Use Social Media to Advance Your Career and the Profession

Publication Date: May 9, 2019

Social media continues to gain momentum among pathologists and medical laboratory professionals who are using it to stay current with new developments, while promoting their careers and awareness of the profession.

Kamran Mirza, MD, FASCP, MLS(ASCP)^CM, frequently uses Twitter to discuss medical cases. “When we post interesting cases, it becomes obvious to others what your expertise is in. Sharing our successes with colleagues on social media does a lot to boost your career, as well as advance the institution you work for and ASCP.”

Through his use of Twitter, Dr. Mirza has made connections with colleagues around the country and is collaborating with a few of them on projects, such as developing educational online courses and writing chapters for online books.

Dr. Mirza is the director of medical school pathology electives and founding director of the master’s program in medical laboratory science at Loyola University Medical Center, in Maywood, IL. There, he is teaching medical students and MLS students alike about pathology through the use of Twitter. “When they rotate with me, I give them Twitter homework (#TwitterHomework),” he explains. “Their job is to tweet about one thing pathology or laboratory medicine related every day they’re here. The response to that has been really good.”

Meanwhile, Tiffany Channer, MPH, MLS(ASCP)^CM, a blood bank technical supervisor for OneBlood, Inc., at Tampa General Hospital, in Tampa, FL, uses Twitter and LinkedIn to boost visibility of the profession and ASCP. “There is a lack of visibility of the clinical laboratory science profession. We have to let the world know about our field,” she says.

As an ASCP Career Ambassador, she frequently visits elementary and high schools to present short science experiments and talk about careers within the laboratory. When she does, she takes pictures of students performing science experiments and posts them on social media.

Recently, Ms. Channer was featured in a story in the Spring 2019 issue of Emerge Magazine as an outstanding example of a woman in the science professions, and she was interviewed on Direct Impact Broadcasting radio to talk about careers in laboratory medicine. She is proud to do her part to promote careers in medical laboratory science.

“People need to know that clinical laboratory science is an option for a career,” she says, enthusiastically. “Working in a hospital doesn’t just mean you have to be a doctor or a nurse. There are so many healthcare teams other than those. My goal is to make sure that laboratory professionals are highlighted!”

If you are interested in connecting with other members of the pathology and laboratory medicine team on social media to share, knowledge, resources and experiences and showcase the strength and reach of the laboratory, learn more about how you can apply to volunteer for the ASCP Social Media Team here.

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