Title: Medical Laboratory scientist—Special Chemistry, UTMB Galveston
When did you start work at UTMB?
Feb. 20, 2023
What does your job entail?
Firstly, in the chemistry division of the lab there is a further subdivision of HVL (High Volume Lab) Chemistry and Special Chemistry in terms of performing laboratory tests. However, the distinction isn't clear-cut between the two. As the name implies, HVL handles not only the tests that are ordered the most frequently but also the most urgent tests, where results are needed immediately to allow providers to make their medical decisions quickly in emergent situations.
Special Chemistry does perform some tests that are ordered routinely; however, the urgency for results is not as dire as with HVL. The main focus in Special Chemistry is on tests that are a step further in diagnosing patients, tests for conditions that are not as common, drilling down on exactly what is potentially causing a patient's symptoms. The tests are in general more time consuming to perform, more complicated and require more of the human element as opposed to the more automated style of HVL Chemistry.
What do you like most about your job?
The sense of independence, being entrusted to make decisions regarding the workload on my own. It makes me feel like a scientist. Ever since I was a student visiting the lab, I will always remember how Special Chemistry in particular really looked like a mad scientist's laboratory, with all the equipment and apparatuses back there.
What is the most challenging thing about your job?
Probably the lack of awareness that most have about what we actually do in the lab. Often times, the lab is pictured as an abstract amalgamation of a number of people who in truth are connected and are integral parts of the process but are not performing the actual tests. Like a farmer all the way to a chef, all lumped in together. It usually rears its head during the unfortunate instances when we are unable to perform a test due to a specimen not meeting the criteria to provide accurate and reliable results. There isn't one person in the lab that wants to make that phone call, but it's necessary for the good of the patient. It's not a glamorous life but working behind the scenes is satisfying in its own way.
What led you to a position in health care?
My mom. She was a nurse, working in various departments and facilities from community hospitals, teaching hospitals to the US Navy. She eventually became a nurse practitioner. She got me to volunteer at her hospital's ER one summer when I was in high school. That exposure to the staff and the patients really steered me toward health care. I'm not much of a salesperson or business savvy, not artistically inclined and I don't have the aptitude for any kind of engineering occupation. As cliched as it sounds, helping people in a medical setting made sense to me. Also, my mom told me health care was a reliable field to work in because, "People will always get sick."
Who are your heroes?
Spider-Man. He has unique powers but is humble, has a great sense of humor but can get serious when he has to.
Where do you see your career path taking you?
Who knows where I'll end up? I already achieved my five-year goal a year early. 😊
What do you do in your spare time?
Free time is at a premium currently. But on the weekends, I usually watch English Premier League (soccer). I dabble in assembling or tinkering with some sort of puzzle or model when I can. My favorite activity is reading, though. It's a bottomless pit of potential entertainment.
What is the best advice you ever got?
Look both ways before crossing a street/check your blind spot.
What is your favorite quote?
"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't." - Mark Twain
What three words best describe you?
"Kind of awkward," but I'll go with: dad, husband, Sagittarius.
What is the coolest thing – or just a fun fact – about you?
I am left-handed. In my family from my grandparents to my own children, it was just me and my maternal grandmother who were left-handed. I get a little thrill when I notice someone else is left-handed. We just had a baby girl; I have my fingers crossed she'll join me on Team Sinistra.