While studying biomedical science at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Michael Wiggins never thought he would find himself following a career in pathology.

“I always loved science; I was a really nerdy kid. While I was fascinated by the human body and health, I didn’t know about pathology. My degree was more research-based, however research didn’t interest me.”

But that all changed quickly for Michael, “we had one lecture in 3^rd year about pathology, and it clicked: this is what I have wanted to do all along.”

After having a lecturer explain the science to him further, Michael enrolled into a TAFE course specific to pathology.

Today, Michael works in Frankston. He is a Blood Bank Senior Scientist.

A passion for the blood bank

When asked about his career, he says “this is what I love, being in the front-line.

“Even when I was studying, the blood bank interested me the most. I loved the critical thinking and investigative side of it.

“I love taking all day to find an answer and bouncing my ideas off others. The penny-drop moment is an amazing feeling!

“From the time I walk into the lab at 7am, I am training people, assisting staff with complicated work, speaking to my manager, to the hospital staff. It’s full-on!” says Michael.

Unusual diagnoses and memorable cases

Throughout his career, Michael had some memorable experiences, despite rarely meeting patients himself.

One unusual diagnosis during his career was passenger lymphocyte syndrome after a liver transplant on a patient.

Passenger lymphocyte syndrome is when lymphocytes from donor blood form new antibodies; normally donor blood is not able to form antibodies. This may also happen after bone marrow transplants.

Michael also tells us he frequently identifies rare and exciting antibodies in blood samples from patients from the area, “there must be something in the water in Frankston!”.

The invisible side of healthcare

Michael has experienced the lack of public awareness of pathology firsthand, in particular friends and other people not really understanding what he does for work.

“We are an ignored science, and it’s not always glamorous, but we’re still an incredibly vital part of healthcare.

“Usually when I tell people I am a scientist, they ask what I’m researching. I then say that I work in pathology, and they think I collect blood,” says Michael.

Looking ahead: the future of pathology

Having worked in pathology for as long as he has, Michael has some sage advice for those in training.

“I tell people who I am training to be passionate and enthusiastic. And that they should constantly be learning. I would tell them to always remember that there is a patient at the end of every sample. They may not know us or what we did, but everything we do helps the patient somehow.

“Although I am a Senior Scientist, I am still learning every day and I love it,” Michael says.

The post “I love being in the front-line” says Blood Bank Senior Scientist first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

“I love being able to get a behind-the-scenes look into what is happening to the body when it is affected by different conditions or diseases,” said Georgina.

She began her medical career in university training to become a doctor who would treat patients, but she soon realised her passion was for the analysis of an illness or condition.

“I have always been passionate about a career in healthcare, and my dream has always been to become a doctor – however, having started working in pathology after finishing my degree, I have fallen in love with it. I love the fast pace of working in the hospital labs, I hope to continue to learn and develop my skills so that eventually one day I could become a Team Leader and be in charge of my own lab.”

Two years to the day after she began a technical assistant role at Clinpath Pathology, Georgina accepted a role within the hospital laboratory system as a medical scientist.

“There isn’t one part of the pathology process of accepting and analysing a specimen which you aren’t involved in, as you start to learn more about the person, who is the patient, via their doctor ordering tests.”

She loves to take note of what the clinical notes say and what tests are being ordered by the doctor to help them diagnose the patient. This is why she chose to work in pathology.

Many of the practical skills and scientific knowledge used by medical scientists are the same as research scientists searching for cures. The difference is that medical scientists apply that know-how to results that can help someone here and now, and don’t need to wait for years to know that they are helping their patients get better.

It is detail orientated, problem solving and investigative work which Georgina enjoys. Each day she is presented with a raft of scenarios which all call on different skills, her energy as a young pathology professional combined with the scientific training and experience gained working in the laboratory so far.

There are many areas of science where women are under-represented and many initiatives to encourage young women to study science. Georgina says pathology is a great career and she has many inspiring women in her laboratory;

“At work I am surrounded by such successful, smart and professional women who really own what they do and are so supportive of each other. I feel so lucky to have such excellent role models, and hope to one day be as smart and successful as they are!”

Down time is just as hectic for Georgina catching up with her loud, large social group of family and friends, and working another detailed skill on the face – as a makeup artist!

“My family and friends had no idea what pathology was before I started working in the industry! The only thing they associated with pathology was waiting to get test results back. They did not understand all the processes and the testing requirements and all the other things that take place from when their blood is taken to when they go back to the doctor to get their result. But now, I think they have a greater appreciation for what we do and the time constraints we often work under to ensure results are available as soon as possible.”

The post Medical scientist and make-up artist Georgina shares her love of pathology first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Tasks were performed manually with great skill and precision. The work was labour intensive, time-consuming and, sometimes quite challenging. Back then mouth pipetting was the norm for pathology tests. Here liquids were transferred from one test tube to another using a straw-like tool. Platelets and white blood cells were counted manually in a chamber and all reports were hand-written.

“I feel very fortunate to have learnt everything manually. It has taught me solid skills that I still apply to my work today. When I look back on the past, it seems amazing where we’ve come from and where we’re heading”, says Julie.

With a wave of technology and innovation during her long career, Julie has witnessed a dramatic evolution in pathology. The introduction of computers, diagnostic machines and 24-hour service has led to faster diagnostic tests and more efficient patient care.

One thing that has remained constant throughout the years is Julie’s dedication to providing the best possible service to local communities. When Cyclone Debbie wreaked havoc on the Sunshine Coast, Julie stayed in the lab for 18-hours straight to ensure that patients received their results on time.

In her role as a medical scientist and lab manager, Julie not only helps patients but also trains other scientists.  As a world champion in softball, her passion for teamwork has enabled her to mentor and inspire hundreds of pathology workers.

Managing a team of 32 staff and servicing six hospitals means there’s rarely a dull day in the lab. “We service oncology departments, maternity units and emergency rooms with diverse and complex needs. Whether it’s a baby affected by sepsis or an elderly patient in need of urgent blood products, we need to work fast to save lives.”

Despite her level of seniority, Julie still likes to work on the bench alongside her colleagues. “Because I’m mentoring staff, I like to lead by example and take a hands-on approach. As pathology develops, I want to keep my skills up to date. Even after 40 years, it’s good to be kept on your toes!”

The post Julie’s 40-year commitment to pathology first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Paul is a medical scientist at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. He specialises in haematology and so is often involved in diagnosing blood cancers such as leukaemia. Paul says,

“There are many different types of blood cancer and my job is to identify what type of cancer a patient has which determines the type of treatment they require. Blood cancer is more common that what you think. It doesn’t discriminate between anyone, it affects all of us regardless of our age, race or gender.”

Paul’s initial target was $4,800 which would fund three months of laboratory costs for research into a cure. His final to date will double that.
“I hope this one small act goes a long way towards finding better treatment options and eventually a cure for all blood cancers.”

If you’d like to get behind Paul and help find a cure for blood cancers visit his sponsorship page here.

The post Great hair day as medical scientist raises thousands for cancer research first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

This predated laboratory automation and computerisation, and was a period when analyses were performed manually and all reports were hand-written. John also had daily visits from GPs who called into the laboratory during their hospital rounds to pick up pathology reports and discuss results with laboratory staff.

The Cowra lab was praised for its efficiency by Dr Harry Kramer, the Director of the Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research in the 1970s.

“When I first started training in the 1960s there were no disposable plastic syringes, only glass ones that had to be washed out between patients. We also had to sharpen the needles after several uses before sterilising.

Collecting blood using a glass syringe wasn’t without its hazards as there was no auto-stop device preventing the plunger being pulled completely out of the barrel. On rare occasions, blood was spilled onto the patient’s bed making us very unpopular with the nursing staff!

We had to collect a plasma control whenever we were doing prothrombin index tests, now known as INRs. Commercial plasma controls weren’t available to us then, so we would collect additional blood from a patient who was not on anticoagulants or one of the pathology staff would volunteer.

One day we had no fresh plasma control and so I bravely volunteered, and somewhat foolishly allowed a junior medical resident to collect my blood. This proved disastrous!”

Unfortunately, the resident was not well-practised at taking blood and drew air into the syringe – John saw many bubbles inside the barrel. The resident then let go of the syringe plunger so that this air seemed to disappear into John’s arm. Air bubbles entering a vein can cause an air embolism, that can be fatal.

“The last thing I remembered was thinking ‘air embolism’ until I came to on the floor in a pool of blood, having hit my head on the central-heating unit as I collapsed. Fortunately, it was the result of a syncopal episode (dizziness), not an embolism. My head was sewn up in casualty and I resumed my day’s work!”

John remembers many changes such as when ready-made agar plates became commercially available for microbiology. Before that lab staff had to weigh out and sterilise powdered culture media to pour into plates, and horse blood was added when making blood-agar.

Under his stewardship, the Cowra lab grew from a single-person operation, where John was on call 24/7, to a team of 8 staff members.

One diagnosis that stands out happened during the first few weeks of John’s time at Cowra. A male patient was very ill with symptoms of meningitis and doctors were struggling to find the cause.

“An out of town referral lab had failed to detect any microorganisms in the spinal fluids submitted. The patient was getting worse, he had left hospital twice only to be readmitted.

I was sent his spinal fluid for analysis a couple of weeks after setting up the new laboratory, and using an Indian ink preparation I detected a comparatively rare form of meningitis caused by the fungus (yeast) Cryptococcus neoformans. The Indian ink preparation is a negative staining technique that microscopically reveals the large transparent capsule surrounding the yeast cell.

Torulosis, the disease caused by C.neoformans, generally starts off with a lung infection and may spread to the central nervous system. In those days it often proved fatal.

In my 35 years in pathology in was the only case of Torulosis I or the local GPs came across.”

John’s diagnosis meant the man could be appropriately treated, most likely saving his life.

The post “My head was sewn up & I resumed my work!” How labs have changed since the ’70s first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Medical Scientist – Alicia Thompson

Alicia had been interested in science since high school and after completing her studies went to work as a food scientist testing dairy products for safety. Alicia enjoyed the work but always knew she wanted to move into medical science;

“I liked the fact there was a human being at the end of a test”. Alicia said, “After nine years I still get a rush out of my work. It’s stressful when we’re really busy but I thrive off the adrenaline rush. The phone rings and it could be anything from a car accident with multiple traumas needing blood transfusions, or a critically ill baby needing a test for an infection around the brain. Every day you’re jumping into the unknown.”

When asked about memorable moments Alicia said:

“There are lots of small moments that have made me proud of my work over the years. Often if a patient is going into surgery I’ll try to prepare in advance for potential requests from the surgeons. A couple of times the patient was bleeding heavily and they needed more red blood cells. When I’ve been able to pre-empt the request from the surgeon and have everything ready to go immediately they’re very impressed. It’s not often we get a ‘thank you’ but on those occasions the anaesthetist has called me up directly to thank me for my role in helping to save a patient’s life. That feels pretty good!”

Pathologist – Dr David Clift

David says that during his medical training he was at first intending to become a surgeon.

“As an undergraduate student I didn’t understand the importance of pathology but as a resident in a hospital working for a cancer surgeon, and also working in a haematology department, I got to see how important and interesting pathology was.”

David says that his area of pathology is incredibly valuable and interesting. He enjoys the personal diagnostic challenges that are different every day but also knows the importance of being able to help another medical practitioner to provide a more personalised service. He says that pathologists also see rare conditions more often than many other practitioners, which helps them to provide better advice to surgeons.

One case of an uncommon disease that David diagnosed helped safeguard a group of children:

“One of the most dramatic cases where my work made a difference was when I made a diagnosis of a serious infectious disease at autopsy. It was meningococcal septicaemia in a young child; I made the diagnosis in the morning and public health measures were being taken by the afternoon for a whole grade one class. I have grandchildren at this age so it felt good to work together with microbiology and public health to help protect these children.”

Collection Services Manager – Peta Martin

Peta started as a lab technician in the Royal Australian Air Force and while working there trained as a medical scientist. Peta said that working as a medical scientist in the RAAF was different from her later roles in the civilian world;

“We were working with a closed population of people who were generally healthy so a lot of what we did was screening tests, but we also had hospitals and field medical units. We did everything from collection to ward rounds and working in the lab.”

The thing Peta likes most about her current role as a Collection Services Manager is the direct contact with patients. “We’re the face of pathology, the people the patient remembers,” she said.

A particular moment which is a good example of this personal touch happened during a time Peta worked in a country setting;

“We had a lady with a condition called cold agglutinins causing a haemolytic anaemia* – once the blood samples are collected, as soon as the blood starts to cool the red cells agglutinate (clump together) resulting in many tests being impossible to perform on those samples. Everything had to be warmed up for this patient; from the bleeding room to the tubes, the collection devices and needles. Watching my staff go out of their way to help this lady and knowing we were helping her in her crisis moment was pretty wonderful.”

*Hemolytic anemia is a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their normal lifespan is over

The post “After nine years I still get a rush out of my work” – up close and personal with the people behind pathology first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.