ASCP Reaches High-School Students With Career Ambassador Program

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) recently chose 32 ASCP Career Ambassadors for 2012-2013.

Sponsored by Roche, the program is a collaborative effort to address a laboratory science workforce shortage by placing dedicated, recently certified ASCP members into classrooms nationwide to promote the profession to pre-college students. In 2011-2012, ASCP Career Ambassadors reached almost 8,000 students through classroom presentations and career fairs.

Newly selected career ambassador Chad M. Bentley, MLT(ASCP)CM, said he is looking forward to sharing his favorite part of the profession-"knowing the impact I have on patient care" with students. "Every time I get a series of results, I think about the patients and what’s going on with them," Bentley said. "I know their doctor will use these results to help treat them."

He sees the career ambassador Program as both a leadership opportunity and a way to give back to the field that has provided him with a wealth of opportunities. "I want to help educate younger students about the possibilities available to them," Mr. Bentley said. "Students coming straight out of high school may think they know exactly what they want to do, but that can change from day to day."

Fellow career ambassador LaToya M. Anderson, MLS(ASCP)CM, is also energized at the prospect of encouraging young adults to consider the profession. "I didn’t know about laboratory medicine until I transferred from a large university to a community college," she said. "I love science, and from my first class in phlebotomy, I knew I found a career I loved."

Combining her love of chemistry and her desire to help people has made her early career very rewarding, according to Ms. Anderson. She hopes to further explore the education side of the profession.

"I will tell students to always follow their heart," Anderson added. "When you do what you love, it won’t feel like a job."

[source: ASCP]