Picture yourself in a hospital. When a patient comes in, the doctors analyze their symptoms and order tests and lab work to be done. Who do you think does that? A nurse practitioner? A pharmacist? Not exactly. That’s why the world has medical laboratory scientists.
Many people don’t know much about the hard work that goes into all of the labs and testing healthcare professionals rely on to treat patients. Doctors and nurses wouldn’t know how to treat the people walking through their doors if it weren’t for the laboratory technicians and scientists.
Ohio Northern University offers a “…National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) accredited bachelor’s degree program and a post-baccalaureate certificate program in medical laboratory science.” MLS students learn subjects such as general and organic chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and genetics. This tight-knit program gives students the opportunity to analyze bodily fluids and tissue, work in research laboratories, and apply for internships at some of the best medical facilities in the country.
And yet, nobody knows much about MLS and what it entails.
This year, ONU has a new student organization dedicated to the study of MLS, as well as other students pursuing careers in the medical field. Thanks to the work of Dr. Lisa Walden, associate professor of laboratory science and director of the MLS program, we now have the Professional Association of Medical Laboratory Students (PAMLS) right here at ONU.
An ONU alumnus and professor, Dr. Walden is the advisor for PAMLS, as well as the academic advisor for all 25 MLS students at ONU. This program may be small, but it offers numerous opportunities for these students to work with MLS professionals. As the director of the MLS program, Dr. Walden is also the faculty advisor for PAMLS and works alongside the organization’s president, Aynsley Galeoti, to bring awareness to PAMLS and help gain more members that are interested in this field.
“This program incorporates both classroom/traditional learning mixed with a lot of science and hands-on activity, to the point at which when the students are already seniors, they are doing clinical-level, hands-on laboratory testing,” Dr. Walden said.
MLS students primarily do the lab work themselves in the labs in Meyer and Mathile buildings in the science complex. Because of PAMLS, students interested in the medical field are able to gain more experience through hands-on activities, laboratory tours, and professional networking opportunities.
According to Dr. Walden, PAMLS is “[A]n organization specifically for students pursuing a medical laboratory science degree. If we have some friends who are really interested in that, but are not quite an MLS major, maybe biology or chemistry students who want to join us, we will welcome them. We use that group for opportunities, especially for the younger students…to tour some of our local laboratories; to see what that actual environment is like.”
The students already involved in PAMLS, like president Aynsley Galeoti and member Miriam Lee, have ambitious goals for what they hope to see the organization do as it grows.
“I just reenacted the club last semester,” Galeoti said. “My main goal for PAMLS is to start networking with other professionals in the field. I’m also hoping to bring in guest speakers. I want to promote what our profession is and make it more well-known.”
Galeoti heard about MLS through a high school career fair. That fair led her to apply to ONU’s program. Lee is a few years older than other undergraduate students, but came back to college in order to learn more about med lab sciences.
“During Welcome Weekend, they had a table set up and asked ‘What’s your major?’; I said ‘med lab science’ and they said ‘sign the paper.’” Lee said. “I think it will be nice to have that community of different levels of med lab students to go to for advice. It’s something that we’re all really interested in and are building that community.”
PAMLS is an organization that will give MLS students opportunities to grow like Miriam and Aynsley. PAMLS is also a chance to get students interested in the world of med lab sciences.
With the addition of PAMLS, the field of medical laboratory sciences can continue to grow at ONU.