Thread by @andreaprinzi

I have a few things to say this morning. A small but mighty 🧵.
First , I can't say thank you enough to @KatherineJWu for writing this amazing piece highlighting the crucial work of clinical laboratory scientists/medical technologists. Please read it: nytimes.com/2020/12/03/hea…

The article captures a piece of the talent, expertise, and dedication of these healthcare workers. This is especially true of my dear friend @darcyavelasquez, who works relentlessly day in and day out at @ChildrensColo to provide the best care possible to Colorado's children.

Sometimes it feels like the @KatherineJWu's, @kmess44's, and @jesscataldi's of the world are one-in-a-million. The failure to recognize the clinical laboratory (and people within it) for its importance in how healthcare works is not just a #COVIDー19 issue.

I started as a lab assistant @ChildrensColo at 20 years old while going to college full time. It was a stepping stone to applying for PA or Medical school, since that's all I had ever been told were my options as a biology major.

I would finish my lab assistant tasks for the day and spend the remainder of my shift watching the medical technologists...in awe of their work. How had no one ever told me about this job? Why didn't I hear about them and the cool+important work they did daily?? Blew my mind.

Becoming a certified clin #microbiologist was one of my greatest accomplishments to date. I loved my 12.5 years of work in the micro lab at @ChildrensColo. Like so many other med techs, I was PROUD of my work-- regardless of how poorly we were treated sometimes.

But the work is not easy. Our society doesn't explain our roles in the lab, respect is limited at best. I am so lucky to have worked at a hospital w/ a collaborative and wonderful team, but that is not always the case. It's true... "no one sees us."

I spent several years running the clinical education program for our #microbiology lab. Sure, teaching clinicians is great, but that's wasn't the whole reason I did it. Our students will only remember a fraction of the material they are taught, but here's what they do remember:

1. Ppl in the lab are really smart. Many of them hold advanced degrees. They have keen attention to detail and care about your patient just as much as you do, even though they have never met them.

2. The lab isn't just full of machines.
3. Good lab relationship= good medicine

The #lab is critical to good patient care. The lab's role in diagnostic and antimicrobial #stewardship is huge. This is why engaging with the lab in the form of shadowing, teaching or rounding is SO important
asm.org/Articles/2020/….

So, if I love being a clinical lab scientist so much, why did I leave my position to pursue a Ph.D full time?
Why, thank you for asking!
The answer lies in many of the topics covered by @KatherineJWu's article:

1. There is a GAP. A huge, scary, unacceptable gap between the clinical #lab + clinical practice. This is rooted in lack of understanding, lack of communication, lack of team science. Silos everywhere. I see lots of research that affects the lab w/ no lab person involved.

2. I chose a Ph.D in translational science for the opportunity it provides me to mix my public health, microbiology, infectious disease and clinical science/research experience in a way that improves health outcomes for children and ALWAYS keeps the #lab in mind.

Time after time I find myself in a position where I am told "this hasn't been done before" or "we aren't sure what to do with someone like you." That's ok! But it's also sad.

It just reminds me that although clinical lab scientists are capable of contributing in the most amazing ways, the paths for us are not clear (so we need to continue to pave them ourselves). BUT: this is the most important part...

Medical Technologists/Clinical lab scientists DO NOT need to go get Ph.Ds to be important or do tremendously impactful work. That's just my path because I see problems I would like to fix (and I LOVE learning new things), but not necessary. YOU ARE ENOUGH.

I hope everyone reads this article. Every clinician that has screamed at a tech on the phone, hung up on them, got angry because they were asked for their last name and credentials (as required by all sorts of regulators). Every member of the public that is angry about testing.

Every highly-educated person with a fancy platform that loves to use the them "THE LAB" to spread blatant disrespect about a CAREER they don't fully understand. All of you. Please read the article and sit quietly with yourself.

I think this all has brought some important issues to light:
1. There are so many careers we don't understand or honor enough. Our society loves to hail the most glamorized things. Everyone has a role to play. At the heart of it, I really believe everyone is doing their best.

2. Clinical lab scientists are being run into the ground by #COVIDー19 , that's true. However, other diseases and ailments have not stopped. On top of it all, these people are continuing to be involved with the diagnosis and treatment of everything other than COVID19.

Clinical lab scientists: I see you, I know you, I am you.
Thank you for everything you are doing now and ALWAYS.
#IDTwitter #MedTwitter @CUMedicalSchool @CCTSI @ASCLS @ASMicrobiology @JClinMicro #Lab #LabEveryday @ASCP_Chicago

This ended up being a NOT SMALL 🧵😬