Welcome

My name is Zack and I'm a Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS) graduate student. I'll be posting interesting things from Infectious Diseases and Microbiology classes or outside sources I find that relate to the courses. So for an intro, I'll answer a few common questions.

What is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist?

Well, to start off I think it's best to say what we are not. We are not nurses or doctors. We work very closely with them, but we are definitely a separate field.  CLS and Medical Technologists are specialists in the clinical lab. We handle samples like blood, tissue, and other body fluids and analyze them to find out more about patient health and disease states. We are most commonly found in hospital labs, but also work in reference labs, private offices, and government facilities.

What's the difference of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases?

Microbiology is the study of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, yeasts, and parasites. Microbiology is all about the classification and characterization of the organism. We learn how to classify and identify bacteria based on growth patterns, staining, biochemical tests, antimicrobial susceptibility, and even physical senses like color and smell. Micro focuses on the just the organism.

Infectious Diseases looks at the associated diseases caused by the organisms.  It is about classifying organisms based on common disease traits to help pinpoint the organism or group of organisms most likely responsible so the best treatment and therapy can be given to a patient.

I hope this gives you some idea what this blog will be about!