Inside the Lab

Would you benefit from having a mentor to help you grow as a pathologist or laboratory professional? How might you benefit from becoming a mentor yourself?  We get further, faster, with support, and having the right mentor accelerates your personal and professional development.  But how do you find a good mentor? And what can you do to make the mentor-mentee relationship successful?   On this epis...

What inspires a doctor to pursue pathology?   Dr. Elvio Silva, MD, was drawn to pathology because it’s the only specialty in medicine where you can SEE the disease. And his patient-centered approach to studying tumors has led to breakthrough research.   On this episode of Inside the Lab, Dr. Silva, Professor in the Department of Pathology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, joins our hosts, Ms. Kelly Sw...

Are you dreaming of moving up the ladder and transitioning to a management position in the laboratory? Or maybe even a leadership role outside the lab?  What can you do to learn the leadership skills you need to take that next step in your career?  On this episode of Inside the Lab, your hosts, Ms. Kelly Swails, MLS(ASCP), and Dr. Lotte Mulder, PhD, are joined by Dr. Gary Procop, MD, MS, CEO of th...

Do you cut corners when it comes to laboratory safety?  Little things like carrying your cell phone, rolling up the sleeves of your lab coat, or skipping the hurricane drill don’t seem like a big deal in the moment. But when you consider the potential risks to you, your colleagues, your family, and anyone else you might encounter, even small safety violations can have a big impact.  On this episod...

Are you ready for Medical Laboratory Professionals Week?   Our annual celebration of pathologists and medical laboratory professionals begins April 23, 2023, and this year’s theme is Saved by the Lab, a play on the popular sitcom from the 1990s, Saved by the Bell . In honor of Zack Morris and friends from Bayside High, we’re revisiting the ‘90s to explore what was going on in the world—and the wor...

The medical laboratory is often seen as a black box that generates definitive results with little effort. But it’s not always that simple. What if you work up a culture and find an unusual bacteria or fungus? What do the technologists in the microbiology laboratory do to investigate these uncommon cases and provide their patients with a proper diagnosis?  On this episode of Inside the Lab, our hos...

ASCP is committed to developing policies that improve public health through the practice of laboratory medicine. One of the ways that the Society participates in public policy is through our delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA).   So, what does it mean to be an ASCP delegate to the AMA? How well is pathology represented within the AMA House of Delegates? And why does that represent...

ASCP’s Resident In-Service Exam, better known as RISE, began in 1983, and it was designed as a study tool for board exams.   But RISE has evolved over time in response to feedback from program directors and residents alike, adapting to remain relevant to practice and help students identify their individual strengths and weaknesses.  So, what do you need to know about the Resident In-Service Exam a...

Castleman Disease: Case-based Microlearning  Activity Overview This CME/CMLE-accredited, case-based microlearning activity is designed to help laboratory team members increase their knowledge, skills, and competence in diagnosing multicentric Castleman disease and to be informed of changes in clinical practice guidelines. Through a series of four 15-minute cases developed by a multidisciplinary te...

Data is fundamental to the modern world. From education to healthcare to economic development and public policy, we rely on data to allocate resources and make decisions.  In Caroline Criado Perez’s groundbreaking book, Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men , she contends that there’s a gender data gap. And because the bulk of the world’s data is based on male bodies and...

In medicine, we’re taught to recognize hoofbeats as horses rather than zebras. But what happens when a surgical pathology diagnosis really is a zebra?  What is the best way to approach a challenging case? And how do you know when to ask for help?  On this episode of Inside the Lab, our hosts, Ms. Kelly Swails, MT(ASCP), and Dr. Ali Brown, MD, FASCP, are joined by Dr. Cesar Moran, MD , Tenured Prof...

Medical laboratories, in general, struggle with visibility. And laboratory professionals rarely get the recognition they deserve for the important work that they do. The Leading Laboratories program is on a mission to change that. This partnership between ASCP and The Joint Commission seeks to recognize excellence in laboratory practice, awarding the Leading Laboratories designation to labs with a...

During this recorded 2022 ASCP Annual Meeting session, multidisciplinary faculty will discuss the science and latest evidence on emerging biomarkers, resistance mutations, immuno-oncology (I-O) resistance mechanisms, and I-O treatment options (e.g., combination therapy involving CTLA-4 inhibitors) in metastatic NSCLC.  In addition, they will address how to integrate next generation sequencing (NGS...

So, you like your job as a medical laboratory professional, but you’re restless. You have dreams of a bigger life. One that allows you to serve others and satisfy your wanderlust.  You might consider becoming a Regional Medical Laboratory Scientist with the US State Department, a role that requires an affinity for travel, a passion for service, and a well-rounded background on the bench.  On this...

The emergence of HER2-low therapies for metastatic breast cancer is a paradigm shift in the traditional binary classification of a patient’s HER2 status, creating a need for practice changes in pathology necessitated by the expansion in how HER2-low breast cancer needs to be classified and treated. During this recorded 2022 ASCP Annual Meeting session, a moderated expert faculty panel will discuss...

In the 100 years since its founding in 1922, the American Society for Clinical Pathology has guided the application and evolution of pathology and laboratory medicine.  But how much do you know about the history of ASCP?  On this episode of Inside the Lab recorded live at the ASCP Annual Meeting in Chicago, our hosts, Ms. Kelly Swails and Dr. Lotte Mulder, are joined by Team Total Kuality, Dr. Kam...

What are MLS education programs doing to address the workforce shortage in the medical lab and provide opportunities for career advancement?  On this episode of Inside the Lab, our hosts, Ms. Patricia Tanabe and Ms. Kelly Swails, are joined by Ms. Patricia Ellinger, MSEd, MLS(ASCP)CMSBBCM, MLS Faculty and Former MLS Program Director at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Ms. Sue Jo...

Since its inception in 1922, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) has worked to provide excellence in education, certification, and advocacy on behalf of patients, pathologists, and laboratory professionals.  And while the implementation of these principles has changed dramatically in the last 100 years, the core values of the organization have not. ASCP maintains its patient focus a...

Baby boomers are competitive, self-actualizing, and results-oriented, while Gen Xers are pragmatic, independent, and adaptable. Millennials are known for being team-oriented, creative and resilient, and Gen Zers are entrepreneurial, compassionate, and open to change.  But how do the perspectives of different generations play out inside the medical laboratory?  On this episode of Inside the Lab, ou...

“It's a magical time in the hospital at night. It's a time that you can learn and a time that you can kind of have some independence ... with a small group of people that you trust, that are very good, just doing your job.” —Dr. Cathy Cooper  Have you ever considered working the night shift in the medical laboratory? As with anything, there are pros and cons to working nights as a labora...

In the introduction to Glennon Doyle’s latest memoir, she asks herself, “Who was I before I became who the world told me to be?”  We’re all affected by social conditioning and make choices based on others’ expectations. And all too often, we make ourselves smaller to fit in the “cage” of what’s socially acceptable. So, what can we do to break free from social conditioning and start accepting our a...

Most pathologists have limited face-to-face interaction with patients. And yet, many patients would benefit from the opportunity to discuss their lab results with a content expert.  What can pathologists and laboratory professionals do to connect with the people we serve? How do we make ourselves available to patients and engage them as partners on their wellness journey?  On this episode of Insid...

Anatomic pathology has evolved dramatically in the last 100 years, moving from an entirely subjective practice to a standardized, evidence-based discipline.   Who were the pioneers in developing this modern approach? How have testing processes and laboratory technology changed over time? And what can we learn from the last century of anatomic pathology to help us move the profession forward?  On t...

In October 2020, the University of Vermont Medical (UVM) Center fell victim to a cyberattack, and the leadership team intentionally shut down their system to prevent patient information from escaping the network.  UVM Health was offline for 25 days.  On this episode of Inside the Lab, our hosts, Ms. Kelly Swails and Mr. Mark Moen, are joined by Dr. Toby Cornish, MD, PhD , Associate Professor and V...

National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week—often known as Lab Week—is a fun time to be a pathologist or laboratory professional and celebrate our role on the medical team. But Lab Week can be more than just potluck dinners and lab-themed games. It’s an opportunity to learn from our colleagues, lift each other up and let our communities know what we do for patients.  So, how has Lab Week change...