CHP Conversations
Welcome to CHP Conversations, a podcast series produced by the VCU College of Health Professions. The College's mission is to create influential leaders in health care who embrace equity and model excellence through inclusive teaching and learning, thoughtful advancement of cross-cultural knowledge, meaningful service to others, innovative technologies, and scientific discoveries that promote health and health equity and eliminate health disparities. This series includes conversations with faculty, students and alumni who exemplify our mission.
CHP Conversations
Medical Laboratory Sciences: Heroes Behind the Scenes Part 2
What do brain-eating amoeba, blood transfusions and COVID-19 tests have in common? Medical Laboratory Scientists, that’s what. In this 3-part series, hear from faculty and students in the Medical Laboratory Sciences program at VCU as they explain their unlikely journeys in this field. Historically a “behind the scenes” role, Medical Laboratory Science is one of the most under-recognized healthcare careers; however, MLS professionals provide answers to life-saving decisions every day. They do everything from providing cancer testing results, to predicting the correct antibiotic to prescribe, to typing the correct blood for surgery.
Features guest
Celestina Klaye - VCU MLS Student
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Welcome to CHP Conversations: a podcast series produced by the VCU College of Health Professions. This series includes conversations with faculty, students, and alumni who exemplify our mission to create influential leaders in healthcare. Hello, thank you for joining us here on CHP Conversations. My name is Chelsea Gary. I am the Director of recruitment and student programs here in the College of Health Professions at Virginia Commonwealth University. What do brain eating amoeba, blood transfusions, and COVID-19 tests have in common? Out of guesses? Medical laboratory science, that's what. Historically a behind the scenes role, medical laboratory science is one of the most underrecognized healthcare careers. However, MLS professionals provide answers to life-saving decisions every day. In this three-part series, we will hear from faculty and students in the medical laboratory sciences program at VCU as they explain their unlikely journeys in this field. Today we're joined by one of our master's students in the Medical Laboratory Sciences Department here in CHP. I'm here with Celestina Klay. Celestina how are you today? I'm good. How are you? I am great. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? Yes. Hi everyone. My name's Celestina Klay. I am a first slash second year student in the accelerated master's program at the- accelerated Clinical Medical Laboratory Science program here at VCU. My family, I always think this question is so weird for me, but my family lives in Dumfries, Virginia right now, but I'm military- military brats. So I've lived everywhere and anywhere and everywhere, but I was originally born in West Africa, Ghana. Awesome thank you so much for sharing. So starting off, you mentioned you're kind of like a first year, second year, kind of meshing of the two. What does that exactly look like? Yeah. So basically the medical laboratory science program, we have a couple of different masters routes, routes. So I got my undergraduate degree in medical laboratory sciences. So because I kinda did that, I had the opportunity to do an accelerated masters, which means I was able to get my- I'm able to get my master's degree in just one year. That's awesome. Wish I could have signed up for something like that. Yeah it's pretty- it's pretty great. Yeah. At the undergraduate level. I mean, did so you majored in medical laboratory sciences at the undergraduate level. I did. Is that something you always knew you wanted to do or get into? Not really. I think I knew from a young age I wanted to do something in health care. And, you know, when you're younger, it's always the traditional 'I want to be a Doctor, I want to be a nurse'. But I think as I grew up and as I took classes and do different things, I kinda realized I wanted to be in the healthcare setting, but I didn't want to be directly involved with patients as like a doctor or a nurse, just because I'm a super nervous person. So I get really nervous talking to people. And so that was something I worried about and just doing my research and just figuring out what I wanted to do. I came upon medical laboratory sciences actually from a student who talked about it at an open house from VCU when I was like a senior in high school. So after that, I did some research with my parents and I came to I came to realize, Oh, I loved hands-on things. I love lab work. So this is something that I want to explore doing it. And so I just got on my prereqs and started applying for the program. So I know you mentioned a little bit as far as not really wanting that patient in- that direct patient interaction, could you share with us some other ways that you see yourself kind of impacting health care, impacting the lives of patients through your work with medical lab sciences? Yeah, definitely. I think I think everybody talks about it, but a really good example was during COVID. A lot of people don't know, but medical laboratory scientists, we were the ones who are designing all the COVID tests, the assays running all those testing. And people, I think a lot of people think that it was like doctors or pharmacists who did that. But actually like different hospitals in the lab, people were sitting down, they were developing all these assays because when COVID really first began, nobody knew what to do. There was nothing that we could test on. So in the laboratory, medical lab scientists, medical technologists, they were just testing different things and seeing what worked. And so I think a lot of people don't know that, but it's actually, I mean, we've seen how COVID has impacted the world. But medical laboratory sciences, they were the ones who were there were getting all the COVID samples. They were testing it every day for 8 hours a day. So really just immersed in all of that. Wow. Yeah, I know prior to COVID, I'll be honest, I didn't even know the direct impact that medical laboratory sciences had on just healthcare in general. So with your experience, both at the undergraduate level or even currently at the master's level, have you had like direct experience with working with patients or analysis while in the program? Yeah. Actually shout out to my program, but as- we come in as juniors, so we'd get our first two years during the prereqs and then we come in as juniors. So your second semester, second semester of our junior, were actually given the opportunity to apply to be student workers at the VCU Health Hospital in the labs. Nice. So there's about 15 positions that are given. So we all interview and then we interview with each of the labs, each of the different disciplines. And then they kind of pick which students they feel would best be suited in their lab. So I worked in the microbiology lab. And microbiology was actually a lot of COVID testing. So (I'm sure) that was the first thing I was actually trained on (Oh, wow.) was doing COVID testing because at the time there were so understaffed as well, you know, with everyone just getting sick so easily. So us students, we actually really, from what they told us, we really did make an impact on all the labs that we were able to help out. And a lot of us were picking up extra hours just to help out with that load, especially COVID got better, but then it got worse. And especially when it got worse, like we were all in the lab just like, testing every day, anytime anytime we didn't have class and we were free, they wanted us in the lab just helping out as best we can. So a lot of us, by the end of our junior years, our year in the program, imagine like we all had so much hands-on experience already. I'm sure that's great because you do get that hands on (Yeah.) experience. But you're like, wow, this is my first, you know, first year in the program. It was definitely- it was a lot of first (Yeah.) just because like the roles that we were that we had. I mean, we were we were basically one of the workers like we were working alongside them. We were doing everything they were doing just not as much as they were doing, but we were trained in a handful of areas. That's awesome. Yeah, that's experience you don't get in the class for sure. So could you talk a little bit about what that transition was like? So you started at the undergraduate level. And was that here at VCU? It was, yeah. Okay. So what was that transition like going from the undergraduate program then to the accelerated master's program. It was difficult. I won't lie just because accelerated masters are not like normal master's program. So I graduated May of this, May 2022, of this past year. But during my last semester, while finishing undergrad, I was also doing graduate work at the same time, just so I had that window to be able to get my Masters in the year. So it was definitely difficult because, you know, I was also sitting from my board and my certification exam. I was also making sure that I passed my undergrad classes to graduate, but then also making sure that I was passing those master's courses in order to fully be accepted into the master's program this fall. That's a lot at once. Yeah. Like talk about time management and balance. Oh yeah, definitely something I had to really make sure I balanced everything out well. So with the board certification, is that something- that was the exam that you needed to take at the end of your undergraduate experience? Yes. So we all have to take the board certifications, the BOCs, just so we are fully certified medical laboratory scientists and that allows us to have that full range, that full scope to be able to work in any laboratory, work in any setting that needs an MLS degree for. Perfect. How did the program prepare you for that? It definitely- it prepared us very well. I think all our- from the minute we started all our classes, all our exams were exactly to the T of what was going to be on our board of certification. So we would go over something in class and professor would be like, 'okay, from what we've heard from previous students, this is a very big to know for the exam'. So definitely helped to minimize that extra like sitting[?] on top of everything because a lot of us, as long as you are doing well in the classes, you are going to do well on the exam and that's just how it always went. If you did want the classes, it was the same exact thing. Nothing new, nothing extra. Just maybe a little harder, but still the same thing on the certification exam. Awesome. Thank you. I'm going to pivot a little bit just to talk a little bit about the curriculum and medical lab sciences. So I know there is a difference, of course, with undergraduate curriculum and courses that you've taken and what's required at the at the master's level. Have there been any classes to date that kind of stand out or that are coming up that you're really excited about taking? Yeah, I think my personal favorite was our blood banking slash transfusion medicine course. So with that course we're learning how to blood type. We're learning each other's blood types. We're learning how if a patient, if we have a patient who comes into the hospital and there might be a little too much, but they're massively bleeding on the table. What type of blood can we give them that will be best suited for their body. We will learn how people have different types of antibodies in your blood, then nobody really knows about, but if you give a patient the wrong blood, they could, it could lead to severe consequences. So I loved that class. We were able to blood type each other in class, I finally learned my blood type, which O pos(itive) by the way. That's very- that's good information to know. I always wanted to know that. So it's definitely my favorite course. I'm hoping to help like with lab next semester and so. Is blood banking something that you knew you would maybe have it interesting when you started the program or just something you stumbled upon? I didn't really know much about it entering the program just a little brief synopsis about what I'd heard like going through the interview process and everything. I didn't expect to like it because I knew it was gonna be a hard subject. It's not easy. It's one of the, I think it's one of the subjects that as medical laboratory sciences, what we have to be near perfect with just because blood is something that is so easy to like really damage a patient. So I didn't expect to like it and to able- and to know it so well, but it's something that has really stuck with me. Awesome. Well, hopefully one day I can figure out what type is because I do not know that. Are there certain, I guess, common misconceptions about medical laboratory sciences, just in general or maybe the program here at VCU? I think. I mean, just in general, I- like I work I work in a lab right now. I think a lot of the things that often people think is that the nurses are the ones running all the tests or the doctors are the ones running all the tests. When in reality, they're just- they're doing a lot, don't get me wrong, but they're sending the testing to us and we're doing all the testing. So I think that people think we don't do a lot. But if you realize if a hospital is packed, our lab is very busy just making sure we're getting all of those results out in a timely manner. So doctors and nurses have a large workload, but we often have a larger workload because everything they're asking (yeah, yeah), they're testing on a patient were the ones who are running it and making sure they get it asap. Yeah. I guess speaking about that, that workload, how do you balance that, well as a student and then also that student worker perspective as well. How do you balance everything? And I believe you're involved on campus also, which I know can also be a lot. Yeah. So how do you balance at all? So I know for me, like the job I have now because I am certified and I didn't get everything to my undergrad. I'm like working like a big girl job. Go you! Thank you. So with this job, that's something I worried about just going in just because realistically, if I could just focus on school, I would love to buy rent is expensive, nothing's cheap. Not at all. But it's pretty good. I think a lot of the managers and people I've worked with in the lab understand that I am a student, so I know my boss is very understanding about my, my time, my work schedule. And sometimes, not right now, because it's flu season and COVID is picking up and everything's not great right now, but I do often have some downtime in the- and at work where like I am able to talk to some of my coworkers and be like, I have a paper due tomorrow. Would you mind if I just like took a longer lunch break just to work on it? And so I think just being vocal about what's going on in my life and just like letting my coworkers and bosses know has also been really helpful. But like you were saying, my time management has had to be really great. So I like, I scheduled my whole month in advance like I know like, I know what shifts I'm working for all December and it also helps me with that school workload too. So I know if I have a final this day, I can't work this day. So it's definitely helped a lot to be really good about my time. And I know you're involved on campus as well. Yes. So what are some of the ways that you've gotten involved while here? Yeah so right now, I am a recruitment ambassador for the College of Health Professions. And I also sit on the- I'm also the secretary of the College of Health Professions Executive Student Council, and then I also am secretary for an organization over in Monroe Park campus called The Flyest that raises money for the Richmond community while putting on fashion shows as well. So yeah, you are very (yeah), very, very busy. I know that the Google Calendar probably comes (Yeah, very) in super handy for sure. Oh my gosh. So I guess in addition to, of course, time management skills, are there other um, I guess, nuggets of advice or, kind of, things that students that might be interested in this program should prepare for to, um yeah, I guess best prepare them before entering the program. Yeah. I think even from just the people I've talked to, I think a lot of people worry about just like the prerequisites that get- that about getting into the program. And I know for me, I was applying like in the beginning of COVID. So I was at home like away from campus, not really knowing how to proceed with that. And I know that for me. I struggled with some classes in my prereqs, I definitely struggled with it. And I think that like my biggest advice for people who are interested in MLS or want to even just get like a professional degree, like that one C or that one D in organic chemistry or bio isn't gonna be the end of the world. So I think just like not letting just like one class or one obstacle stop you because I'm, I'm glad like I struggled with chemistry even so I still take chemistry now and it's still something that I struggle with every day. But I think just like knowing that I struggled with it has helped me to, like, do better and just like, address and get the help that I need. I think that's really inspiring because thinking back to one, C that you've got, you're like, Oh my gosh, the world is ending. I know a lot of students talking about organic chemistry (That was, that was my-) which is kind of like that mystical beast. That was my ultimate beast (Yeah)- I know I struggled. That was the one class I did not do well in it all and I thought it would hold me back from getting into the program. And even during my interview with one of the professors right now, I was very honest and I was like- and ironically, my end, the person who interviewed me was the chemistry professor (What are the odds?), which did help. But I told him I was like, I'm not good at chemistry. Was like, I've never been good at chemistry. You can look at my transcripts, but before you look, I'm telling you right now I'm not good at chemistry. And so even before I got into the program, like he knew that this was something I struggled with, so it definitely helped. Whenever I'd have like a rough test or something just to go to him and he'd be like, 'okay, I know you're struggling with this. Like how can we or what can we do to kinda help you get over that obstacle or that, that problem?' Awesome. So faculty are pretty open (Yeah definitely) and kind of have like an open door policy (For sure) for the most part. I think with it being a small program with only like 30-something students, we all get pretty close to each other. We get really close to our professors and honestly like it's weird, but the two years in the program, they really end up being your best friends because they're always there and like- I've never, I've never had a problem or been scared to like reach out to them about anything which is, which has really helped me, (Yeah, yeah) especially even now like as a master student. Yeah. So you mentioned the interview process? Yes. So that's part of the application- is that, I'm assuming after you submit your application? Yeah. So basically the application process is kinda like a rolling admission. So you submit your application and then you'll get an email saying we'd would like to schedule an interview. And I think people always like hear interview and think like (Dun, dun dun..) really daunting, yeah. But really it's just like a formality just for you to kind of, professor to kinda ask you like, what do you know about the program? Sure. Like, you may not know much. But, really. you don't want to be an art student coming into a lab (Right, right)- you know, that just to make sure you know what you're getting into and just to kinda familiar familiarize yourself with. Okay, well, if you get in or when you get in for the next two years, this is what's gonna be happening. This is what's expected of you. So I think the, I think the interview process honestly helps the applicant more than it helps the professors who are in the program itself. Yeah. It's a really good way to put that because I think when you, in most processes where you're you're applying, it's either just something you're submitting by paper (yeah) or something online and it's just words on a screen or on a sheet of paper. So being able to actually have that conversation?- Yeah. I mean, like my class, we were, my class we did all our interviews over Zoom. Again, this was like- I think like January 2020 was around when everything- April around March, April time of like 2020 when everything was like [inaudble]. Yeah. Right in the thick of it. And so especially as a lab program, a lot of the questions was like, how are we going to proceed if we're like online right now? Like how are we going to proceed? So the interview process definitely really helped professors to kind of just like reassure us that, yes, you are going to be required to be here, but we're doing everything we can to make sure you guys are protected and everything. So it was, it was weird not being able to have an interview in person, but obviously a lot of things still are not in-person now with interviews and stuff. So it was like a good, still a little daunting, but it was it was good. I really enjoyed my interview. Wow, I never thought I would hear that. Like I really enjoyed my interview. So that's a good sign, that's a good sign. Yeah, for sure. So taken your, you know, your transition into the program, the application process, even preparing prior to applying, are there any gems or words of wisdom or advice you would give to a student that is hearing about medical lab, lab sciences for the first time? Like maybe through this podcast? Yeah. Hello. How are you? Are there any words of advice that you would give them as far as next steps, how do they break into it? Um, you know, kind of a 'what's next'? Yeah. I think, um, like, don't- I mean, I feel like a lot of people say this, but don't stress out too much. I think that this- it's a rigorous program when you first start, no lie. But, um, I mean, your group of students that you're with, like we're all- we all got very close. Like some of them I talked to every day, some of them I worked with for so long. So I think that this program definitely helps you to see that that medical laboratory sciences are very much needed, but that there's also so much more you can do with this degree. Sure. There are so many paths and so many different directions you can go. So, I think- I mean, from a, from a lot of students I've talked to who are interested. A lot of them are like, well, I'm also interested in doing this and I want to do this and this and this. And I always say to them, well, this is such a big stepping stone (Yeah) because I think I was talking to one student. She's like, Oh, like, I want to go to med school, but I also wanted to MLS. And I was like, Well, we've had students who have gone through our program who are excelling in med school because they went through that, that rigorous learning and training as an undergrad. And so they were immensely prepared for the future. So it definitely prepares you for a lot of stuff. I'm really glad you mentioned. Yeah. You know we- As far as like recruitment ambassadors and myself, you know, we come into contact with a lot of students are like, Yeah, I'm pre-med or I wanna do dentistry, or mostly pre-med, honestly. Yeah. I mean, when I first when I first came into the program, (Yeah) I was pre physician assistant. (Okay, okay) I was pre-PA. Okay, yeah, yeah. So I was definitely like, oh like how is this going to help. Like I thought about that at times for sure. But I think like- this is so funny. I watched, I loved Grey's Anatomy. And so (of course) sometimes I'll be watching Grey's Anatomy and they'll order a lab test and I'm like, that's incorrect. That's not right. You're like fact-checking. Right, so. Or even like at work, sometimes we have doctors who call us up and they're like, Oh, my patient has this, what test should I order? It's like- That's- wow. Yeah. So it's like a doctor who's had all this training still come to us for- so you're learning the same things. And there's a lot of times where- I mean, I often think that all health science overlaps. Of course, yeah. So you just have to make sure that like if you want to do something else, it kinda like intertwines what you wanna do. Okay. No, that makes complete sense. Thank you. Okay. So that's kinda the end of my, like, official questioning. At the end of our student episodes, I always like to do what's called a lightning round, of like chip and choose. Okay. Okay, so I'm gonna give you either two options or just a really short question and just answer the first thing that comes to mind. Okay. Okay. Okay. Alright, cool let's go. Alright, so your favorite place on campus? The library. Oh, very studious. Yes. So if you didn't study medical lab sciences, what do you think you would have done? I think I would have done genetics. I'm actually hoping to get my PhD in genetics and do a little bit of lab science with it. So I think I would have done I would have done genetics. Very cool! You guys in podcast land, you can't see the face- I'm like, okay, I'm seeing it. I didn't- we've never had that conversation, so that's good to know. Okay. Let's see. The last local foods spot you've dined at? Oh, I actually I'm very big on local (Ooo) eating. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Okay. The last spot I think may have been Jamaica House. Shout out to them. Delicious. Jamaica house is a good favorite. Yes. I'm not going lie, I also like Karina's. So I'll throw that out there on the list. Ooh, Karina's is good. I love their beef patties. And now I'm getting hungry. Okay, and last one, Nutsy the Squirrel, Rodney the Ram- Oh man, I should have known his name- or, I think his name is Kickaroo? Kickaroo is the Kangaroo for the Richmond Kickers. I did not know. I've only been to one soccer game (I did not know we had a soccer team) so I'm sorry. Okay yes. Honestly. I only really, to be honest, I only know Rodney the Ram, so I'm going to pick Rodney. Perfect. Okay. Thank you so much (of course) for spending time with us today and really just sharing about your experience as a student. I know I learned a great deal. I hope our listeners have as well. If you have any questions about how to get in contact with the medical laboratory sciences department or any of our other programs here in the College of Health Professions, certainly shoot us an email. That information will be in the show notes also check us out on Instagram at VCU CHP. We look forward to talking with you guys soon and have a good one. Bye.
