Off the Bench

In this episode, hear impactful, heart-warming, and funny stories from medical laboratory professionals that were recorded during the 2023 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting in Providence. Hosts Doryan Redding and Sophia Chandrasekar reflect on what they love about each story. Special thanks go out to our episode sponsor, the  University of Cincinnati Online .

Beware: This episode is not for the squeamish. To get in the Halloween spirit, host Sophia Chandrasekar sits down with Brandy Gunsolus, DCLS, MLS(ASCP)CM, to hear her creepiest, most disgusting, and "more unusual" stories that happened while working in medical laboratories. Special thanks go out to our episode sponsor, the  University of Cincinnati Online .

In this episode, hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding continue going through the "Impromptu Views" recorded at the 2023 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting and dive into the importance of self-advocacy, community, and outreach in the laboratory field.

In this episode, co-hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding reflect on the 2023 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM). They also share advice given by JAM attendees to prospective and new medical laboratory science students and new laboratorians.

Hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding speak with Luis Plaza, MLS (ASCP)CM, the host of the Let's Talk Micro podcast . Join the hosts as they speak to Luis as to how he got started, his motivations, and more!

During the 2023 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) in Providence, RI, Off the Bench hosted and recorded the first ever JAM Query Check (QC) live show focused on questions related, and somewhat related, to medical laboratory science. Three contestants went buzzer-to-buzzer in friendly competition in categories both scientific and not-so-scientific. Audience members even got in on the ac...

In this episode guests Dr. Kyle Riding and Emily Woten join a roundtable discussion with hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Galina Dronova about mental health, burnout, and mindfulness in the laboratory. Learn the signs of burnout and discover some tools and techniques to manage, prevent, and alleviate it.

What do MDMA, Ketamine, Psilocybin, and DMT have in common? All four previously considered as "drugs of abuse" are now moving into the therapeutic space for life affirming treatments. In this episode, host Galina Dronova and Dr. Frederick Strathmann discuss the current limitations of laboratory testing and what the future holds. References Contact Dr. Frederick Strathmann: frederick.strathmann@mob...

In this episode, Galina Dronova and Allison Germ outline and provide tips on how to host a trivia night for lab folks—perfect for Lab Week ! And, we introduce our first Doryan's Takes, with Doryan Redding reflecting on what Lab Week means for her. Special thanks go out to our episode sponsor, the University of Cincinnati Online .

Host Sophia Chandrasekar makes an announcement about a short break for the podcast and exciting plans for the return in March 2023.

Wrap up 2022 with host Galina Dronova and Elizabeth Power, a sought after speaker, consultant, and CEO of EPower & Associates, as we discuss the importance of community in our personal and professional journeys. Listen for  advice on how to build community with patients and care teams. Learn more about Elizabeth: www.elizabethpower.com Book references: The Seven Levels of Intimacy: the Art of Lovi...

Host Galina Dronova sits down with Tori Nemitz and Dean Derhaag to talk about the crucial role and "a day in the life" of Point of Care specialists as the extroverted faces of the lab. Learn about wins, challenges, and their thoughts on nurses performing complex lab testing. 

Join host Sophia Chandrasekar and guest Danielle Adank, MS, graduate student at Vanderbilt University, as they discuss the differences and similarities of a medical research laboratory vs a medical/clinical laboratory. The two also discuss the importance of seeing women and women-identifying people in STEM on social media, especially in traditionally male dominated scientific spaces. Follow Daniel...

Hosts Galina Dronova and Sophia Chandrasekar talk with ASCLS Executive Vice President Jim Flanigan about one of the most action-packed years for medical laboratory advocacy (aka, Labvocacy). Recent activities they discuss are: The Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act CMS proposed regulation to allow individuals with a bachelor’s degree in nursing as a qualifying degree for...

Join host Sophia Chandrasekar as she explores Dr. Alan H.B. Wu's mind to find out about his speculative science fiction lab novel, Mind Portal , and learn about speculative fiction, the creative process for the book, preparing it for a movie, and just talking about the impact that the lab had, and has. Dr. Wu is a professor of laboratory medicine at the University of California at San Francisco.

Join hosts Galina Dronova and Sophia Chandrasekar as they speak with Dr. Alan H.B. Wu, chief of the clinical chemistry and toxicology laboratories at San Francisco General Hospital, regarding his efforts of bringing the clinical laboratory to the public spotlight using books, television series, and a movie.  Read the books: Alanhbwu.com Find out more about the TV series: LAB DIRECTOR AND AUTHOR TO...

To prepare for the 2022 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting, which is taking place June 26-30 in Grand Rapids, MI, host Sophia Chandrasekar and fellow medical laboratory professional Mackenzie Edwards talk about networking, including tips for introverts.

Have you ever sat in a lecture and tried your best to hide that you're gently dosing off? Do you shudder at the thought of having to remember to coagulation cascade? In this episode, hosts Galina Dronova and Justin Hanenberg discuss how we can transform laboratory medicine education, whether in the classroom or on the bench, from procedural knowledge to conceptual. With our guest experts, Dr. Just...

To celebrate Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, Off the Bench hosts Galina, Justin, and Sophia speak to Pat Jones, recently retired medical laboratory professional, and reflect on written responses from additional new retirees Janice Conway-Klassesen, Deb Rodahl, and Charlie Weinzierl. They take a journey through the lab of yesteryears, as well as what the lab might look like in the future. Al...

In this silly and fun recalibration episode, hosts Sophia Chandrasekar, Galina Dronova, and Justin Hanenberg take lab-related personality quizzes. Find out their results, and take the tests for yourself: Which Piece of Lab Equipment Are You? https://www.scinote.net/piece-lab-equipment-hilarious-quiz/ Which Immune Cell Are You? https://www.stemcell.com/virtual-conference-exhibition/immunology/immun...

Hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Galina Dronova end the year with a re-cap of the best of the 2021 and a look forward to what's coming in early 2022.

Are you currently working in the laboratory wondering when the staff shortages end? Or maybe you're considering leaving the hospital/clinic workspace for another opportunity such as industry or IT? This podcast is for you. Host Galina speaks with Rick Panning, Senior Healthcare Consultant at ARUP Laboratories, about the state of healthcare today and how the major trends in the medical laboratory s...

In this special Halloween episode Sophia and guest hosts Romy and Mackenzie read and react to medical laboratory horror stories submitted by Off the Bench listeners. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be totally grossed out. Please note: This episode contains graphic and potentially triggering things witnessed in the medical laboratory and hospital, including amputated limbs and maternal and chi...

In this episode produced by April Shields, graduate of the 2021 ASCLS Leadership Academy, Lucia Berte, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, DLM, President of Laboratories Made Better! P.C., shares laboratory accreditation organizations' data on the most common deficiencies reported by their assessors. She also presents resources for reducing or eliminating deficiencies. The episode is available for one hour of P.A.C....

Hosts Justin Hanenberg and Galina Dronova find out how the HLA laboratories help clinical care teams monitor patient care for solid organ and hematopoietic cell transplants. Dr. Justin Kreuter, a clinical pathologist at Mayo Clinic, uses case studies to explain why HLA typing is important, as well as discusses the history and the future of the field.