the medtech diaries

hello, it’s angela. this blog is dedicated to the ones needing that extra push to go on pursuing their dreams. it’s a mini diary of my life experiences when i was a student in cebu and manila, prc board passer and life working as a medtech in new york. feel free to msg if you wanna talk, i don’t bite :)

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Haven’t been active here for a while, but here’s me with my coworkers.

Getting the state license was a great challenge, but in the end it was worth it. Now, I’m working as a Molecular/Microbiology Technologist for one of the labs in Brooklyn.

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D. immitis microfilaria on a canine whole blood sample using Knotts concentration technique:

9ml formalin + 1ml whole blood, centrifuge for 5 minutes, decant and add 1 drop of new methylene blue on the sediment. Mix and pipette 1 drop on glass slide, cover with cover slip. Observe under 10x or 40x.

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That feathered-edge shine ✨

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Job Interview Tips

I remember my first interview (it was on phone) and struggling with the questions asked cause apparently college does not prepare you for acing your job interview. So here are some tips my working girl ass wished she knew years ago:

1. Job description. Often times than not, the work you’re supposed to do is highly different than the one on paper. You have to ask the specifics — what tests will you be doing in the lab, is it automated or manual, how high the volume of specimen is in a shift.

Based from experience as a Hematology Technician IV, the job I’m supposed to do included urinalysis and hematology on paper but I’m stuck with just hematology. The quota is 400 specimen but we do up to 600. There’s a lot of work I do that isn’t on paper and good thing medtech school prepared me for this. I do manual hematocrits (PCV), rbc, wbc and plt counts for when the machine can’t process the specimen. I handle cytology, physical exam (color, specific gravity and protein), preparing the specimen for cell counts and smears for the pathologist to read. I do coagulation (PT and APTT) too and CBC.

2. Generalist. A good rule of thumb I can advise to a fresh graduate is to start small and start as a generalist. Here in NY, med techs are not common. You don’t have to be a med tech to work in a lab. Just a biology degree is enough, so most lab works require specific experience like just hema experience or chemistry experience which is bad if you want to know all the work done in a lab.

So if you can, ask in your interview if they will let you rotate to different departments or will you be stuck in one department cause girl you will not get experience working in one department. This was how it is for me at my current job. For me to be able to work at a different department, I have to apply for an internal transfer which just sucks cause I don’t wanna have to keep transferring just to get experience. It’s bad for my record you know.

3. Orientation. Even with experience, they will not just let you do the work without training of course. What I love about my work place is that they give out modules for you to do at the convenience of an internet connection so you can do them anywhere especially the lab SOPs (standard operating procedures). Some labs will have a trainer who will train you, but the big hospitals like New York Presbyterian (I have a friend who worked here and shared this to me) will leave you to fend for yourself.

Big hospitals offer big bucks but will expect you to know your job, reference labs and physician clinics pay less but will give you a better chance for growth.

P.S. this thing is an ongoing process for me, whatever I learnt and unlearnt I’m sharing out in the open. Probably more tips coming in the months to come lol. Hope this helps.

All the best,

Ange

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December 8, 2019 1:06pm

This month I made the big move from Parasitology to Hematology. It’s been kinda long since the last time I’ve handled blood specimen so I’m still adjusting to everything — doing differential counts and making blood smears. It’s fun, really.

I got tired na rin of reading slides from fecal specimen, nagmumukha na akong tae lol. I’m still reviewing for the ASCPi certification and for me it’s a good thing cause moving to Hema makes studying that part of the exam a lot easier.

I just feel super blessed by this opportunity. I get to work with machines, especially CellaVision which reads differentials. As technicians, we get to make the smear but the machine identifies the cells and makes the counts. Ang galing, gurl! Na-amaze talaga ako.

I’m still in training though but I’m super happy with my new supervisor who’s supportive with my progress at work kahit pa onti onti pa lang. All’s good so far.

Advanced Merry Christmas nga pala to everyone, it’s the season of giving! Wag magdamot para hindi mapunta sa naughty list ni Santa 🎅

(Oh yeah, I remember mentioning I wasn’t gonna take the ASCPi certification..but I met a fellow medtech back in mol bio class who had the same problem as me regarding the state license for NY that doesn’t accept ASCPi, only ASCP. And guess what? You can actually get the license even with ASCPi. You just need to forward your scores to NYSED which handles the state licensing for New York. So yup, I’m taking the exam for sure.)

All the best,

Gel

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August 28, 2019 4:54pm

Been more than two months since my last entry, almost forgotten I had this tiny space put out in the open.

Molecular biology’s done, finally! More sleep for me and more work. Working 1-8 in the morning and going to school 9-4 was a pretty hectic schedule for the past two months and I’m glad that’s over.

Well, ASCPi review’s keeping me up lately. Now it’s one step closer to getting that CLT license.

All the best,

Gel

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June 03, 2019 9:58am

Finally starting molecular biology classes this week. I go to school in the day and work at night. Wow toxic si mamsh pero kakayanin.

Tuesday pa start ng class ko pero may assignment na kaagad si prof but maybe I think dahil 7 weeks lang siya kaya it’s very fast-paced.

Hopefully I don’t die lmao,

Gel

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April 21, 2019 — three weeks in and I’m enjoying work as a parasitologist for a vet lab so far

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Do not rush your future plans. Live and enjoy the present. Everything will work out at the right time.

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February 22, 2019 08:09pm

23 is such a young age to be figuring out what you wanna do forever with your life.

Magdodoktor ba ako?

Magmasters ng Public Health?

Hanggang Medtech nalang ba ako forever?

So many options, only one choice.

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Philippine Medtech licensure exam 2019

It’s MTLE season again, exactly less than a month from now. Everybody’s probably overloaded with all the info from review notes and books, so here are some tips to help survive the PBS—preboards syndrome, hindi po peripheral blood smear.

1. Don’t read books. Do your brain a favor and put that book down. You won’t be able to read that big pile of books you have in the corner of your study table. You are months too late to be reading Rodriguez and Henry’s. Trust your basic knowledge and everything you learned in the review centre.

2. Don’t uninstall your social media apps. Never works, trust me. Not until you keep that phone charged, you will re-install and get tempted by demonyo friends who want to eat Samg (haay, miss ko tuloy Samgyupsalamat sa Dapit tsaka mga kaladkarin friends ko). What works? Keep your phone battery dead.

3. Do prepare a checklist of your requirements.

Registration form

Transcript of records (with remarks: for board examination purposes)

NSO/PSA Birth certificate

Cedula

Extra cash

Mongol pencil #2 (sharpener and eraser included)

The white envelope and stamp is not needed since you’ve already paid for the stamp during the initial registration. Years ago, when PRC didn’t have an online system, they used the envelope to mail board results. But since they do everything online now, the envelope isn’t needed anymore.

4. Do your rituals. If wearing red underwear helps you calm your nerves, then do it. If a mass offering to St.Jude helps you, then go. Honestly, the only thing I did during exams was to bring my rosary and pray while waiting for test papers to be distributed. If it helps, below is a list of rituals my friends did that you can add to yours.

Do not cut your hair before taking the board exam. An old belief is that memory is supposedly stored in your hair, so cutting your hair also means you are cutting away the stored memories of what you studied.

Wear red underwear. Red is the Chinese color for luck.

Do not take a bath. Doing so will wash off all the things you’ve crammed the night before.

Putting a coin in your shoes for luck.

Kick the chair after your last exam and don’t look back.

Donating one’s pencils, ballpens, erasers after the exam.

Use a pencil sharpened by a board topnotcher.

5. Recalls help, but don’t rely on them. No, leakages do not exist. Wag kang umasa, but yes there are recalls. During my exam, only a few recall items came out, not even enough to help you pass. So, study, study, study.

6. Start fixing your sleeping pattern. I raise both my hands for being guilty of not being able to sleep during my exam. I got used to sleeping around 4-5 in the morning and waking up after 6-8 hours of sleep because my peak study was 10pm onwards, so the night before the exam I wasn’t able to sleep. During exam, sobrang lutang ako while shading my answers and for the entire two days. One, nakuha ko yung maling lunchbox (kung kanino man yung Jollibee na baon, I’m so sorry talaga! And to think McDo baon ko *facepalm x100*). Two, last exam which is Histopath-MTL sobrang sakit na ng ulo ko so minadali ko yung exam. One read nlng tas diretso sagot. Though I passed the exam, please do not follow me and save yourself the trouble.

7. Do an ocular visit of your testing center. It will give you an idea of how long travelling there will take, the traffic and most especially food spots where you can eat your lunch. But during my time, I brought my own lunch to save time. I used the extra time I had to review my notes.

8. Pinakamahalaga: PRAY. When you’ve done your part but feel mo it is still not enough, He will provide.

Pero dapat deserve mo rin biyayaan kasi. Hindi yung puro tulog ka lang tapos hihingi ka ng himala. Sino niloloko mo? Kaya okay, back to studying. Aral mabuti. In the words of Dean Rodriguez, “God is good.” Kaya be good and do your part, future colleague.

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24 colors Faber Castell watercolor pencils were my first love. Okay aral na ulit :)

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February 5, 2019 11:00AM

This year started off somewhat hectic — got accepted at Hunter College and College of Staten Island and still couldn’t enroll for molecular biology. Last shot would be York College, but I’m way past the start of classes. January 25 start ng pasukan and my application is still pending.

I don’t know na talaga san ako pupulutinnnn. It’s like all my plans are working against me these past few months. I keep planning my life pero parang sinasabi ni Lord, ay hindi. Not for you, next. Kaya I’ve finally decided I won’t be taking ASCPi anymore and just the state license. Tsaka I have really good news...

Full support pala parents ko sa plans ko for medicine. ANG SARAP SA PANDINIG. Iyaqqq.

Ang daming doors na sumasara at bumubukas at the same time, nalilito na ako. I guess I just have to hold on and trust where this journey is going,

Gel

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January 20, 2019 1:00AM

I started pursuing my dreams not really knowing where it was gonna take me. Initially I told myself I wanted to be a doctor, so I took up medical technology. I was a wide-eyed high schooler who had no idea what was in store for me, but I dreamt high. I had a fullproof plan and I knew how to get there (or so I thought):

A. Gumraduate ng MT at mag Med

B. Mag MT nlng, magwork at mag-abroad

C. Mag-asawa ng Doktor

But ayaw ko sa C kasi gustong gusto ko talaga si A and B was the backup plan. I told myself aside from being the best premed ‘daw’, when the time comes that I realize I don’t want to be a doctor anymore, I would still have the option to work overseas if I become a medtech. Pero dun talaga ako nadala sa best premed tbh 😂

I’ve had a lot of ups and downs sa course na ito that eventually took me to a path less travelled, one I don’t see others taking. A very unconventional path because wala akong mapagtanungan e, if may problema I always have to rely on myself. (i.e. processing documents for state license which is different from ASCPi and a LOT harder cause you have to study again for it and no hindi pa po ako nag ASCPi kasi it’s not accepted by NY, so gets niyo gano kacomplicated?)

Fast forward 5 years after, never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined being where I am at now—processing my documents for my state licensure exam in New York. It felt a miracle being able to even set foot here. Yung backup plan ko became my career and Med became my backup plan.

Do I still want to be a doctor? Oo naman. I’m not giving up on that dream.

But right now I just want to enjoy the things I have right now and explore this foreign place. What the future has in store, let it surprise me.

P.S. I do appreciate the updates PASMETH made with the new curriculum for K-12 seeing that molecular biology is now included plus one year na internship. If you plan kasi on working abroad esp US, California requires one year of internship while NY requires molecular biology...so yep kaya ako nag-aaral ulit.

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Hello There.

This blog is a little bit of something I’ve started as a New Year’s Resolution, that if I survived the hell 2015 was, I would start something that would inspire me to keep on moving forward…sooo tada!

I will always have a love-hate relationship with my program and that’s how it will always be, but I’m happy where I’m at even if this kind of happiness is somewhat ‘torturous’. Sleepless nights 24/7 because every day exams, I can’t even enjoy a decent lunch at 12 noon when I’ve got an exam to cram for at 1 pm, plus there’s also the post/ pretests that I could never pass. And let’s not start about the outings and celebrations I missed. Seriously. How can you call this happiness? Well, it’s retrospective, the kind that when you look back at yourself 2 years ago, back to when you first started college, you remember being just a freshman drifting along the crowd, unsure of where you were going, just following what people were doing, where people were going, but now you’re here. Where people have failed, you are still standing. Where people quit, you still continued, and I guess that’s what counts for me, that no matter how many times I’ve failed, it’s not the failure that matters but what you did to get back up again.

I’m writing this blog in the hope that to whomever is reading this, whenever you feel down and on the verge of quitting, know you are not alone. Medtech is hard, Medtech is cruel. It will make you cry. It is like a bad nightmare haunting you every night, leaving you sleepless—breathless even. But if you love what you do, you will not quit no matter how hard things go.

In my school, people would say ‘do it for the blue labgown,’ but for me, I’d say ‘do it for yourself’. You’ve come this far, why quit now?

May this blog serve as a testament that you can conquer your obstacles and overcome your worst fears if you don’t quit.

P.S. the blue lab gown is something only CDU interns can wear so it’s kind of a trophy of some sort for all of us aspiring 4th years. Also, I literally do not screen what my thoughts scream at me and just type away, so I am sorry for the sensitive humans of this planet as the future posts will (sometimes) contain explicit content—just me and my fondness for profanity, meh.

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Wow. It’s been three years. Ang bilis ng panahon! If you’re reading this, paalala lang na sana you never give up on your dreams. Mahirap man but it will be worth it in the end. Laban lang!

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2018 HIGHLIGHTS

Oral revalidas with my OLFU co-interns

Ya girl finally graduating

RMT oath-taking ceremony at Philippine International Convention Center with EAMC fellow interns-turned-fammm

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January 8, 2019 5:47PM

I finally got in!!!

It was a lot of effort without assurance. Being a foreign student weighs very differently talaga than when you’re a local or a US citizen but maybe God had plans. And to think school starts the same month I got my acceptance.

I really thought I wasn’t gonna make it this semester cause I applied last September exactly the same week board results were released and didn’t get a reply til November. By December they kept putting off evaluating my documents so I really thought I would have to re-apply for August. Thinking of filing my transcripts (2 weeks), course description (1 month) and requesting for recommendation letters all over again made my head ache huhu. Thankfully, I don’t have to.

So yeah, 2019’s off to a good start.

TYSM, Papa G.