At 16 years old, Isak Schmidley is the youngest person to have passed the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s (ASCP) Medical Laboratory Scientist certification exam. In addition to attending high school, Isak is enrolled in college graduate classes and works as a medical laboratory scientist at a hospital in Louisiana.

In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, Isak joins the Mayo Clinic Laboratories outreach team — Jane Hermansen, Ellen Dijkman Dulkes, and Brianne Newton — to talk about his unique experience in joining the lab profession at a young age.

Their discussion topics include:

• Favorite aspects of medical lab science and working in a hospital lab.
• Raising awareness of the lab profession among the younger generation and engaging students at an earlier age.
• Why a career as a medical lab scientist may be a good fit for individuals with an interest in healthcare, science, engineering, and technology.

Learn more about connecting with the next generation of lab professionals at the Leveraging the Laboratory conference on Sept. 17 and 18, 2024, in Rochester, Minnesota. Register online.

In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, speaks with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton. They discuss how to proactively manage the variety of patient requests and interactions that occur in an outreach laboratory beyond the phlebotomy environment.

Their discussion topics include:

• Communicating with the patient about at-home kit collection expectations.
• Maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of receiving specimens from at-home collections.
• Preventing uncomfortable situations for the patient.
• Patient questions that may arise and how to address them.

Learn more about positioning your organization for success at the Leveraging the Laboratory conference on Sept. 17 and 18, 2024, in Rochester, Minnesota. Register online.

In this episode of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ “Leveraging the Laboratory” podcast, host Jane Hermansen, outreach manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, speaks with outreach solutions strategists Ellen Dijkman Dulkes and Brianne Newton. Their discussion focuses on advocating for the laboratory, lab careers, and the value of lab testing.

Their discussion topics include:

• How to be an advocate for the laboratory and promote careers in medical lab science.
• Their career paths and why they chose to become laboratory professionals.
• The importance of staying informed and engaged on a local and national level.
• Words of wisdom for individuals considering a future career in the laboratory.