As a kid, you might’ve had your very own science kit and experimented with household products. You may have accidentally created science experiments at home by unknowingly combining chemicals that caused reactions. Either way, most scientists found that they had an interest in laboratory settings well before they knew exactly what they were doing. Professional who have completed an NAACLS accredited medical laboratory scientist program have the credentials necessary for finding work in laboratories all over the planet. They can test cultures for consistency and arrange samples for archiving purposes. If you are planning on entering the scientific world and want to know what you can expect to encounter in a laboratory setting, continue reading below.
Laboratories and Standards
Aside from the expensive equipment and fancy lab coats you’ll be expected to wear, laboratories have some universally strict protocols. You might need to decontaminate before entering and leaving your workstation in a laboratory. Some labs are okay with workers eating and drinking, but never around samples. If you work by yourself, you might be able to bring in your phone and listen to music quietly as you work. With an online bachelor of science degree in medical laboratory science, you should be able to find a lab that allows for you to be completely at ease.
Working Cooperatively in a Laboratory
While working as a professional scientist in a laboratory, you’re going to have visitors and people that work in other parts of the company who want to come by occasionally. In addition, you’ll also be working cooperatively with other scientists. Some projects may be completely yours to run, but at least some of the time your work will be contingent on other employees maintaining their part of the bargain. You’ll all be in the same lab, so sometimes quarters may be a little tight, but at least you’ll get to know your co-workers very well.
Tests, Analysis, and Documentation
Working in a laboratory can be fun, but you might not be doing new tests and experiments every day. In fact, scientists often have to find what’s referred to as a control, so repetitive testing is crucial in your job description. You might be busy testing different samples looking for small differences, which can take weeks or even years to collate all data. In addition to working with Bunsen burners and microscopes, you’ll be doing lots and lots of paperwork. All your tests must be documented and the exact steps that are taken to get a set of results need to be written in full detail. Other scientists will want to know how you completed your work, so you’ll be penning white papers, scientific papers, and opinion pieces during work hours.
You won’t be cooking up new experiments every day, but the research that you partake in will be very important to the scientific community. So long as you can be patient and work well with other scientists, you should find working within a laboratory setting to be very peaceful. Become acquainted with every piece of equipment found in labs, as well as safety protocols, because you’re going to be putting a lot of hours into your future work.