Hi, 

This forum is very knowledgeable. I’m kind of new to this forum. I’m a new MLS got my first job, in a mid size hospital. I’m looking for suggestions on how to be a successful/competitive MLS. 
 

Thanks

Welcome! Learn all that you can, and take lots of notes . Eventually you will gain enough confidence to start contributing back to your lab. Help out where you can, volunteer to do the extra mile. Coming from another new MLS, I can acknowledge that our generation is brilliant, intuitive, and exquisitely savvy. However! We don’t know more than our coworkers who have been there for decades — use them! 

Thanks Ward_X. Yes you r right about taking notes, it helps. I’m still taking some. 
But sometimes I overthink and ask questions (straight forward), which makes other people sometimes think that I don’t know the stuff. 
 

On ‎12‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 6:20 PM, UTECH said:

Thanks Ward_X. Yes you r right about taking notes, it helps. I’m still taking some. 
But sometimes I overthink and ask questions (straight forward), which makes other people sometimes think that I don’t know the stuff. 
 

If they're on topic and relevant to what you're being taught, I say ask them anyway. Trainers are there to teach, and questions are a huge part of that.

If you're afraid that they think you don't conceptually comprehend the material, you can try reading the procedure first and then ask the question if you still have it.

Additionally, I would suggest browsing MLS/med tech Facebook groups -- they can help a lot, even with questions you think are "silly." They're also pretty informal and sometimes have chat rooms.

Edited December 17, 20195 yr by Ward_X
added text

Remember UTECH, there is no such thing as a stupid question.

There are most certainly stupid answers, but no question is stupid.

When I was a callow youth (I was once, believe it or not), I never asked a question in a symposium in front of all the other delegates, but used to quietly ask speakers to explain a particular point in the bar afterwards.  One day, I met a guy named George Garratty (you may have heard of him) who said, when I asked him a question in the bar, "I'm surprised nobody asked me that in the lecture theatre.  I'm sure it wasn't just you that didn't understand."

From that moment on, having been given the "green light" by someone as eminent as him, I used to ask question after question in the lecture hall, even when, on occasions I actually did understand and knew the answer, just to encourage others to ask.  It seemed to work.

Thanx... ward_X and Malcom Needs  for ur supportive input.