Leslie Chaharro Interview Report

Leslie Chaparro gave me some wonderful insight on the ins and outs of the Medical Laboratory. The information I received during this interview is information I could not obtain from a textbook. Mrs. Chaparro let me in on the relationships between the Med Lab Scientists and the nurses and doctors, which can sometimes be difficult relationship due to the stress involved in their jobs. Sometimes results do not come as quickly as some of the nurses or doctors want, but you need to remember to stay calm and remember your job is to make sure the tests are done properly. You do not want to take too long on tests and should work quickly as possible but pay attention to detail, as Mrs. Chaparro stressed how important those results are to a patient’s
Chaparro reinforced the idea that MLS should have critical thinking skills and love to solve puzzles using clues provided by the tests and the patients. MLS is more than looking at test results and getting your information from a machine. It is imperative that you keep up with your education and never shy away from using your brain in the Medical Laboratory. Mrs. Chaparro talked about how insulting it is to the patients when an MLS knowingly puts results out that do not appear to be accurate. This is never okay! You should always check to see if the machines are working fine if you feel they are not giving valid results. Mrs. Chaparro used the example of a patient being given insulin because a high glucose value was released but wasn’t accurate and how that could induce a coma. This is a situation you want to avoid. MLS should always be on top of things and treat each sample as if that sample has come from one of your family members. Also, remember not every abnormality is going to appear exactly how it is given in your textbooks and it is important to know all the symptoms, pay attention to the details given and consult with the physician. In conclusion, I feel Mrs. Chaparro increased my ebullience for wanting to work as an MLS. I am a person who appreciates a challenge and MLS is a challenging profession, albeit rewarding. I enjoy the myriad of things you will come across working as an MLS, and Mrs. Chaparro gave me quite a few examples of those occurrences.