Heart Behind the White Coat | Kyle Riding, PhD, MLS (ASCP)
More Programs and Publications Featuring Dr. Kyle Riding
In this program:
Dr. Kyle Riding shares what initially inspired him to become a medical laboratory scientist in this Heart Behind the White Coat (HBWC) program. Watch as Dr. Riding explains what continues to drive his passion in laboratory science, who has served as a mentor to him, and his advice to students aspiring to become medical laboratory scientists.
Transcript
Dr. Kyle Riding:
I knew I wanted to be a medical laboratory scientist when I was an undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth campus in one of their fundamental laboratory skills courses, and I held a tube of blood in my hand for the first time, which I know sounds creepy, but knowing it came from a patient, and then seeing the cells under the microscope and knowing that I could help a patient by looking at those, just filled my heart with a lot of joy, and I've been proud to be a medical lab scientist ever since.
The individual that's had the biggest impact on my career would be Dr. Susan Leclair. Dr. Leclair was my hematology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and because of the lesson she gave in the classroom and beyond, I became empowered as a professional and as a person. And so because of her guidance, I will always be appreciative to her as a mentor.
So my passion to continue to be a medical laboratory science educator is derived from the fact that I want to help the next generation of laboratory professionals come to the forefront and help patients every day by generating objective meaningful information that helps patients and their providers diagnose prognosis and treat disease. And without us, you're only guessing.
Something people may be surprised to learn about me, because he's actually tucked up right behind me is my favorite Disney character is Donald Duck, because my grandfather's name was Donald, and he actually did a Donald Duck impression. And so every day I look at Donald Duck, and I do it for him because he was a major inspiration on my life.
So for any aspiring medical laboratory professionals, I really would encourage all of you to continue to make an impact on your community, you may be choosing to move towards a profession that's often seen as behind the scenes. But if we don't understand the communities that we serve, and their unique needs, we're never going to be able to provide meaningful care to them, and we are part of the care team as medical lab professionals and giving back to our community assures that we do that effectively.
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