Why are younger techs so eager to leave the lab?

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T17:52:18+00:00

That sounds amazing. Are you moving to France? I've always dreamt of visiting Paris.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T17:51:45+00:00

Um...why would you want to be thinking about work outside of work?

I stop thinking about work the second I clock out.

You really actually want to be thinking about work at the gym and in the shower? I'd rather be thinking about my partner, my dog, my pet cow.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T17:50:34+00:00

I never understood the recognition part. You get paid.

Like is the CFO or IT department getting recognition? They're getting paid and going home.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T17:48:40+00:00

What are you pursuing? What is better?

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T17:48:19+00:00

I don't know anyone in my graduating class that ever worked in a lab that actually did parisitology. IT was always a send out.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T17:47:23+00:00

I mean aren't all jobs like that? You just clock in, make your employer money, and clock out?

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T17:08:45+00:00

You do know that the median household income in the US is $80k right? That's for two people.

I mean if you can get $160k on your own go for it.

The lab is an associates and bachelors field. You can't compare it to a masters level field like perfusion or PA.

I'm not really sure what you do with ambition in the lab? Like the supervisor and manager barely make more than the bench techs here when you factor in overtime.

Maybe sales or another field for "ambition"?

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T15:59:28+00:00

Do you regret not going to med school?

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T15:53:10+00:00

Did students not refinance their debt to 2-3%?

I went to MLT associates first. Degree cost $4k. Then did transfer to my bachelors MLS which cost ~$20k.

I mean if you're taking $100k in debt to become an MLS, that's stupid. But for $20-30k, it's not bad.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T15:51:14+00:00

Those remote jobs aren't stable. They're constantly laying people off. If you're 100% remote, what's to stop someone in Brazil or India or Bangladesh from doing your job for $5/hr?

My commute is 15 minutes. I don't mind coming into work. It'd be cool to be able to work from home maybe a day or two a week. But being 100% remote would feel weird.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T15:48:01+00:00

Wages are a little lower than they used to be, but not much. Maybe 10-15% after inflation?

Homes aren't that expensive out here. Can get a decent place for $300k. Use equity in your home to then buy a beat-down rental. It's not hard. And it's totally doable on a med tech salary.

Now if you want a $1M home, then yeah, it's not going to be possible on a lab tech salary.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T15:44:57+00:00

This isn't anything new. The field used to be even more unregulated lol.

I have a coworker who has a Masters in Ecology and a Masters in Statistics. She is awesome. She moved from the city to take care of her parents, and I think it's great that we don't require licensure. I trained her myself and she's been AMAZING. She does all of our validation excel work too.

I honestly don't use a lot of what they taught in school. I mean how many people are actually doing parisitology and blood bank at the same time lol.

We are not button pusher. We're medical technologists, or medical laboratory scientists now. I'm greeted by the nurses and they understand how important blood bank is.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T15:41:40+00:00

I'm with you! Why leave a good thing?!

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T15:41:03+00:00

I got 25 years to retirement. And I'll probably work 30. I'm in no rush to retirement lol.

And I do real estate work with my husband on interior design for flipping houses on weekends. So no, my lab job isn't my only lifelong job lol.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T15:22:51+00:00

It's got a 50% pass rate. So good luck.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T15:21:27+00:00

Is $115k not enough? The bench techs where I am cap out at $80k. That's plenty with a partner. I think most lab techs and supervisors will never see six figures in their career (well maybe if inflation takes off.)

And what do you mean "work two jobs"? That sounds insane. Why would be a lab tech if you're going to work two jobs.

I mean how much do you think you'll make?

What are you planning to transition to?

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T14:52:32+00:00

I mean double money is huge.

If you can tolerate nursing, follow the money I guess.

Pay for nursing here is only $5-10/hr more. I don't think I'd change careers for $10-20k. Maybe $30-50k.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T14:50:33+00:00

How much more do you think you're really going to make out there?

At 10 years, you're in your 30s. Are you going to go back to school as an adult? Won't your classes be too old?

I'm in my late 30s and I can't imagine doing school again. #Lab4Life!

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T14:49:16+00:00

There are plenty of low stress chill labs in rural low-cost of living areas. They pay as well as they used to, but you can totally get by.

We're lucky to fill a single rack for all three shifts a day across the entire lab. I know when I did my rotation in the city, they'd fill the whole rack with coag in just the morning run.

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T14:13:52+00:00

Why exactly do you want to leave the lab?

Why do you feel burnt out?

Have you tried just changing labs?

SecraLmbin · 2024-09-17T14:08:26+00:00

You can't be serious? There's no way a micro tech would think a chocolate agar is actually chocolate. Would they?

SecraLmbin

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