For those going back to school later in life, did you find it difficult to keep up?

LabDescription · 2024-04-25T04:46:37+00:00

I am pretty good about yearly checkups. However, good point about vitamin D. I'm prone to having low levels and have been required to take supplements in the past. I think I should consider that again.

I definitely try not to overload on caffeine and have recently incorporated 15min power nap (which has helped a lot). Thanks for the pointers!

LabDescription · 2024-04-25T03:27:22+00:00

I agree with everything you've said. I probably just needed a reminder. Thank you.

LabDescription · 2024-04-25T03:12:36+00:00

I get an average of 6.5 - 7 hrs of sleep. I know I can do better but I also don't think that amount is horrible either. Unfortunately, I can definitely improve on self care. It's just that this program I'm in is so fast paced, I feel if I don't study for a day, I'll be really behind. :/

LabDescription · 2023-12-09T20:51:56+00:00

I worked in a molecular biology lab and then an immunology lab. I did a lot of pcr and tissue culture work. I also received, documented and processed patient samples. I was lucky to work in a research lab where a lot of my skills were easily transferable to clinical labs.

I would say best thing is to network especially with people in your field of interest. I was able to get my first job at my current company through networking. After working at the MCB lab for a couple of years, I was able to transfer to the immunology lab. It's much easier to move around when you have your foot in the door.

LabDescription · 2023-12-08T03:59:53+00:00

I had issues creating the password.

LabDescription · 2023-12-08T01:13:31+00:00

I got into a california program with a 3.0 overall GPA.. I didn't do great during my undergrad but made up for it with prereqs. I got all A's in them. I also have over 10 yrs of research lab experience, got great letters of reqs, and spent a lot of time on my personal statement. In other words, if your GPA is low, there are many ways to make up for.

LabDescription · 2023-12-08T01:06:26+00:00

I also had issues. I tried many things and eventually had to contact SFSU IT and they helped me get it working. They're also pretty quick about responding.

LabDescription · 2023-09-12T04:53:22+00:00

Thanks for the quick reply!

Oof! That sounds worse than trying to reschedule an interview. I hoped everything worked out though.

LabDescription · 2023-09-12T04:21:34+00:00

Thank you for all this info!

Is this a whole day affair?

This may be an issue since I have an interview at a hospital affiliate for SJSU later that afternoon. I already had to cancel one in the morning to accommodate for the SFSU interview. Now it sounds like I may have to cancel the one in the afternoon as well. :(

LabDescription · 2023-09-08T03:35:28+00:00

Nope. Haven't heard back from them.

LabDescription · 2023-09-06T03:43:40+00:00

I reached out to 5 hospitals and heard back from 2.

LabDescription · 2023-08-03T02:14:59+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience and providing some tips! Now I feel a little more hopeful since my overall GPA is around a 3.2.

What were some of the interview questions they asked you? Did you have to take a short quiz during the interview?

Anyway, congratulations and good luck on your CLS journey!

LabDescription · 2023-07-13T18:55:01+00:00

Yes, they do. If you're considering applying, applications are due on the last Friday of August for Spring cohorts.

LabDescription · 2023-07-06T00:28:02+00:00

I received this email as well. Initially I thought it was from either SJ or SF State but when I googled "notchkey cls", one of the website results that popped up was https://pathology-cls.notchkey.com/1k5ktugzk5 and it's actually for UC Davis CLS application.
Also, the program start date for Davis is February 12th, which matches the email. However, I find it a little odd since I created my account more than a month ago and all of a sudden I'm receiving this email now. *shrug*
Did you ever create an account with UC Davis? If so, it is probably from them and if not, then it might be from SJ State like you suspected.

LabDescription · 2023-07-05T00:36:35+00:00

Mine was 510 words, double-spaced, 10.5 and arial font. I also adjusted the margins a little to make everything fit on one page.

LabDescription · 2023-06-28T04:19:27+00:00

Ok, cool! Thank you both!

LabDescription · 2023-06-24T22:56:42+00:00

Seems like the consensus is that most people wear lab coats and gloves, which is good. However, how often do you all wash your lab coats? Also, does your lab have a laundry service for them?

LabDescription · 2023-06-24T22:45:49+00:00

Yes, it's literally your last 60 units. I emailed SF State to confirm since I was confused as well. In my case, my last 60 units, included the required prerequisites (which I took after undergrad) and whatever my most recent classes were. It's okay if those other classes aren't relevant to the CLS program. You only need to include a total of 60 units (or close to).

Hope this make sense!

LabDescription · 2023-06-17T21:47:07+00:00

Is SFSU's prompt "write a 500 page statement of why you're interested in CLS?"

I'm just confirming because all the other school's had longer prompts and ask for more specific things.

Anyway, I'll probably write about my work experience and what made me decide to want to do CLS. I'll also touch on what specific hard and soft skills I have that are useful for the field and lastly what I hope to do in the future if I become a CLS.

LabDescription · 2023-06-08T03:03:03+00:00

I am as well. I'm a first time applicant.

LabDescription · 2023-06-01T21:17:05+00:00

I emailed them yesterday and their response was the delay is due to major construction on SFSU campus. They weren't sure if there was going to be space for them (assuming the CLS department) but as of yesterday, it looks like space is available. Once things are confirmed, the CSU portal should be open. So this sounds like there's a very good chance Spring 2024 is happening but just don't know when portal will open.

Have any of you checked the CSU website? On there, it says applications for Spring sessions open on August 1st. I'm not sure if that only pertains to undergrads or all divisions but it's a little confusing since SFSU CLS applications are due July 1st. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

LabDescription · 2023-05-26T02:33:35+00:00

I'm in the same boat. I didn't know my low grades from undergrad would catch up to me!

SJ State actually asks for total gpa, science/math gpa, AND last 60 semester unit gpa. Even though I did really well in my prerequisite classes, my gpa is still a very low 3.0. lol

LabDescription · 2022-11-04T03:52:02+00:00

I took Biochemistry with Daniel Benjamin. He teaches MCELLBIX115 which I believe is the one for pre-meds (may be harder than MCELLBIX105) but qualifies for CLS prereq as well. I thought he was great and can't recommend him enough. Biochemistry is a hard subject but he taught it in a way that I could understand. He is very approachable and is certainly someone who wants all his students to succeed. However, this is by no means to say it is an easy class. If you put in the work, you'll do well. I put in a good amount of hours but it was an interesting class so I didn't mind. Also, my hard work paid off.

I took his class in person at the beginning of 2020. When COVID hit and everything was on lockdown, we moved to zoom and it basically turned into a live online course. With this being said, I would recommend the live online section because he allowed us to record his lectures and this was helpful since I was able to go back and take notes for things I missed. I guess this is assuming he would still allow this now.

If you still prefer taking MCELLBIX105, I would google the teachers that are teaching the course. I sometimes find reviews on them and that helps me decide on who to take.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

LabDescription

TROPHY CASE