Lauren Schiefelbein, MLS(ASCP)CM, recently joined our Medical Laboratory Science managerial/professional staff as the Education Coordinator. Here’s more about Lauren in her own words:
I am a local Nebraskan, having grown up in Bellevue. I studied at UNL, UNO, and eventually UNMC to obtain degrees in Biology and Medical Laboratory Science. Before entering the laboratory, I worked directly with patients of the feline variety at the Nebraska Humane Society. Little did I know that helping to draw blood on cats would help me obtain my first job at Nebraska Medicine as a phlebotomist on human patients. From there I entered the laboratory as a specimen processor, readying all kinds of samples for various laboratory tests, and I worked closely with a group of people I had never heard of before – Medical Laboratory Scientists. Eventually my MLS coworkers would encourage me to go back to school for my own MLS degree here at UNMC. It was a life-changing decision I am grateful for every day! Since then, I have worked as an MLS in Nebraska Medicine’s Core Laboratory. I am also a member of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit.
I am excited to be a part of the Medical Laboratory Science team at UNMC! I am very grateful for my own MLS education, so I hope to inspire others in similar shoes and spread knowledge about our often-hidden profession, recruiting the MLS of the future. Helping students find the right strategies for learning is a great and wonderful challenge, and it is an honor to be able to help students on their educational journeys through this intense program.
Outside of the laboratory I love spending time with my boardgame-collecting partner, our two sweet boys, and our three cheeky cats. My hobbies include painting miniatures, listening to podcasts, knitting, and forest walking. While I am sadly only fluent in one language, I have dabbled in several such as German, Chinese, Welsh, and ASL, and you will find a small tower of linguistic history books piling up in my office.