Aaron Odegard
Laboratory Quality Coordinator at Baptist Health, Jacksonville, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, USA
Intro to pathology? My favorite part of high school and college was the lab – I loved the hands-on and practical applications. By chance, I got to tour a local medical laboratory science program and once I learned there was a profession where I could help people and work in the laboratory, I was hooked. I found an even stronger passion in microbiology. Every patient, culture, and case are a puzzle that needs my piece to complete the diagnosis! Who wouldn’t want to be in medical laboratory medicine?
Controversial opinion? You have to be brave and think beyond the walls of the laboratory. As laboratory professionals, we become very comfortable being at the microscope, examining microbiology culture plates, and running complex analyzers. We have to be willing to journey outside of the walls. This is multifaceted – bringing testing to the communities we serve and stepping into leadership roles outside the day-to-day bench work. Some of these roles include laboratory educators, LIS coordinators, QA/Safety coordinators, and even roles in industry. You have to become comfortable standing up and speaking for others. The laboratory needs a place at the table. Pull up a chair and bring more awareness to the value the laboratory care team contributes to the rest of the health care team.
Professional ambitions? I want to be a part of continuing to reshape the field of medical laboratory medicine. This is not something that can be achieved alone – everyone plays a role and I have found mine in laboratory education. As a member of the University of Arkansas Medical Science (UAMS), I get to teach hundreds of students striving to continue their Medical Laboratory Science B.S Degrees. The program provides educational access and opportunities for advancement across the United States. I carry this core value of providing education and access in the rest of my professional and volunteer roles. Ultimately, I want to empower students and fellow laboratory professions on their journeys. This will hopefully be at a non-profit organization or becoming a medical laboratory science program director. Don’t let anyone tell you to “stay in your lane”. Be bold and brave. We’ve a limited time in this world. Make it count!
