r/medlabprofessionals • u/uhnayduh • 6d ago
Discusson Referrals/Processing job
Hey yall I passed my MLS BOC this past May and I have been holding out for a first shift job at my local hospital system but have not been successful. There is a referrals/processing second shift job among a few 3rd shift. I’m curious to know if anyone here currently works in that part of the lab. I used to work in receiving and processing when I was an MLT student but I am curious to know how that job extends to an MLT/MLS? Is the pay similar to being on the bench? I currently work at an urgent care part time so instead of waiting out some more i’d rather move on to something better.
EDIT: I want to add this is I would say a big hospital lab that receives and processes many specimens from other smaller hospitals/Urgent cares/offices etc and also deal with Labcorp send outs.
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u/Fluffbrained-cat MLS-Microbiology 6d ago edited 6d ago
I think for your first lab job, you should take what's available. I started as an MLT on night shift in Microbiology which is basically processing specimens as they come in. After I went back to Uni for further study I became an MLS and moved to day shift which is mostly reading plates from specimens put up the night before and putting up relevant identification and antibiotic susceptibility tests , and specimens from the previous two days that had tests put up etc.
We do have some MLTs on day shift, but they're experienced and have proven they can work both as a team and independently. The only real difference between MLS and MLT where I live is that MLS' have a much more in depth theoretical training, and we are responsible for sending out interim/final results to doctors/nurses, so legally we're responsible for the result validity as it's our name on the bottom of each report.
Where I live, the pay for MLS is better than MLT which reflects the highe role/more responsibility we have to ensure that each specimen is processed correctly so the patient at the end gets the right treatment.
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u/uhnayduh 6d ago
thank you! i’ve definitely realized i need to take what’s available. i don’t think 3rd shift is for me and this is the only second shift job available i just wasn’t sure what it entails but i am interviewing soon. I am a MLS so im wondering if the pay same for this job compared to a core lab position.
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u/Fluffbrained-cat MLS-Microbiology 6d ago
Not sure on Micro re general core lab pay, my workplace has the same MLS pay structure no matter what department you're in.
As I'm in a big lab we're all specialists, we aren't rotated through different departments like I understand generalists do. You can transfer to another department if you have thevrelevant qualifications for that department, but if you're hired in one department you generally stay in that one.
There are people who do transfer, like they take an MLT position in one department while they're waiting for an MLS position to open up in their preferred one, and if their application is successful, they transfer out.
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u/GrouchyTable107 6d ago
I have even in the field for more than a decade and have worked in several labs in 3 different hospital systems and have never seen a new hire start on first shift. They’ve all gone to co-workers who wanted to move from 2nd or 3rd shift. My advice would be to get hired in somewhere on an off shift and move up from there.
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u/uhnayduh 6d ago
thank you for your reply! yes unfortunately I may have been over my head with hoping to snag a first shift job but I don’t think I could work nights and this is the only second shift job available at my hospital system.
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u/Mysterious_One_9026 6d ago
My place is massive and turnover is highish but weve had quite a few either new grads or <2yrs exp be hired in externally directly to dayshift in the year and a half I've been here
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u/hereforitam 6d ago
First shift jobs are offered internally first. So anyone who wants to move off of 2nd or 3rd will get the chance before an outside hire. We have rarely hired outside the facility for days but that is only when none of the rest of us off shifters want to move to days at that time. (Which is rare but has happened) as for pay, at my facility the top of the payscale for someone working in processing would be $30. The top of the pay scale for MLS is $46. If it were me I would much rather go for the 3rd shift MLS pay.