This past week, we welcomed Dr. Zhen Mei, an Assistant Professor of Transfusion Medicine and Coagulation Pathology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, the Associate Medical Director for the Blood Bank and Coagulation Labs in the Ronald Reagan Medical Center, and the Clinical Pathology Associate Program Director for the Pathology Residency. Dr. Mei familiarized us with the field of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, which is often overlooked among the various medical specialties, making it a high-demand specialty! However, if you are not interested in pursuing a MD, but are still interested in pathology, Dr. Mei introduced to us many other positions that only require a certificate such as Clinical Laboratory Technician (CLT), Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), or phlebotomist (PBT), Histologic Technician (HT), etc. Since we are all pursuing a bachelor’s degree at UCLA, we may be able to become involved in Pathology by pursuing a career as a Histotechnologist (HLT) or a Cytotechnologist (CT). If you are interested in pursuing a master’s degree and working in pathology, you may potentially be interested in pursuing a career as a Pathology Assistant (PA). Medical laboratory professionals are in high demand whether it’d be in anatomic or clinical pathology. I strongly encourage you to further explore these positions if they capture your interest!
Dr. Mei also provided an introduction to transfusion medicine, which pertains to the transfusion of blood and blood components and emphasized the constant need for a supply of blood. Red blood cells could only be stored for up to 42 days, whereas platelets could only be stored for 5 days, resulting in the constant need for new blood supplies. If you are interested in donating blood, the Students for Integrative Medicine will be hosting a blood drive this coming week as well as during Week 9. The only requirements are that you are: at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health, and have not donated blood in the past 56 days.
Fun fact: Ashe Center is named after Arthur Ashe, UCLA alumni, and the first and only Black man to win the singles title at Wimbledon. After he had contracted HIV due to a blood transfusion, he made a substantial donation to UCLA, aiming to prevent any recurrence of such incidents in the future.
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