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Curiosity // #ADayInTheLifeOfABiomedicalScientist
1. "Whachya doing?" she asked having loaded the last lot of ESRs on the machine and noticing that I was in the middle of pipetting. There was an hour or so left of the late shift and I had sat down to do the evening controls.
1. "Whachya doing?" she asked having loaded the last lot of ESRs on the machine and noticing that I was in the middle of pipetting. There was an hour or so left of the late shift and I had sat down to do the evening controls.
2. She persisted, "Can I ask a question?"
Uh-oh. She was like me. If there was a thought, question or idea that had been brewing at the back of my mind, and the effervescence became too much, I'd start the conversation with that. Ask any of my current or previous colleagues.
Uh-oh. She was like me. If there was a thought, question or idea that had been brewing at the back of my mind, and the effervescence became too much, I'd start the conversation with that. Ask any of my current or previous colleagues.
3. "Of course," I replied, trying to think whether I had added the patient's plasma to the reverse group containing the A and B reagent cells. They both looked empty.
"So as you can see, I am setting up a manual group." I explained.
"So as you can see, I am setting up a manual group." I explained.
4. I could see her from the corner of my eye and knew what was coming but tried to ignore her and focus on the neonate sample with a few drops of precious plasma.
"Can I have a go too?" she asked as I lowered the pipette into the tube while holding my breath.
"Can I have a go too?" she asked as I lowered the pipette into the tube while holding my breath.
5. "Hmmm..." she was an MLA at the time and doing manual blood groups wasn't really part of her job description. It was something only trainee or registered #biomedicalscientists did. But I enjoyed doing what I do and talking about it with others.
"Sure," I said. "But..."
"Sure," I said. "But..."
6. "But what...?"
"But first I'll, ask you some questions and once you can answer them, then maybe you can have a go. Deal?"
She shuffled closer and put on her game face.
I scrunched up my nose because I kept sucking up red cells into the pipette. Patience.
"But first I'll, ask you some questions and once you can answer them, then maybe you can have a go. Deal?"
She shuffled closer and put on her game face.
I scrunched up my nose because I kept sucking up red cells into the pipette. Patience.
7. "So let's start at the basics," I began. "Right before we get to this grouping business. Blood transfusion is all about antigens and antibodies. What are they?"
Her face lit up. She knew the answer. "I know this."
"Okay. Go on."
"Antibody is a thing that binds the antigen."
Her face lit up. She knew the answer. "I know this."
"Okay. Go on."
"Antibody is a thing that binds the antigen."
8. I turned and looked at her, "Stop stop stop. You know what I've always told you..."
"What?" she interjected.
"....you are a scientist. So when we're having such discussions, speak like a scientist. Use the correct terminology. What exactly do you mean by thing?"
"What?" she interjected.
"....you are a scientist. So when we're having such discussions, speak like a scientist. Use the correct terminology. What exactly do you mean by thing?"
9. She never got to do a manual group that evening, but that didn't dissuade her. Over the next few days we discussed about forward and reverse groups, what exactly is inside each well of the grouping card and why it's important. I told her about the 3 cell antibody screen.
10. She was quick at picking up information, absorbing anything I said. After a few days, once I had showed her how much of the reagent cells was added and to the relevant well and how much patient plasma was added, I let her set-up a few controls alongside me.
11. She remembered what I had told her well. After the groups had finished and the centrifuge alerted us to the fact with a short jingle followed by the sound of the lid opening, she brought the cards to me.
"Setting up a test is easy..." I said quickly eyeballing the cards.
"Setting up a test is easy..." I said quickly eyeballing the cards.
12. "...The hard part is interpreting the results. So start on QC1 and tell me the group."
She took out the card and lifted it up to the light.
"Okay, so the first well is positive, the second well is negative..."
I knew the answers, as I did the 4 QCs regularly.
She took out the card and lifted it up to the light.
"Okay, so the first well is positive, the second well is negative..."
I knew the answers, as I did the 4 QCs regularly.
13. "The first one is A Neg?" She said in a voice shaking more than a leaf in the wind.
"Are you sure?"
"Ummm yes."
"Excellent! You're correct. Have confidence in what you say. Now the next one?"
"Are you sure?"
"Ummm yes."
"Excellent! You're correct. Have confidence in what you say. Now the next one?"
14. A few months afterwards, she was able to secure herself a trainee biomedical scientist post. Her curiosity was insatiable. Luckily she was surrounded by individuals who were willing to feed that curiosity.
15. Millions had seen apples fall but it was only Newton who asked 'why?'.
Knowledge is sacred. It is no-one's property, but everyone's right, so whether you're learning or giving it out to your students, colleagues, juniors or others remember it is okay to say you don't know.
Knowledge is sacred. It is no-one's property, but everyone's right, so whether you're learning or giving it out to your students, colleagues, juniors or others remember it is okay to say you don't know.
16. This is a thank you to all teachers, trainers and mentors go out their way to pass on knowledge and experience to the curious ones. Who let that flame burn and develop rather than snuffing it out. They are the ones who allow the Newtons and the Rosalinds to grow.
17. A few weeks ago, she completed her @IBMScience registration portfolio and applied to @The_HCPC for registration. If she keeps that curiosity burning, she will make a great #biomedicalscientist. Well done AMN.
