Since the ASCP took over the popular and progressive NCA in 2009, I have periodically received emails from medical lab professionals not happy with the merger for various reasons.  Prompted by this overwhelming response, I have previously blogged about this subject. I have also addressed the mixed response to the move. Recently I have ...

At COLA, we’re all part of the same work community. Together we help promote patient safety by promoting lab excellence. Considering that lab testing impacts more than 70 percent of diagnostic decisions, the COLA community’s efforts impact a lot of people. Individually, however, we are all part of two other communities: The lab community in ...

If you have not made plans to attend the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) Annual Meeting this summer, you still have time to do so. The meeting is designed for you and your professional needs. The meeting offers educational topics that promote advanced learning in the science and practice of clinical laboratory science as ...

I was invited to visit Singapore as an external examiner for the Diploma in Biomedical Science program offered by the School of Chemical and Life Sciences of Singapore Polytechnic. I visited with faculty, staff, and administrators of the school. I also met with students (see photo) and graduates of the program. They were excited about their chosen ...

We can all agree that we have at least one thing in common and that is our professional association in laboratory science. As professionals, we must remain in the mainstream of our beloved field. One of the best ways to remain connected is to join a professional association or organization. They can enhance professional development and provide ...

Just over 2 months ago I wrote a blog discussing the NCA-ASCP merger. The blog elicited a lot of responses both directly on this site and through personal email. One nagging question has been the role of AMT in all of this. Some AMT certificants worried that they would become the forgotten step children. Would employers even start specifying ...

 Just in: The two largest national certification agency for clinical laboratorians announced in Chicago that they have merged  (finally!)  Laboratorians have long recognized that one of the factors contributing to low recognition and confusion in the profession is the myriad of certification agencies. Our credentials are a ...

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report on unemployment is enlightening. A table lists different categories of the unemployed. The ''official'' rate is a percent total of the civilian labor force. That's 8.5% as of March. But the total including ''marginally attached workers'' is 15.6%. That's quite a spread. BLS defines ''marginally ...

If we have learned anything from our interactions with readers and laboratory scientists this year, it's how eager you are to promote your profession. To that end, you are incredibly flexible. In response to a recent Question of the Month (see the responses) workers approaching retirement told us how willing they would be to stay on at their ...