I am a medical technologist working 2rd shift in the hematology, and chemistry departments. Working in the lab has helped me learn how to work more as a member of a team and less as an individual. Where I would have tried to tackle a task myself, I've learned when it may be necessary to delegate work in order to minimize any delay in patient care, and likewise to keep an eye out for when another tech is struggling to stay afloat. In addition, due to the rapidly changing workload in the lab (especially in blood bank), I've gotten a better feel for how to stay water and re-prioritize tasks on the fly as situations develop, while keeping track of what needs to be done next. Before I worked as a tech I was immersed in the chess world as a player, tournament director, and teacher. The latter two in particular helped me to mediate conflict, disseminate information, and all around communicate better. I feel that this is crucial for techs and healthcare professionals on the whole as effective communication is required constantly, from asking for help from techs on my shift, to troubleshooting analyzer errors with tech support, to reviewing patient results with nursing staff, to discussing procedure changes with managers. I value my role as a healthcare professional and the impact that I have in improving patient outcomes. I have learned a lot about the various healthcare professions and how they must collaborate and contribute their expertise to provide the highest quality of care possible, and I'm looking forward to continuing to learn and develop my skills as a tech.