Liz Under the Microscope: Blood, Cells, and Belief - Graceful Ventures: Women Embracing Calling and Career # 1

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  1. Hi, could you share a little bit about yourself (your name, age, and what your current job is or how far are you along in your journey)? Also share any interesting facts about you or your interests outside of work.

Hi! My name is Elizabeth and I am 24 years old and I have been working as a Clinical Lab Technologist for 2.5 years. Outside of work, I love spending time with friends and family, trying out new restaurants and cafes, playing pickleball, taking walks and enjoying nature. When I’m indoors I love trying new recipes, making snacks, playing board games and listening to Christian podcasts. 


  1. How did you hear/learn about your field? What about it fits your interests or goals at the time?

When I was applying for college, I was completely lost in choosing a major. I knew I wanted to do something in healthcare but was unsure about what role I wanted to play. My cousin is a Lab technologist herself so she recommended the field to me. It seemed like a really interesting field that was hands on and allowed me to work in a hospital.


  1. What are the steps that you needed to take to get to where you are now? Was there anything you expected/didn’t expect about the journey?

I went to college at St. John’s University and majored in Clinical Laboratory Sciences. It was a SUPER small major and by small I mean my class was 5 people including me! I finished with a bachelors, applied for the certification and sat for the board exams in order to be licensed to work. Right after passing the exam, I landed a great job (THANK GOD!) at the hospital I’m still working at now. To be honest, I didn’t expect to be working weekends and holidays but after starting the job, I understood why as patient care is 24/7 and labs are drawn throughout the day and night. 



  1. How was your faith a part of this journey? Was there anything that made you feel like God allowed you to do this line of work? 

I became Christian my freshman year of college and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made!! (although this topic is for another time to talk about). Even though Christ wasn’t an active part in my decision when choosing a major, I can’t deny that God’s hand has been over my journey in college and even now working. From getting a day shift to pay that was higher than I could’ve expected as a new grad, there’s so many other ways that God has been so present in my career. 


  1. What is something most people don’t know about your job? What did you wish more people knew?

A lot of people actually don’t know what Lab technologists do and I don’t blame them because I didn’t fully understand it either until my Junior year in this major lol. So, you know when you go to the doctor and you get your blood drawn and you pee in a cup? Those samples come to the lab and we analyze it using different instruments and microscopes to obtain results that then get sent back to your doctor. The cool thing is that there are a lot of different departments of the lab! Say you go to the doctor for a possible infected wound, the doctor will take a swab of your wound and that swab gets transported off to the Microbiology lab, where your sample gets swabbed onto different culture plates that allow us to see what organisms are growing in your wound and then we determine which course of antibiotics that organism is resistant to. COVID swabs are also tested by the lab so that was a super busy lab to be in during the pandemic. Another example is let's say someone is in need of a blood transfusion, you can’t give just anyone’s blood to that person because it depends on their blood type and so many other factors. This is where Blood bank comes in and this is where all blood (just like the bags you donate!) are crossmatched and screened and labeled for easy access during emergencies. 



  1. What made the sacrifices you’ve made to pursue this career path worth it? If you don’t feel like it was worth it, why is that?

The flexibility and financial stability of this job has made pursuing this career path worth it. The fact that there’s many different specialties is also another pro. 



  1. What is a typical day/week in your life like?

Right now, I have the privilege of working only 2 days per week, each, 13 hour shifts. When I clock in in the morning, I will start running quality control on the instrument I am assigned to. This usually takes about an hour and then I’ll check the schedule to see which bench I am assigned to for the day. I work in a generalist lab so we rotate in different labs such as Hematology, Coagulation, Urinalysis, Virology, Chemistry and sometimes even the OR!


  1. Flash forward 5 years, where do you see yourself in your career? If you’re not in the same field you’re in now, why did you make that change?

To be very honest, I don’t really know where I see myself career wise in 5 years, even in 1 year! I’m currently looking into potentially switching fields but still exploring different options. 



  1. Looking back, what would you tell yourself? 

Something I do wish I had done in college was to do summer health internships that would allow me to explore different healthcare fields. It’s so easy to just keep going down one path when you’re in college because there’s always another homework assignment and test that you’re preparing for but I think being able to shadow other healthcare professionals would’ve given me more insight into what it is I really want to do for work. Although I say this, I don’t regret my choice in becoming a Lab Tech! It’s given me a stable job and I’ve been able to meet a lot of amazing people in this field. Although I don’t know where life will bring me, it really is true that everything will work out! You got this :) 


  1. What would you tell anyone interested in this field? 

This is a great time to get into the field because newer types of shifts (12 hours/3 days a week or 10 hours/4 days a week) are opening up! The pay has also increased dramatically in the past few years. It of course depends on the city you live in and what company you work for but it seems like most new grads are starting to make close to 100k! 


  1. Can you be contacted or reached if someone has any further questions?

Yes! I would love to talk to anyone that’s interested in this field :)


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