After I gave birth to my son, I struggled between part-time jobs. I was very fortunate to have my family help with the upbringing of my son, especially mom, who was from Colombia. I knew I needed a job that could provide work-life balance in a sector that I was passionate about. My son has always motivated me to do better and improve myself. One day, I saw an ad for a college with a technician program. That was the first time I learned about what a medical lab technician does. I enrolled in the MLT assistant program, and really enjoyed it. My work placement there landed me at LifeLabs. That was three years ago. My work at a Patient Service Centre involves everything required in providing an exceptional service to patients. I receive their requisitions, sort them, follow up with their physicians, draw their blood, and process their samples so that they can get their results in a timely manner. Recently, my supervisor showed me how to take the temperature of the centrifuge. I never knew how to do that before, and I found it so interesting. I’m so pleased that I’m still learning, and playing a key role in improving patient care. With every opportunity, I feel such gratitude to LifeLabs. When I first got hired, I didn’t know what to expect. I took whatever shift I could to build my experience and to keep learning. Gradually I explained to my supervisor that I needed a flexible schedule so that I can spend more time with my son. LifeLabs was able to accommodate my request. With children, it’s hard and you need that flexibility. It’s been a long road and long journey, for both my son and I, and I’m glad that I ended up at LifeLabs.
-Karina Krongh
