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Archive for the 'Workforce & Professional Development' category

Unlocking My Unselfish Gene

Apr 25 2013 :: Published in Infectious Diseases, Workforce & Professional Development

By Sharon Master, Biological Sciences Bureau Chief, Scientific Laboratory Division, New Mexico Department of Health

If I were yanked off the street five years ago and informed that I would soon be working in public health I might have been aghast, to say the least. I was exceptionally clueless as to what public health was or what a public health laboratory did even though our state lab was located two buildings away from where I worked on campus at the University of New Mexico. Fortuitously for me that soon changed.

I have always been the blatantly curious type and, having more of a penchant for matters scientific than artistic, I left my home in India for the US to pursue my Ph.D. in Microbiology in the hopes that I could pursue my ambitions of trying to find a cure for some insidious disease. A couple years after graduating, I returned to India where I shot into the world of clinical testing and research, with a focus on tuberculosis. Having witnessed the ravages of tuberculosis around me, I decided to make this disease the focus of the cure I longed to discover. I then hopped back across the ocean to an academic setting in the US. After a decade or so of research with no concrete remedy for tuberculosis in my crosshairs, dwindling will-power, my rude realization that I was not really cut out for the cutthroat competition of research, and feeling overwhelmingly unmotivated, I searched ravenously for new challenges.

Serendipitously, through my network of friends I learned of a managerial position at the New Mexico state laboratory. I interviewed for the job and got it. A little over three years have passed and I am still here as ecstatic and motivated as I can be, certain that this is exactly where I am meant to be.

Fortunately for me, my transition from academia has been relatively free from trauma as I attempt to fit into this new, fascinating world of public health, dwelling in the midst of some of the pathogens I love, while learning of others I never knew existed. I’ve encountered a plethora of fascinating events, most of them pathogen and outbreak related, such as a plague case or two, several food outbreak investigations, and an elephant with tuberculosis, to name a handful. On the whole, my experience has been overwhelmingly mesmerizing.

I am constantly brought back to a feeling from my early days in public health that has lodged itself in my psyche and liberates me. It was during my first year at the state lab that I was dispatched to a national tuberculosis conference in Atlanta. This was my first non-academic conference and, to me, wide-eyed as I was, the difference in the mentality of the conferees was astronomical. I did not witness the furtive, egotistical, and selfish I, me, mine mentality that I experienced in the academic world but in fact observed quite the opposite. The overall unselfish generosity, warmth, and pervading helpful attitude of the citizens of public health that I constantly bump into renders me awestruck, for the most part, and is something I try to aim for frequently. This mind-set can be neatly summarized through a quote from Mister Spock, science officer of the USS Enterprise, “the needs of the many far outweigh the needs of the few.” With a bit of luck, in a few years I shall reach that destination of completely unlocking my unselfish gene.

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Into the Wild: Lab Edition

Apr 24 2013 :: Published in Infectious Diseases, Workforce & Professional Development

By Samantha Case, APHL/CDC EID Training Fellow, Arctic Investigations Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

It looks like a scene from one of the countless reality shows based in Alaska: the main character is bundled up, but still cold. She has just boarded a small five-person bush plane after arriving to the landing strip via snow machine. Then, she takes off on a flight flying east toward Anchorage from the southwest coastal area of Alaska. She’s looking at the land beneath her, noticing how it changes from vast tundra to an intricate network of rivers and streams to beautiful mountain ranges. She’s returning from a small village of Alaska Natives where she was assisting with a public health study, and had the opportunity to hear the Yup’ik Eskimo language and purchase native crafts. Sound like an adventure? Well, it is – only I’m the main character and this is just a small part of my experience as an APHL/CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Training Fellow.

As a microbiology major in college, I was fascinated with infectious diseases. It wasn’t until I traveled to Lima, Peru during my junior year of college that I discovered public health. I worked with a group of student volunteers to deliver mobile health clinics to impoverished communities. While others were interested in medicine or dentistry, I wanted to know more about big picture solutions that would improve health on a community level. The following year, I was able to combine my interests of microbiology and public health during a semester-long internship at the Vermont Department of Health Laboratory learning techniques in microbiology and how a public health laboratory functions. I was hooked! I wanted to learn even more so I applied to the EID fellowship program. I was ecstatic when I was accepted the following summer!

After narrowing down potential host laboratories for my year-long fellowship, I chose CDC’s Arctic Investigations Program (AIP) in Alaska because of the unique opportunity it would provide. AIP focuses on vaccine-preventable diseases and emerging infections, particularly ones that disproportionately affect the Alaska Native people. From networking with international partners for circumpolar surveillance to collaborating with local agencies here in Anchorage, AIP is certainly fundamental in enhancing public health in the state of Alaska and the arctic.

My fellowship has been incredibly diverse and has exceeded my expectations. In addition to village trips, I have trained in traditional microbiology and molecular diagnostics within AIP. My main project involves looking at the population structure of Streptococcus pneumoniae (bacteria that cause invasive diseases, including meningitis and bacteremia), using a type of DNA sequencing called multilocus sequence typing (MLST). I have also been active outside of AIP: I rotated through the Alaska State Public Health Laboratory for two weeks, and I am currently assisting on a cellular immunity project with Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. I will also be training at the Alaska State Virology Laboratory in June.

When I told others I picked AIP as my host lab, I received many strange looks. People couldn’t believe I was moving all the way to Alaska from the east coast! However, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. My goal was to make the most out of my fellowship opportunity – to learn as much as possible, and to get hands-on experience in many different areas – and I have certainly done that. Each day, I work with an amazing group of people who are truly dedicated to their work, and they inspire me to continue on my path in public health.

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The Difference between County and State Health Departments (from a Newbie’s Perspective)

Apr 17 2013 :: Published in Workforce & Professional Development

By Kayleigh Jennings, APHL/CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory Fellow, Florida Bureau of Public Health Laboratories- Tampa

Have you ever wondered why so many health departments exist, what they do, and why there is even a county and state health department separation? Maybe you haven’t, but I sure have. Upon arriving at the Florida Department of Health Bureau of Public Health Laboratories in Tampa, Florida to begin my APHL/CDC Emerging Infectious Disease Fellowship (mouthful, I know), I doubted that a state health department would function any differently than a county health department. Needless to say, I was wrong.

I may not be a veteran in the public health world, but after being immersed in the Florida Department of Health, I learned a thing or two about a thing or two. Since one of the main goals of the fellowship was to mold public health leaders for the future, I wanted to learn as much as I could about anything related to the health of the population. After approximately six months at the state department of health, I decided to reach out to the Pinellas County Health Department to grasp exactly how different it was from the Florida Department of Health.

Kayleigh Jennings -- APHL/CDC Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory Fellow

My first sign, as I walked through the doors of the county health department on my first day of the rotation, was a crowd. Not just a few people, but a crowd of sick individuals sitting in a waiting room. This waiting room was then followed by another waiting room, and what’s that down yonder…an STD clinic? Wait…so real people come here? They don’t just do testing on faceless samples?

After meeting with the appropriate supervisors, I was led down to the clinics where I put on a fancy lab coat, shadowed doctors and nurses, and met with patients all day. Almost the entire county health department was run like a hospital with nurses running around, staff working way too many hours, and frustrated doctors dealing with noncompliant patients that simply say no to taking their TB medications. After eight long hours, it was undeniably easy to see that the hardworking individuals at the county health department were in it for their love of helping people.

While at the Pinellas County Health Department, I took every opportunity that I could, whether it was traveling with a supervisor to an HIV clinic, sitting in on a syphilis patient interview, or even watching how the nurses filled out paperwork. I realized that the county health department was an entirely different realm than the state department of health. After my rotation, it became very clear to me why both health departments are necessary to the health of the society.

Despite having a deep respect for the staff at the Pinellas County Health Department, I am very happy to have been placed at the Florida Department of Health, because here our samples do not disrespect you or tell you that they will not take their medication. Important routine testing, and even surge surveillance, is done at the state department of health. From influenza surveillance to arbovirology surveillance and even rabies testing, they do it all. Sample after sample, these individuals work as hard as I’ve ever seen to pump out speedy and accurate results so that county health departments, doctors, hospitals, and more health care providers can tell their patients what illness they may or may not have. The individuals here spend their time effectively and they are all proud to say that they contribute to public health.

After being able to see the differences between the two health departments, I am truly able to value the qualities of each. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with individuals involved in public health because they are all unique and absolutely captivating in their own way. The field of public health is not one for the weak of heart, because having a heart is exactly what all of these individuals have. They thrive on the simple idea of helping others.

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Syphilis: An Old Disease That Keeps on Giving

Feb 12 2013 :: Published in Infectious Diseases, Workforce & Professional Development

By Kelly E. Wroblewski, MPH, MT (ASCP), Director of Infectious Disease Programs, APHL

Syphilis public health campaign poster

Looking for that perfect Valentine’s Day gift that keeps on giving? How about syphilis? This Valentine’s Day, APHL and ASCLS are hosting a webinar, VD (Valentine’s Day) and Syphilis: An Old Disease Still with Us, on new testing methods for the detection of a very old disease. As is the case with many long-lasting-loves, being old does not make you irrelevant on Valentine’s Day.

What is syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that has been plaguing the globe for more than 500 years with the first documented cases occurring in 15^th century Europe. Evolutionary biologists point to syphilis as the first truly global epidemic, with multiple studies showing that the then deadly disease originated in the New World and was introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus (who later died of the deadly disease) and his crew and quickly spread to Africa and Asia. It was not the souvenir they were hoping for. “Christopher Columbus explored the world and all I got was this deadly disease!”

Syphilis was very common throughout history until the introduction of penicillin in the 1940s. With the introduction of this effective treatment came the United States’ first widespread public health campaign that openly promoted use of condoms, testing and treatment as a means to control the spread of syphilis and gonorrhea. Aimed primarily at members of the U.S. military, World War II era public health campaigns focused on “responsible masculinity” and patriotism in efforts to de-stigmatize the disease.

Although case rates have remained relatively stable since the mid-1990s, there are still certain populations and geographic areas where syphilis remains a significant public health problem and public health measures to control the disease must remain constant.

Recent syphilis outbreaks in the news:

In September 2012 Houston, TX reported a 97% uptick in reported cases. Officials linked the outbreak to increased use of social media to find sexual partners.
A recent public health investigation of an outbreak in rural Kansas prompted the identification of a pregnant woman infected with the disease preventing transmission to her unborn baby. In infants, syphilis can cause blindness, deafness, and, in up to half of the cases, still birth.

Avoiding risky sexual behavior and using condoms is the best way to prevent syphilis transmission. Testing and treatment in the early stages of infection remain the best way to control its spread. For more information on signs, symptoms and treatment for syphilis, see the CDC fact sheet.

Our advice: your special someone will appreciate chocolate and roses this Valentine’s Day rather than syphilis. Trust us on that.

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Former Emerging Infectious Disease Training Fellow Shares: Why Public Health

Jan 08 2013 :: Published in Workforce & Professional Development

By Elizabeth Perez, APHL/CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases Advanced Laboratory Training Fellow, Class 13

The field of public health is not for the faint of heart. Many of us find ourselves having to make due with limited resources, work extended hours with short notice, and have to always be prepared for that phone call that always happens to come on a Friday afternoon. So why would anyone want to choose to go into public health?

The answer is that the individuals who stick around despite the conditions I just mentioned are always highly motivated individuals committed to excellence. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? After working side-by-side with public health laboratorians during my Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Training Fellowship in 2007, I knew public health was the right career path for me.

After a nerve-wracking process of applying and interviewing along with other outstanding candidates I was absolutely certain that I would not be chosen, so you can imagine how surprised and excited I was to learn that I was selected to join APHL’s thirteenth class of EID fellows. Moving from New York City to Atlanta to work at my host lab at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention marked the beginning of an amazing year as an EID fellow.

The project I conducted during my fellowship involved the use of an engineered bacteriophage to disrupt biofilms that were formed by E. coli on urinary catheters. This project was the perfect match for me because it catered to my interests in microbiology and medicine. During my fellowship I learned how to grow bacterial biofilms and bacteriophage, worked with flow model systems and got my hands on all sorts of medical devices. I had the best and most encouraging mentor anyone could ask for, Dr. Rodney Donlan, whose extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for biofilms was inspiring. I felt very fortunate to work under the guidance of such an exceptional scientist and soon found that having a terrific mentor was something I had in common with the other fellows.

In addition to working on an exciting project, I was also part of a cohort of other EID fellows who were superb individuals with similar interests. That year some of us traveled together to Boston for the American Society for Microbiology General Meeting, and got together again at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases thanks to funding from APHL.

Looking back at the extraordinary opportunity that was afforded to me by APHL, I can say with absolute certainty that my experience as an EID fellow was the turning point that set me on this trajectory toward public health. Today I am a graduate student that is studying emerging infectious diseases and sometimes find myself wondering where I would be had it not been for APHL. I always come to the same conclusion: that it is best not to think of a life that is not invigorated by a discipline that is both challenging and fulfilling.

(The photo above was taken during the Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections, which was held in Atlanta during March 18-22, 2010. I worked up the courage to introduce myself to Dr. Julie Gerberding, former CDC director, at a plenary session where she was an invited speaker. Dr. Gerberding was very gracious while I was starstruck.)

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NCPHLL Celebrates 10 Years of Creating Leaders

Dec 13 2012 :: Published in Workforce & Professional Development

By Laura Siegel, Specialist, National Center for Public Health Laboratory Leadership (NCPHLL), APHL

What does it take to run a public health laboratory – a PhD in microbiology? Years of experience working in a lab? Extensive knowledge of laboratory testing techniques?

The truth of the matter is that the qualities mentioned above only scratch the surface of what is needed. Laboratory directors also must possess the ability to manage a budget, motivate staff, advocate for funding, organize committees and understand legislative processes… No wonder there is such a shortage!

In 2002 an APHL study revealed an imminent shortage of qualified public health laboratory directors. The study predicted 13 vacancies in state public health laboratory directorships by 2007, with a pool of replacement candidates considered either “not adequate or only marginally adequate in size to meet the future demand.” That warning—considered somewhat dire at the time—has proven overly optimistic. Instead, just between early 2002 and early 2005, 17 public health laboratory directors have vacated their posts, largely due to retirements.

In order to address this shortage in the public health laboratory community, APHL created the National Center for Public Health Laboratory Leadership (NCPHLL or “the Center”) in 2002. Today, 10 years later, that shortage is still a concern, but the Center has made great strides in increasing the pipeline of qualified lab director candidates.

Over the past 10 years…

The Emerging Leader Program has trained 60 public health laboratory scientists. Of those 60 ELP graduates:

20% have been promoted into senior roles upon completion of the program
5 individuals have served as assistant/ deputy/ associate laboratory directors
3 individuals have become lab directors after completing the Emerging Leader Program.

The Center has gained oversight of the EID fellowship program, which has:

Recruited over 450 fellows since 1995 to serve one- and two-year term positions in public health laboratories across the country
Of those 436 fellows who responded to our survey, 60% are still in public health.

The Center has trained 35 incoming laboratory directors through the National Laboratory Directors Orientation, which includes:

Media Communications training
Intensive CDC orientation
Leadership and Management Training Exercises.

Stay tuned in 2013 for posts form current lab directors who have participated in the Center’s programs. Here’s to 10 wonderful years behind us and many more ahead!

If you have participated in any of the Center’s programs, please leave a comment sharing your experience!

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The track to becoming a public health laboratory director

Nov 20 2012 :: Published in Workforce & Professional Development

By Michelle Landes, Ph.D., APHL/CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Laboratory Research Fellow at the Tennessee Department of Health

As a recent graduate of a microbiology doctoral program, I had an interest in using my knowledge to help the community through public health. It is difficult to make the transition from academia to public health due to the lack of networking available during graduate school. Fortunately, I learned about the Emerging Infectious Diseases post-doctoral research program, which is a great opportunity for graduates to learn about the public health laboratory and all of its opportunities. My fellowship program is unique in that it offers the opportunity for research, as well as, training in laboratory management and directorship. I quickly learned that becoming a laboratory director is not a fast and easy track to complete. There are many requirements and certifications to obtain. This was a difficult concept for me to come to terms with, since I just finished a five year PhD program, which gave me the grand total of 22 years of academic training to that point. So, you can see why I might have thought I was done with tests for life and was a bit taken aback by the idea of studying again. Well, Henry Ford once said “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty”….and as a woman in her late twenties, I don’t have to tell you how I feel about the latter.

So here is the breakdown of the steps to obtain laboratory director certification if you currently hold a doctoral degree in a biological science. I’ve added a few of the tips I’ve learned along the way, although I am at the beginning with only having one examination attempted under my belt (still waiting for results, cross your fingers).

Have four years of diagnostic laboratory experience working with human specimens. It is important to point out that after 1 year of experience you qualify to take the Technical Supervisor in Public Health Microbiology examination given by the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB). This is a certification that Emerging and Infectious Disease Post-Doctoral Fellows can obtain during the fellowship. It is a broad examination that covers all aspects of microbiology (Bacteriology, Virology, Mycology, Parasitology, Environmental microbiology, molecular biology, epidemiology in the community, immunology of infectious diseases, and quality control/quality assurance). This certification gives two benefits to the Post-Doctoral Fellow. First, you leave the fellowship program with a certification to help you get a laboratory supervisory position at a public health laboratory. Second, this is one of the exams you must take to obtain director level certification. With all professional examinations, there is an application fee, so you want to make sure you have one year of experience before you apply, or you’ll be faced with paying another fee for them to re-evaluate your application if you are denied. I learned the hard way; by assuming that working for five years in a research lab on human specimens with immunological and molecular diagnostic techniques would make me eligible. There is a fee to apply for the examination and also one to secure your seat for the examination, so you may want to make wise use of your professional funds provided through the fellowship program.
Once you have passed the Public Health Microbiology exam, it gives you Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification to be a technical supervisor of a section in a clinical laboratory. A technical supervisor is someone who is responsible for the technical and scientific oversight of a laboratory performing high complexity testing. Depending on the state you work in there might be more state certifications to obtain. This certification at least gives you a document to show future employers that you have the knowledge to supervise a section of a Public Health Laboratory.
The minimum qualification to gain Director Level Certification require at least two years serving as a supervisor or manager over clinical diagnostic testing. These two years can be served concurrently with the 4 years of diagnostic work with human specimens.
Once you have met the qualifications of a Ph.D. in a Natural Science, 4 years of diagnostic experience with human specimens and 2 years as a supervisor over diagnostic testing with human specimens, then you can apply to take the General Knowledge examination to be a director of a High Complexity Laboratory Director (HCLD) through ABB. HCLD certification requires passing one Technical Supervisor exam (e.g. Public Health Microbiology, Clinical Microbiology, Molecular Diagnostics, or Immunological Diagnostics) and the General Knowledge exam which covers federal rules governing diagnostic laboratories.
However, if you would like to become a Bioanalyst Clinical Laboratory Director (BCLD), then you would need to pass a total of three Technical Supervisor examinations given by ABB (Public Health Microbiology / Microbiology, Diagnostic immunology, Molecular diagnostics, Clinical Chemistry, or Hematology), as well as, the General Knowledge exam. This path may give you more flexibility to be employed as director of a large clinical or private laboratory if you choose to leave Public Health. Also, there are a few states that require BCLD instead of HCLD to direct the State Public Health Laboratory.

So, there you go! Luckily for me, I have had a great mentor who passed this information along. Otherwise, I would have never known where to look or what to do in order to accomplish the goal of becoming a laboratory director. I hope I have been helpful in relaying the information to you. To find more up to date information please refer to the ABB website. Good Luck!

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Food… Free. Discovering Public Health… Priceless!

Apr 19 2012 :: Published in Workforce & Professional Development

By Laura Siegel, Specialist, National Center for Public Health Laboratory Leadership, APHL

Last Tuesday around 8:30am I was standing in the Student Activity Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Normally I wouldn’t expect to see much of anything on a college campus this early in the morning, but that morning students decked out in red T-shirts were filtering into the hall. I was thinking to myself, “Either they must be in the wrong place, or I am….” Eventually I caught a glimpse of the slogan on their shirts and realized we were both there for the same event: UT’s Disease Detectives Conference on public health careers.

On April 10, over 200 university students donated their time to serve as volunteers for the University of Texas at Austin’s Become a Disease Detective: Discover Public Health! conference and an additional 600 participants stopped by throughout the day, making the fifth year of Disease Detectives one of the most successful.

Disease Detectives introduces university students, faculty and pre-health advisors to career opportunities in the field of public health. This year’s conference featured over 30 exhibitors and approximately 30 scientific presenters, including Sam Stew, APHL/CDC EID fellow at the Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory, Dave Carpenter, former laboratory director of the Illinois State Public Health Laboratory, and Joseph McCormick and Susan Fisher-Hoch, both longtime public health advocates and former CDC staff. I was there on behalf of APHL’s National Center for Public Health Laboratory Leadership (NCPHLL) along with three of my colleagues.

Over the course of the day, I spoke with many students studying a wide array of subjects including microbiology, biochemistry, public health, medical laboratory science, sociology, English and more. However, the one common theme I heard over and over again was: “I didn’t know public health existed as a career field until [fill in the blank], but I wish I found out sooner.”

Here are a few quotes from attendees:

“It wasn’t until about 4 years ago at this conference – otherwise I did not know about this field,” Sam Stew, Emerging Infectious Disease Fellow, Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory.

“When I learned about public health laboratories, I was stunned at the huge scale of what a public health lab could do,” Lauren Rego, Biochemistry student, University of Texas – Austin.

“If I had known about public health, my career path would have been a lot easier,” Vanessa Telles, program specialist, emergency preparedness branch, Texas Department of State Health Services.

“Public health has always been around, but a lot of people have a misunderstanding of what it really is,” Jerry Fan, Microbiology student, University of Texas – Austin.

“Public health is often not publicized – you only ever hear about it when there are outbreaks and disasters and that’s when we need it most… but we have to keep the infrastructure going,” Byron Barksdale, Biochemistry student, University of Texas – Austin.

The goal of Disease Detectives and many other NCPHLL activities (funding for STEM festivals, promotion of Labsciencecareers.com, APHL’s storytelling project) is to bring public health out of the woodwork and increase student knowledge and interest in the field. If nothing else, the talented, passionate and dedicated students I met at UT-Austin are proof to me that Disease Detectives and similar events DO impact both the academic and career choices of students, and I hope to see more like them in the future.

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Why YOU Should Consider a Career in Public Health Laboratory Science

Mar 20 2012 :: Published in Workforce & Professional Development

By Laura Siegel, Specialist, National Center for Public Health Laboratory Leadership, APHL

Did you know that public health laboratory staff protect the nation from emerging infectious diseases, foodborne illness outbreaks, agents of bioterrorism and environmental contaminants?

If the answer is “no,” don’t feel bad because I had no idea either! Prior to working at APHL, I couldn’t tell you what a public health laboratory does or even realize why I should know. I didn’t know a thing about public health. If I had known, though, I might have looked into it as a career option.

Early in my undergraduate career, I was in a phase of career exploration, and there was a brief period when I really wanted to be a nurse. I enjoyed a lot of science classes in school, but I also enjoyed writing. So I sought an opportunity where I could get a taste for both.

I got an internship in the communications department of a nearby hospital. While I was there, a news channel arrived to interview a physician about a hot new procedure. I only heard half the interview because I woke up on the floor, having fainted halfway through the presentation. At that moment I realized maybe nursing wasn’t for me.

But, before my brief fantasy where I become a nurse and saved hundreds of lives, I was aware of the nation’s severe nursing shortage (one of the reasons why I looked into the field). I could even rattle off the talking points about the reasons for the shortage: an aging population, fewer people entering the field, not enough instructors and degree programs. I saw advertisements about it on the Metro, in the newspaper and even on Facebook.

Now I find myself wondering, Why wasn’t I also aware of the severe shortage of public health workers? I had no idea there were career options for science-minded students in public health laboratories. I had no idea that the need for public health laboratory scientists is just as great, if not greater, than the need for nurses. I had no idea that I could make a living running around like Kate Winslet in Contagion.

Now, almost four years later, I find myself in a position where IT’S MY JOB to tell people about careers in public health. I work for APHL’s National Center for Public Health Laboratory Leadership, (NCPHLL – APHL loves long acronyms), promoting careers in public health laboratory science. Via this post, (and many more to come), I’m hoping to reach students who are still searching for their path as I was.

My Top 10 Reasons Why Public Health Laboratory Careers are so Rewarding, Appealing, Awesome and Should Not be Overlooked:

Public health is trendy: the top universities in the country all have recently added public health undergraduate programs.
Public health could save a life…or protect a whole community: newborn screening; Anthrax; stopping a deadly foodborne illness outbreak .
You get to wear a lab coat. Extremely flattering.
Medical laboratory scientist jobs will be among the fastest growing jobs in the next decade.
Your vocabulary will improve in an almost Star Wars-esque way. You will routinely impress people by throwing around words like Non-O157 STEC and Chikungunya fever.
Demand – Public health laboratories are facing a workforce shortage which means you will be saving a crucial service to the community.
Your mom/significant other/dad/cousin will be proud and ridiculously impressed.
You can work in any state in the nation: Every US state, territory and the District of Columbia has a public health laboratory… even Hawaii and Puerto Rico!
Scientists are cool! Look at Bill Nye and Mr. Wizard! Those are some cool dudes.
The people in the workforce are awesome, and the job satisfaction cannot be beat. Hear it from current public health lab scientists:

- Phil Lee from the Florida public health lab talks about identifying the index case of Anthrax in 2001
- A. Christian Whalen, director of the Hawaii state public health lab, talks about landing the best job in the state
- More Career Field Stories

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Introducing Your New Lab Training Partner

Mar 05 2012 :: Published in Workforce & Professional Development

By Jody DeVoll, Director of Strategic Communications, APHL

Being a laboratorian in the year 2012 requires the sleight of hand of a magician, the adaptability of a chameleon and the stamina of a long distance runner. Every day brings more hurdles: new regulatory requirements, supply shortages, break-downs of critical instrumentation, and changes in algorithms, not to mention furloughs, budget cuts and reductions in force. Even multi-platform masters who expedite sample processing by roller skating between labs are challenged to keep rolling in this environment.

Face it: you need a friend, a true partner who can be counted on to deliver the training and resources you need when you need them, someone with a commitment to your professional development. Fortunately, you’re in luck: your lab training partner is here.

OK, so this isn’t what you expected, but don’t let the four legs put you off. This guy is rock solid on biosafety procedures. You won’t catch him at the bench without gloves, goggles and a lab coat.

Better yet, he knows training. Do you need continuing education credits? Ask the APHL lab about “PACE^®” and other continuing education credits. Are you short on funds and travel time but still have to keep up with developments in your field? Your lab partner will fetch webinars, teleconferences, and on-demand programs to help you build a safer lab, identify anaerobes and even differentiate between the dimorphic fungi and their doppelgangers. (If motivated with treats, the APHL lab has been known to chase off doppelgangers.) And if your budget will accommodate traditional modes of education, the APHL lab can point you to seminars and paws-on – or hands-on – laboratory workshops.

So look for the APHL Lab, your trusty guide to high quality laboratory training. He’ll be bounding along with you long after the 2012 leap year.