For my informational interview, I decided to interview Jessica Mantini, the director of the Medical Lab Science program in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. I decided to interview her because I am extremely interested in Medical Lab Science as a future major. This interview strengthened my decision to work towards the Medical Lab Science major to become a medical lab technologist in the future. The interview questions and Jessica’s answers are below.

1.) What was your own academic and career path?

I graduated from this very program and while I was working as a medical lab scientist in the OSU Medical Center clinical lab, I attended graduate school here in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Services. During graduate school I worked as a graduate assistant in some courses and after graduation, a faculty member left and they offered me a position.

2.) In your opinion, what is one of the best things about the Medical Laboratory Science major?

The best things are that it is a small group of students who get to know each other and the faculty very well. It is also fun to get to apply all of your knowledge right away in the lab courses. It is also the best preparation for med school you can find in an undergraduate major.

3.) In your opinion, what is the biggest concern for students in this major?

Time management! Due to the long hours spent in the lab, and the large amount of material, students have to learn to commit to the program as their top priority, outside of jobs etc..

4.) What kinds of careers do graduates from this major pursue?

The vast majority work in a hospital clinical lab. Others work in private labs, such as LabCorp, public health labs, and industry, or companies who design lab tests/equipment. A few will work in research lab settings. Many go on to post-bachelorette studies.

5.) What kinds of research are students in this major participating in?

Very few of our undergraduates are actively doing research. We have a graduate major however, and they all do it. Mostly in labs of our faculty (HIV, cancer, MS) or doing things in the management or education arena of the medical center lab.

6.) Does this major lead to any special certification or licensing? If so, what?

We have multiple majors. Our Certification Track ends with eligibility to sit for a national exam to become MLS(ACP) certified which is required to practice in clinical labs in the US. Our medical science major is a pre-med, or similar, major that does not end in certification.

7.) What sorts of graduate programs do graduates of this major enter?

Graduate programs our alumni attend include medical school, physician assistant school, nurse practitioner school, master in public health program, master in healthcare administration programs, dental, vet, etc.

I did not realize that everyone in the graduate major participates in research, nor did I realize how many tracks people can take for graduate programs. I need to learn more about the different tracks you can take for medical lab science, including the curriculum that corresponds with each and the types of careers one can obtain with each particular major. I found the “What Can I Do With a Major in” resource the most helpful since I could just easily search a major and the possible careers, necessary skills, and different professional links all pop up. Overall, I found this assignment very useful in my search for a major and it solidifies my choice to pursue a medical lab science major.