Melissa Scharf

Current position: Histotechnologist at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children

Love science and want to work in healthcare? Melissa Scarf urges you to consider Medical Laboratory Science (MLS). These professionals are in very high demand, and the field offers an attractive amount of flexibility in where you can work, depending on your personal interests.

Case in point: Prior to graduating from GMercyU, Melissa was hired into the department of her choice and began working not long after graduation.

Melissa was drawn to the field because it enables you to be involved in patient care and the diagnostic process without working directly with the patient. “And, since it is a broad field, I knew I would have the opportunity to work within a department that aligned with my specific interests,” she reiterated.

During her college search as a student at Little Flower Catholic High School, she found that GMercyU was one of the few schools in her area that offered an MLS degree.

Here’s more about her journey, in her own words.

Faculty Mentors at GMercyU

Dr. Maria Winters and Dr. Justin McClain were my favorite professors at GMercyU. Dr. Winters helped sparked my interest in chemistry and made the coursework very interesting. She was a very supportive instructor and instilled confidence amongst her students.

Dr. McClain is very knowledgeable, and the information I learned from his class helped me greatly during my time in clinical rotations. His course included in-depth case studies and presentations which allowed me to find my true interest in healthcare and the physiological workings that come with disease.

Her Clinical Experience

Within my first month of my clinical rotations at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, I knew this was the right career choice for me. The material presented coincided with my interests of health sciences, as well as a comprehensive background in chemistry and biology.

Other scientific fields, such as nursing, provided a large amount of health science coursework but lacked the in-depth scientific background I was looking for. The staff and instructors at St. Chris were all very supportive and shared insight on how impactful and important medical lab scientists are to the healthcare field.

What It’s Like Working in the Field

As a histotechnologist in a pathology lab at a children’s hospital, a typical day for me consists of working with a variety of surgical specimens. These specimens can range from routine surgeries such as tonsillectomies, to serious cases such as leukemia and cancerous tumors.

My specific job duties include working with surgical specimens and preparing them for diagnosis by the pathologist. This may include processing the tissue, embedding the tissue in a paraffin wax block, and cutting the tissue followed by placing it on a microscope slide for diagnosis.

Depending on the case and clinical implications, the pathologist may request further workup on the tissue, such as special staining, Immunohistochemical staining (IHC), and tissue preservation methods such as freezing in liquid nitrogen.

Why You Should Consider MLS

Working as a medical lab scientist is very rewarding as our results greatly impact patient care and diagnosis. I strongly encourage all students interested in healthcare or related sciences to pursue a degree in Medical Laboratory Science. Medical lab techs are in very high demand and jobs are readily available in a variety of departments based on the tech’s interests.

Where a GMercyU MLS Degree Can Take You

Completion of an MLS program allows the technician to work in a variety of hospital laboratory departments which include but are not limited to: blood banking, microbiology, virology, cytogenetics, histology/pathology, chemistry, hematology, and molecular biology.

Healthcare careers outside of hospital settings can include fertility clinics, reference labs, and state-run departments of health.

MLS rotations and program completion open a wide range of opportunities even for those who are interested in working outside of healthcare. Much of the instrumentation used in MLS and taught within the GMercyU program are implemented in research and industry settings as well, making MLS a great choice for anyone looking to work in a lab inside or outside healthcare settings.