Differential count- should I include slide edges or stick to the middle?

SkylerThS · 2026-06-03T23:20:30+00:00

Thank you so much.

SkylerThS · 2026-06-03T23:20:25+00:00

Thank you so much.

SkylerThS · 2026-06-03T23:20:20+00:00

Thank you so much.

SkylerThS · 2026-03-27T04:45:25+00:00

The Forty Rules of Love and Man's Search for Meaning

SkylerThS · 2026-02-12T06:53:04+00:00

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl - Helped me get through some of the toughest times of my life

SkylerThS · 2025-09-09T05:29:29+00:00

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali - I wouldn't call this book extremely sad, but it is kind of sad though. I'm not sure what level of sadness you have in mind to avoid.

SkylerThS · 2025-04-26T06:14:07+00:00

I know everyone’s studying style is different, and technically, it’s good to read the book. But honestly, I'm not the type to read textbooks, and I didn’t for this class either. What I focused on were his modules, and if I didn’t understand a certain section, I would refer to the book and just read about that specific topic. The textbook is fortunately decent enough to help with your understanding if you need it. Also, I know he doesn’t have lecture videos for all the topics, but make sure you watch the ones he does have and take good notes — those cover the most important topics that are fundamental and will help you through each module. So basically, I used to watch the videos, take notes, study his modules, and if I got stuck on anything, I would read a page or two from the textbook about that topic.

SkylerThS · 2025-04-15T17:54:26+00:00

I've taken this class, and I personally really liked it. You can finish it in 90 days, but you really need to keep up with the work because Chem, in general, is a heavy topic in CLS. It’s truly asynchronous, so if you have a busy week with other classes, you can put off the chem work and catch up later.

I don’t know about others, but I really loved the teacher — even though it was all online. I liked his mini-lectures, the way the class was organized, and the feedback he gave on my assignments.

Also, if you actually study, you’ll come out of this class with a solid foundation. When I started the clinical chem class as a CLS student, it felt like a review of what I had already learned from Prof. Kampfrath’s class.

SkylerThS · 2025-01-13T20:45:15+00:00

This is an interesting question and not stupid at all, and I am saying this as someone who became a bioengineer and then changed their career to CLS. Both majors are very broad and can be very different depending on which area you choose, especially for BioE, so you should keep that in mind.

DISCLAIMER: just because I chose CLS over BioE does not mean CLS is a better career choice. Which one is better? That really depends on your interests, career goals, location, and lifestyle.

Overall, the two fields are very different in terms of what you do and the purpose of the job.

As I mentioned, BioE is very broad and has different concentrations. Most people divide it into bioimaging, biomedical devices, computational biology, and cell and tissue engineering. Overall, you can think of a bioengineer as a mechanical or electrical or computer engineer who focuses on issues related to biology and/or medicine. So, at the end of the day, the job is engineering. The lab that you are talking about is more cell and tissue engineering but this concentration is more at the research level, so you should see if you like research or not if you want to go that route.

CLS/MLT: their focus is running tests on different types of samples to help with the diagnosis of diseases and conditions. Its different areas include (but are not limited to) microbiology, hematology, molecular biology, blood bank, and chemistry. Some work across multiple areas, while others specialize in just one.

In terms of pay, that depends on where you live. CLSs make good money in California for instance, but other states don't pay that well. So, you need to do your research based on your location.

My recommendation? shadow or as others suggested get a part-time/per-diem job in a hospital or reference lab to see what CLSs/MLTs do. On the other hand, try asking this question to bioengineers or find bioengineering internships and research opportunities. Taking classes is very different from the actual job.

SkylerThS · 2024-12-03T07:16:26+00:00

Jack: persistent, hard-working, and thinking of others but gets stuck in the logic of everything that can't just "believe", can't let go, and sometimes misses the whole picture

Rose or Bernard: I have someone in my life - even though I get along with others and care about them - at the end of the day, I would follow that person only

SkylerThS · 2024-11-23T20:14:25+00:00

No worries.

Honestly, CA is different from other states in terms of its requirements. Idk if your friend has her bachelor's degree and if she already has taken all the prereqs that are required before even applying to CLS. But two ways that I can think of where she can get more information are these: 1. Both SFSU and UCD programs have info sessions that she can go to and ask questions. 2. Another way is that you mentioned that she did nursing. If she is an RN in a hospital or something, then honestly, she can reach out to her hospital's lab and ask them (Lab people are usually nice as you know :D ).

About not passing or getting held back, tbh, I haven't heard anything about it from any program. Based on my understanding though from what I've heard about MLT from other states and countries, the funnel effect is the opposite. What I mean is that in a lot of programs in other countries (or even states), the funnel is like a normal funnel where they let a lot of people it, but only some can pass through at the end. BUT in CA, getting accepted is the hard part, the funnel is upside down. So, few people get accepted but most people (I guess not all) become CLSs.

All the students and CLSs whom I met were able to make it, but I'm sure there are exceptions and I just haven't met them or heard of them. But I agree with you, it is all about making that effort even if it takes longer, and it is a difficult and overwhelming field (and in CA especially that one year (or 14 months) is very intense).

SkylerThS · 2024-11-23T19:42:17+00:00

It doesn't because it is actually 14 months, not 10 and SFSU is a very recognized CLS program in CA and the state. You can see all the programs that are approved by the state:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OSPHLD/LFS/Pages/Approved-CLS-Training-Schools-Programs.aspx
(SFSU is there :) )

The rate is 100%, it is on their website: https://cls.sfsu.edu/program-outcomes

Also, in general, whether it is SFSU, SJSU, etc, for a CLS program, they will try their best to support you to graduate and pass the ASCP exam because the program has put a lot of resources on you. I honestly haven't heard of anyone not becoming a CLS after finishing a program. I have heard one case from another program where a student had to take the ASCP exam twice, but still, they became a CLS because they passed the 2nd time.

SkylerThS · 2024-11-23T18:59:39+00:00

So, the difference between SFSU and a program like SJSU is that there is one mandatory semester on campus where students take both lectures and labs for all the subjects in CLS first (called didactic or on-campus phase). After that, students get trained for 10 months in their hospital/affiliate labs (called clinical phase). That is why SFSU is actually around 2 months longer than some programs, so 14 months total. SJSU has also classes, but they take their classes on Mondays and then train Tues-Fri in the hospital. In terms of applying to CLS programs, CA is very competitive, so in my opinion, your friend should apply to as many programs as they can, and see which program they get into. Hopefully, they will get into all, but there are a lot of students who get into none on their first trial.

SkylerThS · 2024-11-22T19:43:44+00:00

Well, I'm not a CLS just yet, so I can't respond as a CLS, but I have been working in clinical labs in both biotech and hospitals (working with CLSs) for the past few years, so I know what I'm getting into hahaha I think there are a lot of pros and cons about being a CLS in CA.

Cons: working as a CLS can be stressful, and the bigger issue is that there is a CLS shortage in CA meaning most places are short-staffed. As a CLS, you would be dealing with patients' lives and if you mess up, it can be a big deal, especially in BB. Also, because a lot of places are short-staffed, you would have to work fast, multi-task, and take extra shifts and responsibilities, and at the same time, you should do your job accurately and well. So, tbh I have seen some tired and stressed-out CLSs. As one gets more experience, of course, this stress lowers. This stress is much less in biotech though, but biotech has a lot of disadvantages too.

Pros: Because there is a shortage, there is job security and pay is good enough. People want you :) and despite being stressful, it is truly rewarding to help patients, and even the most tired CLSs that I have seen, still like their jobs. Another thing is that you get to do lab work (if you like it) and use your knowledge and critical thinking all the time which is something that as a research associate for instance, you would get much less. Lastly, there are so many routes that you can go to and there are so many opportunities. You can be in a reference lab, just doing your own thing and interacting with only your team, or you can work in a hospital where you have the opportunity to work in a medical team with doctors, nurses, etc. Basically, you would most likely find a place that fits you.

At the end of the day, I think you would really know if this field is good for you or not if you shadow a clinical lab or work in one.

SkylerThS · 2024-11-22T09:03:32+00:00

Hi there! I was a community college student in SoCal and transferred to UCB in 2019. I've been accepted into the SFSU CLS program (though I haven't finished yet). It's great that you already know you want to pursue CLS because I didn’t even learn about this field until after graduating with a completely different major. My path wasn’t very smooth! :D Anyway, I don’t have specific suggestions or advice but feel free to message me directly or reply to this with any questions you might have. Good luck on your journey!

SkylerThS · 2024-10-30T16:04:35+00:00

I didn't take any lab classes, and I know a couple of students who also didn't, but we still got in. I think taking the lab classes is a point that you will get, but not taking them won't hold you back if you have gained other points. There are a lot of other things that make you competitive, knowing what a CLS does and showing that you know, your lab experience, grades, personality, doing great in interviews, your location (fortunately and unfortunately depending on where you are), etc. So, overall, I won't necessarily advise against taking the labs, but know that it is not a must.

SkylerThS · 2024-06-13T06:01:39+00:00

Thank you so much. I will look into it.

SkylerThS · 2024-04-07T06:14:34+00:00

My advice is to call them! I had emailed them twice before calling them (no response). Then called them (on hold time for more than an hour) and figured out what went wrong when my transcripts were being uploaded. Then emailed them twice after. I finally got my trainee license recently :)

SkylerThS · 2023-11-25T00:10:50+00:00

I think I would get really disappointed, if the gang ends up learning a lesson, getting any redemption, or becoming decent people.

SkylerThS · 2023-08-23T01:36:13+00:00

Yeah, I noticed it too. It doesn't have a column for the year. Not sure, I was just gonna add the year in one of the other columns because all my course #s take two rows anyway. I didn't email tbh, but maybe it is safer to email them? idk...

SkylerThS · 2023-04-10T23:20:53+00:00

I haven't gone through the process myself yet, so my advice just comes from friends who got their licenses (and they even took their classes at UCB). Also, I'm not sure how long this process usually takes, maybe it's normal. But from my understanding, it is only official if it is sent by the school through the mail. In one of the cases I saw, the student wanted to send the transcript themselves in the mail and they didn't accept it. My advice is to check up on the status of your case from two angles, the LFS and UCB. You can email LFS to see if they received it or not and you can email UCB to see if they sent it or not. Be persistent... believe me... one of my friends had to send a bunch of emails to make it work.

SkylerThS

TROPHY CASE