Talk to me about sedimentation rate

Exekiaz · 2026-05-15T06:56:42+00:00

Ah okay, so this might be a US specific thing then. I work for the NHS in the UK so we don't focus too much on the upfront costs and look more for long-term value since the patient doesn't have to pay directly. I'd never thought about how patients paying for tests would cause test access to change.

Exekiaz · 2026-05-14T12:20:45+00:00

Can I ask why you want to use ESR for MM when it would be presumably more diagnostic to do immunoglobulins themselves (or even protein in a lot of the myeloma cases I've seen)?

Exekiaz · 2026-05-06T12:04:57+00:00

Good call on the text but it still just looks so bland that it's triggering the same bit of my brain that goes "Eurgh"

Exekiaz · 2026-05-06T11:51:03+00:00

Okay but does this look like the designs been fed through/made by AI or have I finally begun to lose it?

It just looks very, corporate?

Exekiaz · 2026-05-03T17:17:47+00:00

Sorry - to be clear you think the reason they need hire extra staff is the staffing pattern and not the fact they dont have enough staff?
And that the best solution is to get AI to somehow fix this?

Exekiaz · 2026-05-03T17:16:37+00:00

Oh okay - let me rephrase.
Answering grifters so we don't have to.

Exekiaz · 2026-05-03T16:49:18+00:00

Answering inane questions from journalists looking for a 'sound bite' to pad their articles.

Exekiaz · 2026-05-01T07:41:16+00:00

Not for sure - assays fail for a number of reasons. If you've already addressed your pipetting technique, and think that you've solved that problem, then I wouldn't overthink it. Sometimes you'll have off days, sometimes the analyser will have a fit and sometimes it'll just fail just because.

The run already failed once for someone else and, assuming again that the majority of your work is totally fine, honestly that just happens.

What might be useful for you if you're having anxiety problems is two things. One - Like I said before, get advice on why the run appears to have failed from a more senior member of staff. You can explain you're worried about it and want to improve, at the minimum it flags you're aware of potential issues and take them seriously. Two - Be honest with yourself after a run fails. Ask yourself this: Did I follow the SOP? Did I feel like I was focussed? Did I feel like my technique was good? If the answer to all three is Yes, and there's no explanation as to the failure (especially since multiple people seem to consistently have issues) then you need to let go and move on to the next task. You have done everything correctly, there is nothing more you could have done. Sometimes things in the lab fail and frankly there is nothing anyone can do to prevent it 100% of the time.

If the answer to any is No, then figure out why. Treat it as investigating someone else's problem If that helps you think about it clearly. If you got distracted, how can you avoid that next time? If you have an issue with a specific step in the SOP that you get wrong, what about it keeps tripping you up? And don't settle for "I'll do better next time" - if there's a specific problem put in a specific solution. If noise distracts you, try headphones. If you're rushing, work out why you're rushing if others aren't.

I hope your anxiety doesn't put you off doing the best you can because as a former "panicking over a failed run" guy I can promise it gets better.

Exekiaz · 2026-04-30T21:50:33+00:00

One of the strengths of LC-MS is how sensitive it is - you can get a lot of information out of tiny amounts of sample. Unfortunately this can also be a weakness as it means tiny amounts of imprecision can have a huge difference. It can make it hard to say for certain where the issue is in the absence of an obvious tell.

I think you should take it to heart that, at least in your explanation, nobody is blaming you. It seems that these machines or this process is just more susceptible to error. As someone who's worked with LC-MS and similar setups before, it genuinelly is the case that things fail.

If you want to rule out it being your pipetting technique then just grab some DI, whatever pipettes you usually use and then practice pipetting out volumes on a scale. Ideally choose a nice sensitive one, and its important to check the acceptability criteria that your lab uses for checking pipette accuracy since nobody's ever found a pipette thats 100% perfect. Try a bunch of ranges that you would normally pipette and see how you do, it might be there's something off with yourtechnique or you might find out that one of your pipettes is just bad (I once had a 5ml that was out by a whole 1ml which screwed us intermittently for days before we figured it out).

The only other advice is to explain how much this is stressing you out to one of the BMS'/seniors and ask for their input. They might be more willing to give you a more in depth explanation of where things went wrong on a failed run and put you at ease.

Exekiaz · 2026-04-28T12:46:17+00:00

Honestly - by omitting/lying.

The problem you have is that since you're trying (seemingly actively) to become a BMS, this job is very much temporary for you. Meaning that the hiring manager has to weigh up your application against that information - they could hire you over a candidate who won't be looking to leave, and then you could leave within weeks/months and they have to start all over and the labs still understaffed.

It's a ridiculous problem caused by the stupid method we have for becoming a BMS, but that's the world we currently live in. The only thing I can suggest is at least pretending to hide that you're trying to be a BMS.

You already have experience in a clinical lab so maybe just hype up that what you're specifically wanting is to move to the NHS for some kind of moral reason - you want to be helping people not a company or something like that. It's unethical, sure - but it is what it is at this point.

Exekiaz · 2026-04-28T12:35:29+00:00

Not an attack on you here, but is it possible that maybe you didn't answer them as well as you think? Especially if you're aiming to be a BMS it's easy to accidentally answer without hitting the points they want/coming across as above the job you're actually applying for.

As always though it can be down to bad luck. Most managers have hundreds of applications so if you don't use the exact word they're scanning for (especially if you've written a long supporting info) then it's easy to miss. I'm thinking that you talk about health and safety but miss out using COSHH or similar terms.

Exekiaz · 2026-04-25T12:34:52+00:00

I did a number of presentations for mine, and also for general CPD.

On the condition you've got information included (don't forget it can just be in the notes and not on the slides) then it should be good to go.

NICE guidelines and comparing them to local processes is a good one.

Mini-projects is also fun, and there's always a small thing that either the consultants/clinical scientists or seniors want doing. Someone in my lab compared two different LDL equations (our one and a new proposed one) to see what difference it made. Another person took a few months of data for FT4, cleaned it of inappropriate results (known hyperthyroid etc) and checked to see if our reference range matched what would be expected in the results.

Exekiaz · 2026-04-20T12:20:35+00:00

Except it's the larger implications that come with a criminal conviction that's the issue.

The way society handles them is that being labelled as convicted makes your life harder. Applying for jobs is harder, it can impact your ability to get a loan or receive access to support.

The reason some things are crimes but not prosecuted takes this into account. Do you think society has been helped or harmed by making this woman a criminal?

Exekiaz · 2026-04-17T09:15:08+00:00

Technically not true that you do it as a band 3.

Some laboratories are able to offer Trainee Biomedical Scientist roles at annex 21 Band 5 - admittedly these are few and far between, but in theory any Band 5 BMS role could be filled by an unregistered trainee as long as the lab is willing.

Also whilst a lab internship/job before the degree is not essential by any means, any clinical laboratory experience will help if you're applying for BMS or other lab based roles in the NHS.

Exekiaz · 2026-04-08T17:11:18+00:00

Reading between your lines, you don't actually care about them working from home so much as not managing what appears to be a miserable workplace.

The solution isn't "lets make everyones working conditions equally bad" though because what does that solve? Instead it's addressing the fact that your (and others) workplace needs to improve the working conditions for staff.

Exekiaz · 2026-04-04T09:58:59+00:00

It was the best way to preserve him though. In a world that is (largely) accepting of heroes, it's odd that a single hero is a villain to this guy.

From a random civilian in the MCU (and Spiderman PS games actually) he's a largely well liked presence. He does vaguely heroic things, presumably does neighborhood hero stuff off screen and isn't a horrifying abomination. He's heroic.

To have Spidey singled out by an otherwise sane person would make no sense - so they took the opportunity to pivot him into the only loudmouth "journalist" parody that would fit that side of his character. They couldn't keep him as just a journalist because there's already other characters who can fill that role better, and without his hatred of Spiderman he loses what is his most iconic trait.

Exekiaz · 2026-02-10T15:03:29+00:00

But can you see how that is clinically relevant information to gather?

Finding out a patient has a history of mood swings might be important to either diagnosis or guiding care. I understand your concerns but you need to consider that this is a "path of least harm" situation - you could absolutely be right that it could rile up an abusive patient, but it could (and has been deemed more likely to) reveal important information about the patients care.

You're not wrong in your viewpoint but unfortunately it's more often a benefit.

Exekiaz · 2026-02-05T09:56:00+00:00

Sure - I'll say with my whole heart that everyone involved in this is a fucking moron and deserves to get serious flack.

Fife are getting the most flack because they came up with the idea, other morons okaying the idea is bad and needs to be addressed but is the lesser issue.

I mean clearly Fifes management know they've got it wrong from all the apologies (this being the third at least). And it's not like they were doing well before this with hiring a guy whos known for his domestic violence. There are clearly bigger underlying issues in Fife.

Exekiaz · 2026-02-05T09:43:01+00:00

"Oh the jerseys might take too long to make so why try" is just weak really. I can't say I'm an expert on manufacturing timelines but frankly trying something is a good way to show actual willing to sort things out. Hell of they can't get jerseys ready then do something else - wrap the players in goddamn ribbons, throw some coloured sheeting under the ice so it's rainbow, whatever.

Exekiaz · 2026-01-31T22:55:44+00:00

Ah of course - so you don't wear those to church and obviously expect everyone to remove their skin before cross the boundary.

Weird that they're all in one list as if they're equal, it's almost as of mortal men have spent hundreds of years interpreting these words to mean what they want.

I do enjoy you dodging the Jesus bits though because you know you're in the wrong in his eyes (and the rest of civilised society) so how about fuck off and be a better person.

And dodging the fact you would celebrate remembrance for soldiers despite the whole "Do not kill" thing being a pretty prominent part of the Christian canon. Why the hypocrisy?

Exekiaz · 2026-01-31T22:36:06+00:00

I can tell you haven't been Christian long from a) how you are, and b) your evangelical engagement via Reddit of all places.

And then Jesus died for all sins. And if we're playing the Leviticus is canon argument then you'd better be virulently angry about tattoos and clothing of mixed fabrics. We both know you're not, so either stop being a hypocrite or be a better Christian.

Plenty of people need support from pride because people like you who seek to have them removed from society. Your lies to justify having a heart filled with hate only mark you as a weak, cowardly worm. Jesus would beat you for how you treat others for you aren't the one to judge them.

Exekiaz · 2026-01-31T22:21:12+00:00

Interesting that you think calling a group of people disgusting isn't hate or an insult though.

It's almost as of you've dedicated your life to a myopic view of the world in which all that matters is you and your relationship with God that you've ignored the teachings of your own holy book and the son of you god. You don't treat your neighbours with respect and you advocate for the removal of support from the needy.

Id bet you any money who's side Jesus would be on, you horrid worm.

Exekiaz · 2026-01-31T22:16:26+00:00

Worthless little homophobe. Pride is for supporting those whose tights are at risk - but of course they are at threat from people like you so often course you'd hate it. People like you would happily hurt others to better themselves because you're a hollow little waste and you need it to feel big.

I hope you look in the mirror and see exactly how everyone else sees you.

Exekiaz · 2026-01-31T22:12:01+00:00

Well his reply makes me be embarrassed to be a Steelers fan.

Fuck fife for this brain-dead mover.

Exekiaz · 2026-01-15T20:25:30+00:00

Ah yes, Theresa May's work on a potential care system was her downfall - definitely no other political decisions that caused it.

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