.
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
a. There were NO school clubs related to medical laboratory technology.
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
a. Yes, I struggled with hematology, microbiology and blood banking and now 37 years later I am an expert.
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
a. Attention to detail.
b. How to take notes.
c. How to take tests.
d. How to train others.
11. Was it difficult studying your career?
a. Yes, as a young adult it was hard juggling a personal and work life. If I had to do it again, I would put the personal life on hold and focus on my career.
12. Do you enjoy your career?
a. I LOVE my career and would choose it all over again. It has been a very interesting journey and never, ever gets bored.
13. Did you like the classes you had to study for this career?
a. I LOVE all the classes I studied for my career. I am still learning and studying. We are required to have a certain number of continuing educations a year. I write and volunteer with difference laboratory professional organizations. I like to stay abreast on what is happening all over healthcare, not just with laboratory.
1. What profession did you choose? Why?
a. Hello, I am Valerie and I have been a medical laboratory technician for 37 years. Why, because when I was in high school, I had an anatomy class that dissected frogs and cow heart. I enjoyed that. I have a cousin that was in the healthcare field, and she would stay with us when she was in college. She would share with me her work and I took interest in that field.
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
a. Medical lab technology has two classifications.
i. Medical Technologist is a 4-year BS degree. (I wish I had gone this route)
ii. Medical Laboratory Technician is a 2-year AS degree. This is what I currently hold. As well as an MBA in healthcare administration – this has placed me in management.
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
a. I worked as a phlebotomist while in college.
b. Medical Laboratory Technician in hospitals, reference laboratories, physician office laboratories and veterinary laboratories.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
a. Earning a Ph.D. in this field will be decided on what your goals are. Such as professor, research, writing etc.
5. Were you in a college program?
a. Medical Technology is a college program. Either a two- or four-year degree.
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
a. Yes, I did. I wanted to get into management, and I needed a BS degree in order to do that. Therefore, I enrolled in healthcare management to learn the management, financial side of healthcare.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
a. No, I did not shadow anyone until I started in training in the hospital.
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
a. There were NO school clubs related to medical laboratory technology.
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
a. Yes, I struggled with hematology, microbiology and blood banking and now 37 years later I am an expert.
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
a. Attention to detail.
b. How to take notes.
c. How to take tests.
d. How to train others.
11. Was it difficult studying your career?
a. Yes, as a young adult it was hard juggling a personal and work life. If I had to do it again, I would put the personal life on hold and focus on my career.
12. Do you enjoy your career?
a. I LOVE my career and would choose it all over again. It has been a very interesting journey and never, ever gets bored.
13. Did you like the classes you had to study for this career?
a. I LOVE all the classes I studied for my career. I am still learning and studying. We are required to have a certain number of continuing educations a year. I write and volunteer with difference laboratory professional organizations. I like to stay abreast on what is happening all over healthcare, not just with laboratory.
Hey Valerie!
I noticed questions 11-13 weren't the questions I asked and that your replies were the same ones for another student's questions. I think there was a mixup since the questions I asked are different. If you don't mind, I would really appreciate it if you could please answer the questions I created.
Thankyou!
11) In the future, I was planning on either becoming a pharmacist, an oncologist or a hematologist. Can you give me advice on how I could decide between the 3?
12) If you could tell your younger self (as a college/med student) one thing you wish you would've known about your job (that you didn't know at the time), what would it be? Why?
13) Did you ever have any other jobs in mind? If so, what made you pick your current job instead of the other jobs you had in mind?
Ngoc