Those of us in the laboratory profession know our scene all too well. Closed off from much of the world, listening to the hum of our instruments and running analysis after analysis, and loving every minute of it! I feel comfortable in this environment and even thrive in it, as many other that share my profession. However, are we getting the most ...

I met Jason at a local volunteer event. While we waited for the official set-up we exchanged pleasantries. At 19 years old, Jason is in his second year of college studying pre-pharmacy. When I suggested that pharmacy is a growing field with expanding scope of practice and great growth opportunity, Jason said almost dejectedly, ''That's what ...

It’s true that as one ages, one also gets wiser. I value the knowledge shared by peers and truly appreciate them sharing experiences—good and bad—when, for example, we’re initiating an enterprise-wide or department-specific project. If you have a story to tell your peers, whether it’s a light-hearted recap of your National Medical Laboratory ...

You are what you say. You tell stories and express yourself using words, just like a book. What you say and how you say it lets people know if you’re a textbook, novel, autobiography, or gibberish. And yes, people judge you by your cover. It happens, and some people don’t mind. Our speech is tempered by advertisers, television, and peers. We ...

The ADVANCE team toured the wonderful laboratories at University of Pennsylvania/Penn Medicine last week. I wanted to help spread the word of some of their significant achievements. For example, a new treatment for leukemia, called CART 19, has proven effective in several terminally ill patients. Their findings appeared recently in the New ...

I have heard a lot of ''internet chatter'' this week on the policies of the NBRC when it comes to the issue of credential renewal. I have followed the debate with great interest and have, on a couple of the forums, weighed in on the issue. At the heart of the debate is the feeling (by some) that they should not be required to participate in the ...

One of the hazards of being in respiratory therapy for so long, some 30-plus years now, is that I am often told that I am ''overqualified'' for the position I was hired for or am interviewing for. Many of you have encountered this same thing; a position you like is open but the hospital does not want to hire you because you have too much ...

In the last few weeks and months, most of us followed the news of three trials or events that captured the attention of national media. Casey Anthony was tried for a first degree murder of her daughter, Caylee, but was acquitted. The trial lasted 6 weeks. At the end, the jury found Casey not guilty of murder or aggravated child abuse. The verdict ...

ADVANCE is seeking authors for its Learning Scope continuing education series. These peer-reviewed articles are produced in cooperation with the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and appear in print and online. We are seeking articles containing original scholarly work that describes: specific instructional and lab ...

After my blog last month that addressed the cost of attending the AARC conference, I want to report my own personal cost/benefit analysis of the largest respiratory convention in the world. Overall I am glad I went. I would give the entire experience a rating of 7 out of 10. Day 1: I arrived in Tampa on Thursday so that I could get checked into ...