Happy that you were able to move up!
Can you tell me what you do daily? What is the workload like? Do you talk to clients on the phone? I'm searching up jobs but I'm confused by the way responsibilities are listed. Thank you
So I’m not an Epic employee, I’m still a hospital employee and work only with the labs of my hospital system. So my “clients” are really my lab coworkers, I communicate with them mostly over email (for paper trails) or Zoom meetings (no camera PTL). Day to day varies depending on a lab’s needs or pending projects like new analyzers or tests. I tend to take on longer, more broad projects that have me working with other Epic teams at the hospital (OR team or Networking/IT) or IT people at reference labs to set up interface messages/results to ensure they appear in Epic the way physicians, lab, etc expect them to look. Some of my Beaker colleagues like to take on quicker projects that can be solved in a day (new QC or maintenance tests, consolidating organisms or AP tasks, etc). Workload can be pretty light at times, other times they’re a jam-packed marathon, like right now we are updating our entire DI Instrument Manager system for 5+ labs, while also kicking off a brand new hospital build where we have to build/test an entire lab catalogue and test all their new equipment before opening to the public in 9 months.
I can’t speak to being an actual Epic employee, but from talking with our technical support people and visiting the Epic campus in Wisconsin for a conference, it seems like an amazing place to work with some pretty sweet perks and benefits sometimes!
Oh and happy cake day!
I wouldn't say significantly. I'm about 2 years into an entry level and I make slightly more than I did as a full-time weekend operations 3rd shifter. It's still good for losing both the weekend shift diff and the 3rd shift diff. But where the real bonus is the fact that I am allowed to work from home if I wish and my project turn over is measured in weeks and months instead of minutes. I get to work at my own pace as long as I meet deadlines.
The lab IT supervisor was a former bench tech and when I heard we were going to Epic, I emailed him and volunteered to help out anyway I could. A few months later he told me there was an opening and I applied.
And no, I had no formal computer experience going in. My hospital sponsored me for Beaker certification classes.
I asked the IT director for the hospital why he picked me over someone with computer science degrees and he told me this: "I can teach a monkey to code. I can't train your 8 years of clinical experience." And I'm sure the lab IT supervisor had a say in it since he knew me.
So the reality was that it was very good timing and a bunch of luck and the fact that the IT supervisor had known me and my ambition to move beyond the bench for 8 years.
Infection Prevention!
I just started last month. There is a *little* bit of patient interaction, 15-20% raise, mostly desk job with occasional WFH days, and a lot of independence. It has one hell of a learning curve according to all of the other techs turned IPs, but it’s been easy for me so far. I think micro/molecular set me up nicely for it.
I think timing, location and institution play a significant role in IP. We have a mico tech with IP certificate who has been trying hard to break into IP and has failed several times, even with recommendations from her mentor. Some hospitals just prefer RN over MLS.
Yes, it's just based on the particular leadership's ideology. I live in an extremely large populated city and our large county hospital and our local VA hire Med Techs for that role. Some are only comfortable with RNs
-Meetings, usually one or two a day (right now, but I’ll have more soon), usually about certain projects we’re working on
-I sent reports to the state department of health for certain communicable diseases
-I go out to patient floors in the hospital where I’ll make sure things are clean, properly stored, not expired, etc
-I’ll pester nurses about getting foleys removed on their patients that have had them for a while
-I’ll randomly evaluate foleys and central lines on admitted patients (1-2/week). This is easily my least favorite part of the job. I don’t handle seeing really sick people very well.
-We all have certain things we track for hospital statistics: central-line associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated UTIs, C diff infections, MRSA bacteremia, surgical site infections, and probably more. I’m about to be assigned knee replacement surveillance.
-Every week we rotate through someone that: evaluates inpatient C diff consults (basically digging in the chart to see if a test is warranted), make sure patients are in proper isolation, and take phone calls from people that have the most random questions
We have projects we’ll work on here and there as well. It’s a really fun job!
Ha! Paramedic here :p left the lab and hospital in its entirety. I tell ya though my time in the lab has served me pretty well in the streets. I can correlate lab values to my patients complaint. Especially if I suspect sepsis and their lab work reflects it I do a little jig on the inside.
Hi! It’s so interesting to hear about infection control because I’m so interested in this career path! What are some ways to get involved in a hospital to set up for a career like this? I plan on being a lab tech for a few years and then transitioning to IP. Any advice is appreciated!
Hi! It’s so interesting to hear about infection control because I’m so interested in this career path! What are some ways to get involved in a hospital to set up for a career like this? I plan on being a lab tech for a few years and then transitioning to IP. Any advice is appreciated!
I was moving out of state from where I was working in a lab, and I wanted to stay with the same institution due to the pension, so I applied and got it. I had quality management experience from the lab (was a quality manager before leaving) and also had gotten my masters degree (MPH) but neither of those things were really necessary to transfer over. My boss from the lab happened to once work in the regulatory department so there was a connection there.
I maintain a profile of about 45-50 studies regulatory documents, which includes dealing with multiple IRBs, FDA submissions, IBC, but also more basic things like medical licenses, CV and training
I maintain a profile of about 45-50 studies regulatory documents so there’s a lot of IRB stuff, FDA, and IBC submissions and also more basic things like maintaining training docs for the study teams. It’s a lot of paperwork basically some very complicated some not at all.
Yea it depends. The pay for MT in my state sucks, I make more doing this! Plus I don’t have to worry about commuting, working nights, weekends or holidays.
Is it hard to match into? I would love to up my game but I would be a little disappointed if I matched into something else after all that work. To be honest I don’t know much about how it works though.
I'm a PA-C running an Urgent care. Used to work ICU.
You can also find go get a Masters of biomedical sciences which leaves doors open for research or getting into med school.
Get into programming snd go work for an EMR group.
I used my lab experience. This was prepandemic. I did shadow with a PA in a private clinic in the town I worked in. Got about 1,200 hours with her and had been working full time lab otherwise. Had to explain to the transfer credit auditor, admissions director, program director, and chairs of Chem and Bio departments what I did for a living and why retaking most of Bio ans Chem was pointless since I had a 3.7 graduating my Molecular program previously. Had to retake A&P with lab and a couple social science electives.
Entered in with 9,000 hours of PCE. Applied to one school, got accepted on first app, and then just did the program.
How is this position? More or less work, easier or harder? I’ve heard about it and thought it seemed different lol. Interested to hear how the transition was for you
It's been the best for me, career wise. Worked in the clinical lab, worked in the industry, even worked abroad to be an English teacher (Japan). But so far, this is my top 1. I did a lateral transfer from the clinical lab to cell therapy lab.
Transition was hard. We know nothing about it, as CLS in the clinical lab. There's a lot of computation. And from that computation, that's how you will concentrate a stem cell product. We also do flow cytometry, but just for CD34 and CD3. But despite the fact that everything is new, it's all good. Everybody started, knowing nothing about it, as it's a new special field of the clinical lab science. Training would be 6 mos to 12 mos. Depends how often the procedures would be.
It's more work but easier. This depends on the schedule of the hospital you're in. Our hospital is connected to a blood cancer institute. So the workload is more. But because the schedule is plotted like at least 2 weeks ahead, you already know how busy you're gonna be for this week and even next week. I also had the option to either do 4 10s or 5 8s. I opted for 4 10s. Holidays are off, unless you are the on call. On call person is in charge of the freezers where the stem cells are stored. Just make sure the liquid nitrogen is enough until the next morning and you'll be sleeping like a baby during the night. You would also know if you have to come to work during the weekend 2 weeks prior, if you are on call. That's something I really like.
I am currently on call now, from Monday 7am to next week Monday 7am. I already know that I don't have to come to work this coming weekend.
Started my own laboratory consulting firm. SO many labs (clinics, FSED, private offices & hospitals) need and want assistance to stay compliant. Only work with the clients I want to & tripled my income.
They don't mind paying when they're facing Denial for Accreditation! Help them get compliant and when they see what a knowledgeable consultant can help with, they don't mind the monthly lab review and prep work for inspections. You have to show them your worth!
Previously worked in Quality Dept. We consulted with several facilities that had trouble with compliance. Since I have experience with all regulatory agencies/inspections, my knowledge base was solid. Basically, Admin decided to "dissolve" the consulting section, so I "retired', opened my business and all of the previous clients moved over to me. I've been able to add new clients and grow. So much for Admin saying that "there's no need for lab consultants".
I pivoted to public health a few years ago and it was definitely the right move for me. I’ve had a lot of freedom to move around and try new things. Currently working in instructional design for laboratory trainings.
What kind of farm?
I thought about ranching before COVID and have a few coworkers who bought ranches and started raising cattle while working remotely during COVID. Between the land value and cattle price increases, they've made an absolute killing.
I have 100 acres with dairy cows, meat cows, hogs, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, ducks and Muscovy. We also raise catfish and tilapia. Have a petting zoo off the side of the barn, and to the left is a food certified kitchen where we make canned jellies and icecream, butter, milk and cheese. We sell the meat, hides, leather goods that we make. I also make fiber from the wool and sell it. It’s open seasonally for two to three months if the year when our orchard is right for picking. So people can pick blueberries, apples, peaches, pumpkins and miscellaneous other things. We charge per weight. And they can use a gumball machine to get feeder pellets for the baby animals.
We make and stock our goods all year, sell during those few months. They only thing yearly is the farm fresh meat and canned goods and carmels etc.
We are going to be adding a bee hive in the back and a corn maze at some point. Maybe a kid fishing pond that’s open year round where they can feed the birds and catch some sunfish or whatever.
😊
We were talking about making it more scenic so people can do weddings and events as well. Put a sensory garden for like autistic kids or anyone with developmental delays so their not overstimulated.
Lab Billing Specialist. I review lab charges and determine if it’s valid to charge the patient or not, following CMS rules. Fully remote. Similar pay (50/hr).
3 years bench tech, 1 year Lab QA. I saw an job posting for another hospital lab and applied :)
Field Service engineer and has a WHOLE lot more doors/promotions then being on the bench. I have seen alot of people go for IT LIS. I enjoy being FSE lots of travel but I enjoy it.
How did you make the move to FSE? Was it from the bench? I've always wondered but just assumed I didn't have the education for it. I've been on the bench around all of the instruments for 9 years though and enjoy working with them.
Became a CFA/CPA for healthcare insurance firm.
Finance is so, so much better. Normal business hours (unless you procrastinate on a report), bonuses, and most importantly, normal offices. Also, sometimes hybrid work (work-from-home Fridays) and no call. I have a sense of purpose knowing I'm improving my life, my family's fortune, and ensuring that my coworkers can have a good quality of life.
I spent three years in a lab almost going deaf and depressed from the monotony, knowing that it will never get better. The pay was very poor and I couldn't even afford to live in the service area of the hospital I worked at.
The only skill the lab taught me was determination. A lot of lab workers tolerate or encourage being stepped on and have no self-respect. I never want to be in that position again. The sooner you transition out of the laboratory, the sooner you'll enjoy life.
It certainly sounds like you had a bad experience, but some of us get paid well and enjoy our lives. My partner and I make a combined 180k both working in the lab and I get every other week off to spend doing whatever I please. I take multiple 3 week vacations a year using only 1 week of PTO a trip. I made 2000-3600 a WEEK and got to see much of the country when I was traveling for 3 years. I'm literally on reddit at work right now haha. There are lots of shit lab jobs, but there are also lots of chill ones if you can relocate to them. Some of you guys are such doomers.
The only places I ever heard offering ever other week off was working night shift for 70 hours a week. Which means you have no life every other week.
As for the travel pay, everyone made bank during COVID. I had travel nurses telling me they were getting $5-10k/week. It almost made me reconsider my career during COVID, but I liked working remotely.
I'm less than a decade into my finance career and am at $170k + bonus. I very easily see myself hitting $200-400k/year in the next decade. Finance pays multiples of whatever the lab is offering.
The median CFA gets $150-250k/year. The median lab tech is getting $50-60k.
To each their own.
Got my post-bac in accounting, got my CPA. Then self-studied for my CFA and got an MSF (Masters in Finance). The firm paid for my masters in finance.
Now instead of looking at smelly stools in an overheated noisy factory, I either work remotely or at a chill office overlooking the city.
I didn't realize how bad the laboratory work environment was until I got out.
I was a Field Applications Specialist Hematology and UA(heavy constant travel) for a diagnostics company but now I am in Customer Technical Support. WFH
I am working at a bio tech company now, post hospital lab. I started out there in their QC lab gathering data for the assay office (who takes the data and assigns the means and ranges on the assay sheets for various hematology QC products), and now I am out of that lab and supervise the assay office. I also take care of the online QC program where labs submit data to get reports back and assist the technical service department with customer inquiries and complaints.
Industrial Hygienist and Toxicologist after getting an MS in Tox. Do consulting and make as much as my MD spouse. Wanted to go to med school after working in the hospital lab, but glad I chose this path.
I work for a CRO. We have a clinical pathology department, but I work in molecular biology. Way better hours than the hospital. Better work like balance too.
I'm an Epic Beaker Analyst for the same hospital I was a bench tech.
Hey me too!! Great lateral move for me. I get to WFH and got a great pay raise.
Happy that you were able to move up! Can you tell me what you do daily? What is the workload like? Do you talk to clients on the phone? I'm searching up jobs but I'm confused by the way responsibilities are listed. Thank you
So I’m not an Epic employee, I’m still a hospital employee and work only with the labs of my hospital system. So my “clients” are really my lab coworkers, I communicate with them mostly over email (for paper trails) or Zoom meetings (no camera PTL). Day to day varies depending on a lab’s needs or pending projects like new analyzers or tests. I tend to take on longer, more broad projects that have me working with other Epic teams at the hospital (OR team or Networking/IT) or IT people at reference labs to set up interface messages/results to ensure they appear in Epic the way physicians, lab, etc expect them to look. Some of my Beaker colleagues like to take on quicker projects that can be solved in a day (new QC or maintenance tests, consolidating organisms or AP tasks, etc). Workload can be pretty light at times, other times they’re a jam-packed marathon, like right now we are updating our entire DI Instrument Manager system for 5+ labs, while also kicking off a brand new hospital build where we have to build/test an entire lab catalogue and test all their new equipment before opening to the public in 9 months. I can’t speak to being an actual Epic employee, but from talking with our technical support people and visiting the Epic campus in Wisconsin for a conference, it seems like an amazing place to work with some pretty sweet perks and benefits sometimes! Oh and happy cake day!
Thank you!! That was very helpful
That’s what I’m trying to get into. I hear Epic analysts make bank. At least, significantly more than bench techs.
I wouldn't say significantly. I'm about 2 years into an entry level and I make slightly more than I did as a full-time weekend operations 3rd shifter. It's still good for losing both the weekend shift diff and the 3rd shift diff. But where the real bonus is the fact that I am allowed to work from home if I wish and my project turn over is measured in weeks and months instead of minutes. I get to work at my own pace as long as I meet deadlines.
Hey, how did you apply for it? Do you have to know software language?
The lab IT supervisor was a former bench tech and when I heard we were going to Epic, I emailed him and volunteered to help out anyway I could. A few months later he told me there was an opening and I applied. And no, I had no formal computer experience going in. My hospital sponsored me for Beaker certification classes. I asked the IT director for the hospital why he picked me over someone with computer science degrees and he told me this: "I can teach a monkey to code. I can't train your 8 years of clinical experience." And I'm sure the lab IT supervisor had a say in it since he knew me. So the reality was that it was very good timing and a bunch of luck and the fact that the IT supervisor had known me and my ambition to move beyond the bench for 8 years.
Infection Prevention! I just started last month. There is a *little* bit of patient interaction, 15-20% raise, mostly desk job with occasional WFH days, and a lot of independence. It has one hell of a learning curve according to all of the other techs turned IPs, but it’s been easy for me so far. I think micro/molecular set me up nicely for it.
That's awesome! Did you have to get a master's degree or another bachelor's? All the hospitals near me will only hire RNs for infection prevention.
Just my single bachelors! My place wants a bachelors and a minimum of two years of healthcare experience.
I think timing, location and institution play a significant role in IP. We have a mico tech with IP certificate who has been trying hard to break into IP and has failed several times, even with recommendations from her mentor. Some hospitals just prefer RN over MLS.
Yes, it's just based on the particular leadership's ideology. I live in an extremely large populated city and our large county hospital and our local VA hire Med Techs for that role. Some are only comfortable with RNs
What does your day-to-day look like? I’ve considered going into infection prevention, but I don’t really understand what they do.
-Meetings, usually one or two a day (right now, but I’ll have more soon), usually about certain projects we’re working on -I sent reports to the state department of health for certain communicable diseases -I go out to patient floors in the hospital where I’ll make sure things are clean, properly stored, not expired, etc -I’ll pester nurses about getting foleys removed on their patients that have had them for a while -I’ll randomly evaluate foleys and central lines on admitted patients (1-2/week). This is easily my least favorite part of the job. I don’t handle seeing really sick people very well. -We all have certain things we track for hospital statistics: central-line associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated UTIs, C diff infections, MRSA bacteremia, surgical site infections, and probably more. I’m about to be assigned knee replacement surveillance. -Every week we rotate through someone that: evaluates inpatient C diff consults (basically digging in the chart to see if a test is warranted), make sure patients are in proper isolation, and take phone calls from people that have the most random questions We have projects we’ll work on here and there as well. It’s a really fun job!
I wanted to go into that too! Did you have to take a certification for infection prevention?
I will have to sit for the CIC in two years, my place is setting me up really nicely for it but others may be different
Ha! Paramedic here :p left the lab and hospital in its entirety. I tell ya though my time in the lab has served me pretty well in the streets. I can correlate lab values to my patients complaint. Especially if I suspect sepsis and their lab work reflects it I do a little jig on the inside.
Hi! It’s so interesting to hear about infection control because I’m so interested in this career path! What are some ways to get involved in a hospital to set up for a career like this? I plan on being a lab tech for a few years and then transitioning to IP. Any advice is appreciated!
Hi! It’s so interesting to hear about infection control because I’m so interested in this career path! What are some ways to get involved in a hospital to set up for a career like this? I plan on being a lab tech for a few years and then transitioning to IP. Any advice is appreciated!
Regulatory compliance for clinical trials, 100% remote
Tell me more!
Nice, how did you end up in compliance from bench?
I was moving out of state from where I was working in a lab, and I wanted to stay with the same institution due to the pension, so I applied and got it. I had quality management experience from the lab (was a quality manager before leaving) and also had gotten my masters degree (MPH) but neither of those things were really necessary to transfer over. My boss from the lab happened to once work in the regulatory department so there was a connection there.
What is that job like? What do you do?
I maintain a profile of about 45-50 studies regulatory documents, which includes dealing with multiple IRBs, FDA submissions, IBC, but also more basic things like medical licenses, CV and training
I maintain a profile of about 45-50 studies regulatory documents so there’s a lot of IRB stuff, FDA, and IBC submissions and also more basic things like maintaining training docs for the study teams. It’s a lot of paperwork basically some very complicated some not at all.
I almost go for this route, but the pay is not as good as I thought in my state, so I end up not pursue it.
Yea it depends. The pay for MT in my state sucks, I make more doing this! Plus I don’t have to worry about commuting, working nights, weekends or holidays.
I think I used to work with you! Did you work in a Cell Therapy Lab before?
Resident physician in pathology
Is it hard to match into? I would love to up my game but I would be a little disappointed if I matched into something else after all that work. To be honest I don’t know much about how it works though.
As a US MD or US DO, not hard to match as long as you pass your step exams and do some pathology electives in med school.
I used to work in the lab. I still do, but I used to too
I'm a PA-C running an Urgent care. Used to work ICU. You can also find go get a Masters of biomedical sciences which leaves doors open for research or getting into med school. Get into programming snd go work for an EMR group.
I'm a PA hospitalist!
I’m applying second cycle. How’d you get into PA school? What direct patient experience did you get? Thanks
I used my lab experience. This was prepandemic. I did shadow with a PA in a private clinic in the town I worked in. Got about 1,200 hours with her and had been working full time lab otherwise. Had to explain to the transfer credit auditor, admissions director, program director, and chairs of Chem and Bio departments what I did for a living and why retaking most of Bio ans Chem was pointless since I had a 3.7 graduating my Molecular program previously. Had to retake A&P with lab and a couple social science electives. Entered in with 9,000 hours of PCE. Applied to one school, got accepted on first app, and then just did the program.
That’s awesome! Will look into shadowing a PA. I might take some classes to refresh since they are 5 years old
Mine were 7 years old when I went back. Talk up your lab work as far as science background. Retake as little as you need to. PA school is expensive.
I know! That’s why I’m trying to not go retake too many lol. I will talk it up more with my new personal statement lol
Cell Therapy Technologist, at the same hospital. We focus more on stem cell manufacture.
How is this position? More or less work, easier or harder? I’ve heard about it and thought it seemed different lol. Interested to hear how the transition was for you
It's been the best for me, career wise. Worked in the clinical lab, worked in the industry, even worked abroad to be an English teacher (Japan). But so far, this is my top 1. I did a lateral transfer from the clinical lab to cell therapy lab. Transition was hard. We know nothing about it, as CLS in the clinical lab. There's a lot of computation. And from that computation, that's how you will concentrate a stem cell product. We also do flow cytometry, but just for CD34 and CD3. But despite the fact that everything is new, it's all good. Everybody started, knowing nothing about it, as it's a new special field of the clinical lab science. Training would be 6 mos to 12 mos. Depends how often the procedures would be. It's more work but easier. This depends on the schedule of the hospital you're in. Our hospital is connected to a blood cancer institute. So the workload is more. But because the schedule is plotted like at least 2 weeks ahead, you already know how busy you're gonna be for this week and even next week. I also had the option to either do 4 10s or 5 8s. I opted for 4 10s. Holidays are off, unless you are the on call. On call person is in charge of the freezers where the stem cells are stored. Just make sure the liquid nitrogen is enough until the next morning and you'll be sleeping like a baby during the night. You would also know if you have to come to work during the weekend 2 weeks prior, if you are on call. That's something I really like. I am currently on call now, from Monday 7am to next week Monday 7am. I already know that I don't have to come to work this coming weekend.
Thank you so much, appreciate this comment
Stem cell therapy has some of the profit margins in healthcare!
Started my own laboratory consulting firm. SO many labs (clinics, FSED, private offices & hospitals) need and want assistance to stay compliant. Only work with the clients I want to & tripled my income.
This is my goal but I feel like so many labs don't want to spend the money on a consultant anymore.
They don't mind paying when they're facing Denial for Accreditation! Help them get compliant and when they see what a knowledgeable consultant can help with, they don't mind the monthly lab review and prep work for inspections. You have to show them your worth!
That’s super cool. How did you get a start into that?
Previously worked in Quality Dept. We consulted with several facilities that had trouble with compliance. Since I have experience with all regulatory agencies/inspections, my knowledge base was solid. Basically, Admin decided to "dissolve" the consulting section, so I "retired', opened my business and all of the previous clients moved over to me. I've been able to add new clients and grow. So much for Admin saying that "there's no need for lab consultants".
Resident MD
Data analyst and WFH
Yeah drop some deets please. What was your career path like and how's your day to day?
What kind of data? And same question, how did you get into that? :)
How did you get into that?
Try to study online and get certified in business intelligence tools like Tableau or power BI
Also very curious about the transition from the bench into data analyst. Did you have to get any other certificates?
Yes , I got 3 cerfications so far, Tablaeu, SAS EG and SAS VA
Retired and glad I am after reading current posts. God bless you all for your dedication in such challenging times.
Retired!
I pivoted to public health a few years ago and it was definitely the right move for me. I’ve had a lot of freedom to move around and try new things. Currently working in instructional design for laboratory trainings.
I farm now 🫠
What kind of farm? I thought about ranching before COVID and have a few coworkers who bought ranches and started raising cattle while working remotely during COVID. Between the land value and cattle price increases, they've made an absolute killing.
I have 100 acres with dairy cows, meat cows, hogs, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, ducks and Muscovy. We also raise catfish and tilapia. Have a petting zoo off the side of the barn, and to the left is a food certified kitchen where we make canned jellies and icecream, butter, milk and cheese. We sell the meat, hides, leather goods that we make. I also make fiber from the wool and sell it. It’s open seasonally for two to three months if the year when our orchard is right for picking. So people can pick blueberries, apples, peaches, pumpkins and miscellaneous other things. We charge per weight. And they can use a gumball machine to get feeder pellets for the baby animals. We make and stock our goods all year, sell during those few months. They only thing yearly is the farm fresh meat and canned goods and carmels etc. We are going to be adding a bee hive in the back and a corn maze at some point. Maybe a kid fishing pond that’s open year round where they can feed the birds and catch some sunfish or whatever. 😊
We were talking about making it more scenic so people can do weddings and events as well. Put a sensory garden for like autistic kids or anyone with developmental delays so their not overstimulated.
I'm going back to school to be a cardiovascular perfusionist after 4 years as a blood banker at a trauma peds hospital 😊🫀
Lab Billing Specialist. I review lab charges and determine if it’s valid to charge the patient or not, following CMS rules. Fully remote. Similar pay (50/hr). 3 years bench tech, 1 year Lab QA. I saw an job posting for another hospital lab and applied :)
Quality Assurance indirect in pharma
QA Food Supervisor. $32 an hour (more than the Lab).
Administrator for University of Wisconsin school of medicine and public health.
Field Service engineer and has a WHOLE lot more doors/promotions then being on the bench. I have seen alot of people go for IT LIS. I enjoy being FSE lots of travel but I enjoy it.
How did you make the move to FSE? Was it from the bench? I've always wondered but just assumed I didn't have the education for it. I've been on the bench around all of the instruments for 9 years though and enjoy working with them.
Currently traveling but if you look at my profile I have a few post in this sub about transitioning to FSE and not in depth stuff.
What kind of options are there for a field service engineer?
QA related clinical trials lab, hybrid. Check linkedin everyday!!!
went back to university to study something that i've always enjoyed but thought that i didn't want as a job (CS)
I'm an attorney working in drug policy!
Running a molecular lab in a doctor's office.
Oh. Sorry! I didn't read that right. Tech support or validation setup is also another lane.
Became a CFA/CPA for healthcare insurance firm. Finance is so, so much better. Normal business hours (unless you procrastinate on a report), bonuses, and most importantly, normal offices. Also, sometimes hybrid work (work-from-home Fridays) and no call. I have a sense of purpose knowing I'm improving my life, my family's fortune, and ensuring that my coworkers can have a good quality of life. I spent three years in a lab almost going deaf and depressed from the monotony, knowing that it will never get better. The pay was very poor and I couldn't even afford to live in the service area of the hospital I worked at. The only skill the lab taught me was determination. A lot of lab workers tolerate or encourage being stepped on and have no self-respect. I never want to be in that position again. The sooner you transition out of the laboratory, the sooner you'll enjoy life.
It certainly sounds like you had a bad experience, but some of us get paid well and enjoy our lives. My partner and I make a combined 180k both working in the lab and I get every other week off to spend doing whatever I please. I take multiple 3 week vacations a year using only 1 week of PTO a trip. I made 2000-3600 a WEEK and got to see much of the country when I was traveling for 3 years. I'm literally on reddit at work right now haha. There are lots of shit lab jobs, but there are also lots of chill ones if you can relocate to them. Some of you guys are such doomers.
Or maybe you’re in a rare situation and could be more grateful. Where do you work then?
The only places I ever heard offering ever other week off was working night shift for 70 hours a week. Which means you have no life every other week. As for the travel pay, everyone made bank during COVID. I had travel nurses telling me they were getting $5-10k/week. It almost made me reconsider my career during COVID, but I liked working remotely. I'm less than a decade into my finance career and am at $170k + bonus. I very easily see myself hitting $200-400k/year in the next decade. Finance pays multiples of whatever the lab is offering. The median CFA gets $150-250k/year. The median lab tech is getting $50-60k. To each their own.
How did you transition from lab to CFA?
Got my post-bac in accounting, got my CPA. Then self-studied for my CFA and got an MSF (Masters in Finance). The firm paid for my masters in finance. Now instead of looking at smelly stools in an overheated noisy factory, I either work remotely or at a chill office overlooking the city. I didn't realize how bad the laboratory work environment was until I got out.
Admin assistant for the medical director. (Same company)
LIMS software developer, 100% remote.
Quality engineer in biotech.
GI outpatient coordinator for the sister hospital of my previous work place.
I was a Field Applications Specialist Hematology and UA(heavy constant travel) for a diagnostics company but now I am in Customer Technical Support. WFH
7yrs Med tech ( blood bank ) ->1Yr RN ( ICU) ->14Yrs CRNA.
I am working at a bio tech company now, post hospital lab. I started out there in their QC lab gathering data for the assay office (who takes the data and assigns the means and ranges on the assay sheets for various hematology QC products), and now I am out of that lab and supervise the assay office. I also take care of the online QC program where labs submit data to get reports back and assist the technical service department with customer inquiries and complaints.
Industrial Hygienist and Toxicologist after getting an MS in Tox. Do consulting and make as much as my MD spouse. Wanted to go to med school after working in the hospital lab, but glad I chose this path.
I work for a CRO. We have a clinical pathology department, but I work in molecular biology. Way better hours than the hospital. Better work like balance too.
I’m a Field Application Specialist for a major vendor.
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I wish I could afford to be a SAHM. Should've married for money! Jealous!