Dear Distinguished Colleagues,
I have read the comments on this subject carefully and wish to share my opinion.
Respectfully, 22years from now we are going to keep repeating the suggestions made here as the solution to laboratory workforce shortage. I said that because I have heard same suggestions made the last 22years.
Please hear me out without prejudice. I became an MT because laboratory tests saved my uncle’s life. However, what I have observed in the last 22years, about laboratory leadership, structure, and working environment, saddens me.
Consider this:
1. There several professions out there that are less known, but have a very stable workforce, why is MT shortage a perennial problem?
2. Who is an MT, MLT, CLS, MLS (certified and non- certified)? Not only is the lack of uniformity in how we designate ourselves a problem, it confuses administrators and potential prospects looking into making a career out of Laboratory Science.
3. Is there a legally defined career ladder, progression or promotion within the profession along with properly defined pay scale, and not one left to the discretion of ill informed HR professionals? A medical student studying to become an MD or a student in nursing school does NOT have to worry about their career progression or compensation. They know how much they are worth. A legally established structure is in place for them and generations to come. We now have nurse practitioners (seeing and treating patients), it wasn’t that way in their profession 22 years ago, how did they get to that point? Why do most SBB graduates or those who have gone further to acquire Masters in transfusion medicine still working on the bench and not in some administrative role? Because there is no career ladder with proper compensation to go with the additional training. The immense knowledge acquired during their gets lost while doing routine stuff they’ve done for years. The only way to move up is if those in laboratory leadership retire.
4. I have seen 10 MTs in my establishment leave the profession to become Pharmacist, MD, and even Nurses. These exits are not due to lack of visibility, they are due to career structure and compensation. A registered nurse is a registered nurse, a medical doctor is a medical doctor- No confusing designations and if they decide to branch out to other areas of their profession, HR knows and understand the new designation and compensation that goes along with it.
Solution?
1. We NEED to have experienced MTs as Lawmakers. One or several of ours in the house of representatives and as senators to be part of the committees on healthcare issues, education, funding, and define laboratory structure. Currently, individuals who decide what happens to the laboratory and its workforce especially MTs are NOT laboratory personnel. Until we start preparing the future generation to be politically inclined by introducing healthcare laws, regulations, leadership and ethics into our training curriculum in med tech schools, we will not see any meaningful progress. Think about it, have you received emails from ASCP about contacting your lawmakers about an issue they feel would impact the profession? Such emails won’t be necessary if we have individuals in our profession as lawmakers, they would have protected us from inside. Nurses are practitioners today because one or several of theirs serving as lawmaker(s) fought for it.
2. Stop confusing HR with designations, education requirements and job descriptions that are vague and ill defined. I have seen job postings for MT with High School Diploma as the educational requirement. We need to come up with a job description and education requirement that is uniform, and educate HR and enforce it.
3. We need to come up with a COMPACT license for MTs. This would eliminate obtaining a state license for each state that requires it, and increase the even distribution of MTs across states especially for MTs in travel assignments. The Nurses have such.
If you made it to this point, I want to thank you for listening. If you find any value in my opinion and you are in a position to push it forward and make it happen, please accept my gratitude in advance, and no I won’t feel slighted if you are given the credit. It not about recognition for me, it’s about glorifying the profession and putting it on a high pedestal. Lastly, if you do not find any value in what I have said, deeply sorry I wasted your time.
Thanks
Ayodeji
MT(ASCP)cm, SBB, MBA, MSTM.
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Original Message:
Sent: 7/7/2024 4:53:00 PM
From: Robin Hart
Subject: RE: Long-Term Solutions to the Laboratory Workforce Shortage - Today's Clinical Lab
I have been an MT since 1980. The public is usually unaware of the importance of the job we do to keep the patients healthy. The Drs cannot diagnose without accurate lab tests. People think a trained monkey can do our job, all we do is punch buttons. They do not know the science and math requirements needed to perform our jobs. They do not know we are responsible for the entire hospital, ER, OR, OB,Outpatient and floors. Historically our pay has been much lower than nurses when we have more education and are responsible for more patients.Considering all the training and low pay, our training would be better rewarded in Engineering which would compensate better for the expense of the education. We deserve more pay and more respect for the critical job we do. Until that happens I fear the numbers of MTs will decline.
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Robin Hart Med Lab Scientist/Med Technologist(non-supervisor)
Hurst TX
(817)268-4094
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-06-2024 11:12
From: Qichao Ji
Subject: Long-Term Solutions to the Laboratory Workforce Shortage - Today's Clinical Lab
This is very helpful and the proposed strategy can prove effective. We need in increase or begin outreach at community college and high school level. Open up more than just new science focus high schools but also community college programs for MLTs and MLSs in universities. Hospitals must jump on board to provide training and offer volunteering opportunities for interested students to expose to our profession. Training mechanism needs to be updated increase incorporation of hybrid learning to increase output of graduating students to sit for the ASCP exams.
Qichao Stephen Ji, MS MSc MLS(ASCP)SBB CQA(ASQ) LSSGB
Original Message:
Sent: 7/5/2024 9:17:00 AM
From: Rodney Rohde
Subject: Long-Term Solutions to the Laboratory Workforce Shortage - Today's Clinical Lab
Laboratory advocates share quality, long-term solutions to the severe staffing shortages in laboratory medicine in the US
*Our thanks to Miriam Bergeret, MSc, Today's Clinical Lab's managing editor.
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Rodney E. Rohde, PhD, MS, SM(ASCP)CM,SVCM,MBCM, FACSc
Regents' Professor, Texas State University System
University Distinguished Chair & Professor, Medical Laboratory Science [MLS] Program
TEDx Speaker & Global Fellow – Global Citizenship Alliance
Texas State Honorary Professor of International Studies
Associate Director, Translational Health Research Initiative @txst_THR
Past President, Texas Association for CLS
Texas State University
MLS Program, Encino Hall 350B [office ENC 363]
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666-4616
512-245-3500 [CLS suite]; 512-245-2562 [office]
Email: rrohde@txstate.edu
Pronouns: he/him/his
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