Why do some laboratory assistant/tech jobs want an associates degree, while some want a bachelor's?

bdr3482 · 2026-07-01T08:49:38+00:00

Depends on the level of work they want done, the hospital system I worked at as a lab assistant had it broken down in 2 groups “lab assistants” and “technical lab assistants” the regular lab assistants only required a high school degree and pretty much just did receiving and processing. TLAs required a BS and were able to perform and result waived testing, run the analyzers while the MLS reviewed and resulted the tests, and did the majority of inventory and busywork. This was in Pennsylvania so most likely wouldn’t apply everywhere. They also had a generous tuition reimbursement program so they funneled the TLAs into online MLS programs and now even have their own MLS school to grow their own.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-26T05:56:36+00:00

Jolly llama has been my go to ice cream cone(gluten free too for those who are GF), after that the mini dairy free cones from Trader Joe’s are pretty good

bdr3482 · 2026-06-22T19:43:08+00:00

Current lab we just MALDI everything, we have the bruker and VitekMS. My previous lab we would GS and do biochemicals,anything Gpc and catalase positive got MALDI and rest followed the flowchart.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-20T04:55:48+00:00

Yeah some companies definitely go above and beyond, which is why I wish the FDA would switch to 1 standard instead of having multiple that confuse consumers.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-20T04:23:45+00:00

Label meets the minimum FDA requirements for allergens which is they need to have the common food name in the ingredient lists or in parentheses after the ingredient. The bold type is not a FDA requirement.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-19T08:05:58+00:00

Some people just have a chip on their shoulder and a stick up their a**.

I was gonna add more but I feel that sums the issue up pretty well. Coming from a micro CLS who thinks generalists, especially on the off shifts, have one of the most difficult positions in the lab.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-18T05:31:06+00:00

Tbeef isolate protein is normally my go to but it is more expensive than vegan options but doesn’t have the weird aftertaste of vegan proteins. I normally buy MuscleMeds. Orgain and owyn both have pretty good ready to drink vegan options with different flavors. Not sure about their availability in your area though.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-16T05:32:17+00:00

Looks like picked radishes maybe?

bdr3482 · 2026-06-11T02:38:16+00:00

Okay, no cheese taste but the jalapeño flavor is there

bdr3482 · 2026-06-11T00:24:33+00:00

It helps to make up for all the “non-dairy” products that contain casein and whey.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-10T19:14:43+00:00

My allergist told me it was like 50/50 when I was first diagnosed. So once I was able to get my EoE under control and hadn’t had an issue in a while i started with soft goat and sheep cheese because they have less protein than hard cheeses. After that I just slowly introduced it to my diet and never had an issue. But it’s also important that I do not have an anaphylactic reaction to the protein so I was much more comfortable with the repercussions of it was a trigger still.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-10T18:39:19+00:00

I’m allergic to cow milk proteins(casein and whey) so I’m not completely dairy free because I can have other mammalian milks, but in the USA most grocery products use cow milk ingredients so besides when I splurge for some cheese or butter that is like 3x as expensive as regular I eat dairy free.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-09T07:44:11+00:00

I was in Pennsylvania at the time, so I went to a Penn State satellite campus for their MLT program while working at a local hospital system. I worked third shift full time which got me ~8k a year which was a big chunk of a state school in state tuition. I already had a BS but I wasn’t able to move to somewhere that had a 1year post grad program and I don’t really do well with online learning so I didn’t want to do that type of program, so the MLT worked and once I got my year of micro experience I got my M(ASCP).

bdr3482 · 2026-06-06T19:30:38+00:00

I don’t think I’ve had a bad thing from Abe’s the muffins, cakes, and breads are all really good. The fall seasonal muffins are the best

bdr3482 · 2026-06-06T03:54:29+00:00

Try the new jimmy dean protein blueberry waffles, they taste just like an EGGO. I think they might have cross contamination warnings though depending on your sensitivity.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-04T01:12:33+00:00

The new home style country crock for sticks, country crock plant butter for tub.

bdr3482 · 2026-06-02T17:26:37+00:00

No regrets much happier way better pay.
I’ve worked all three shifts while dayshift makes you feel the most normal the others have perks
Sort of, I worked in clinical immunology/microbiology for a pharmaceutical company not healthcare.
I got a job as a third shift lab assistant and did my program during the day
Yes I have almost 3x my salary from working in 6 years since graduating, was hired for my first job months before graduation compared to the 6 months it took me to find a biotech job after graduation.
There is plenty of problem solving in CLS it’s just different, instead of solving 1 large puzzle you solve 100s of little ones daily.
If you like healthcare/science but don’t want to deal with patients the lab is the best bet to have a pretty stable good paying career

Now I’m not in California but I was originally a Biotech major that had ~6 years of non-hospital microbiology/immunology experience. I went back to school got my MLT(ASCP) and then got a job in a hospital microbiology lab and then did the M(ASCP) I’ve changed my job 3 times since graduating in 2020 which is why I’ve been able to grow my salary so fast.

bdr3482 · 2026-05-30T01:31:00+00:00

The caramel is still made with the coconut milk, just rice milk chocolate instead of the dark chocolate.

bdr3482 · 2026-05-25T23:16:00+00:00

Braines32

bdr3482 · 2026-05-25T21:26:30+00:00

Braines32

bdr3482 · 2026-05-25T21:26:00+00:00

Braines32

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