During clinical rotation there are certain experiences that can shape a student’s path towards becoming a competent medical laboratory technologist. The experiences or moments that stand out most to me are the little things that MLTs in the lab did to help guide my learning. This list highlights what I believe to be some of the most valuable aspects of clinical rotation, demonstrating how MLTs can create a positive and valuable learning experience for students.
1 Being included in professional activities. Taking part in staff meetings, lunch and learns, seminars, and symposiums helps us learn the way hospitals work and to feel part of the hospital culture.
2 Being trusted. When you treat us like co-workers, it generates the confidence we need to take chances with our learning. When we’re allowed and encouraged to work on samples on our own, it gives us a significant feeling of accomplishment.
3 Being told that the mistakes we make are OK. If you have the opportunity to let us know that we’re not the only ones to make a certain mistake, please do. It makes us feel much less disheartened and much more encouraged than if we’re made to feel stupid. Acceptance in spite of our errors goes a long way in building confidence.
4 A nurturing environment. Your kindness, encouragement and patience means more to us than you know. When we start our placement, and each time we start a new rotation, we step into unfamiliar territory. It can be intimidating and we don’t want you to think we’re incompetent. Knowing that we’re in an environment that is nurturing and safe makes it infinitely easier to learn.
5 Your geekiness. We love that you’re as much of a science geek as we are! We get excited about interesting samples and test results and love to see your enthusiasm.
6 Feeling welcome. We’re doing our placement as the final step in our education. We take this very seriously and have worked hard to get to this point. Going into a new environment is never easy, so being made to feel welcome in your lab can get us off to a great start and will provide an emotionally safe environment for learning. No one wants to feel like a burden or an annoyance.
7 Hands on work. We just spent a great deal of time in lectures learning theory. We are very ready to get our gloves dirty!
8 Contributing to the team. Being part of your team and contributing to the care of real patients is very rewarding for us. As you know, going home feeling like you’ve made a difference is exhilarating.
9 Troubleshooting with you. We know that one of the main skills we need to develop as a technologist is the ability to troubleshoot. Going through a problem alongside you, even seeing you make mistakes, can be an invaluable learning experience for us.
10 Applying all that book knowledge to real lab work. During the in-class portion of our education, it’s very difficult to comprehend how things all fit together in a real lab. Being in your lab every day, being part of the work and seeing the big picture really ties together all of our learning and reinforces our studies. We really appreciate the opportunity.