RECRUITMENT

Clearly the heart of the matter at hand involves recruiting individual persons into our field on a sustained basis that results in the best and the brightest and the persons with the most appropriate mendacity entering our field so that we end up with practitioners who are the most well adjusted to the scientific and evolving practice rigors our our field. In order to do that, the following points are recommended for consideration;

• The U.S. military and other service-based entities in our country have long been associated with training in exchange for commitment. Perhaps some version of this could be worked out long term, institution by institution to defray the cost of achieving a high quality medical science based education that might be of some value in the recruiting process. A direct corollary to the "Loan Forgiveness" in the Financing section.
  
  
• A huge area that we can all identify with and as can any group of potential applicants to a college based program in our field would be the likely rewards at the end of the long tunnel. This of course relates directly to wages, salaries and benefits. Perhaps some way of characterizing an improved package of these desired commodities might be made so that a young person considering other fields would see our package of rewards in comparison to those not just on day one but over a period of time in their early career. The ‘gist of this is of course to identify that which will capture the attention of RECRUITERS as well as the students, their parents and young scientists. NCA has an evaluation of competency of international education documentation, clinical experience.
  
  
• As street-wise as young people may be in these times, many of our members have commented on the timidity of entering freshmen from our nation’s high schools. If this has a basis broadly, it might be valuable to have some effort put into the development of mentoring programs albeit in a small segmented way by each of our organizations in developing a mentoring program. Our information is that recruiters of various types are indeed looking for the existence of such programs so that they can recommend field to enter that have an assistance in path development over time. Could this also be a place for assembling collective wisdom in another "field guide" ? Might there already be insights and anecdotal evidence from clinical laboratory professionals long involved in H.S. science fairs?
  
  
• Some federal (School-to- work ), national (Tech Prep - Penn State University) and state programs may provide opportunities for early and direct connectivity between young people and excited clinical laboratory professionals. Our effort here should be grassroots (K-12, 7-12, K-16)
  • Have current students or new clinical laboratory professionals give talks.
  • List potential career paths
  - Regulatory (FDA)
  - GMP facilities - Pharmaceutical/Device companies
  - Molecular
  - CDP/IDP entry level, AA, BS and beyond
  - LIS (computer)
  - Sales
  • Ask high school students what they want.

• We should evaluate the training array currently being funded and operated for non-U.S. citizens in our country.

• Identify or create a high school presentation kit for use primarily by guidance counselors and perhaps also useful to. The kit might contain;
• Posters
• Web Site
• School-to-work information
We should explore sources of funding for the kits, etc. and expansion of science teacher programs, in the end combining our dollars with those of volunteers from organizations.

• There might be a welfare-to-work - community based version of the above.

Summit II, January, 2001 | Data Collection | Marketing | Recruitment
Financing Education | Profession in Transition | Immediate Action Items
Immediate Consideration | Appendix A | Appendix B | SSCLP Home