by K. Adam Mattox
Laboratory Services

As a medical laboratory scientist, I feel it is important to give an overview of what we do as part of Laboratory Week, April 22-28.

Laboratorians provide a wide array of services. We may study blood cells to help diagnosis and treat leukemia, chromosomes to help diagnosis genetic disorders, urine to diagnosis certain sexually transmitted diseases or bacteria to see which antibiotic treatment is best for an infection.

What drives us to gaze through the microscope, operate large complex instruments, handle potentially infections fluids and prepare specimens and instruments for the analytical stage is the satisfaction of providing accurate results to health care providers. We know we help save patients lives.

The laboratory medicine profession is growing each year. It is estimated that 13,000 new lab professionals will be needed in the nation from year to year. However, current training programs only provide 5,000 professionals each year.

Laboratory professionals include pathologists, medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, cytotechnologists, histotechnologists, phelbotomists, clinical chemists, pathology assistants, laboratory managers, laboratory coordinators, laboratory office staff, and laboratory clerks. At MUSC, we also are fortunate to have residents, fellows, medical laboratory science students and histotechnology students.

For information on laboratory educational programs at MUSC, contact Susan Barrett at 792-6752 or barretsb@musc.edu.