Pathology Portal

SO5 E234 - Episode 234: High School, the Laboratory, and Workforce Development

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Workforce shortages continue to impact clinical laboratories across the country, especially in rural healthcare settings. In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Kenzi Haigler to discuss an innovative high school laboratory program designed to introduce students to laboratory medicine early and help strengthen the future workforce pipeline. Kenzi shares her journey into the laboratory profession, her experiences working in rural healthcare, and the unique challenges small hospitals face when it comes to staffing, training, and retaining laboratory professionals. She also explains how her community came together to create a hands-on clinical laboratory assistant program that gives students exposure to phlebotomy, microscopy, waived testing, and laboratory workflows before graduation. This conversation highlights the importance of mentorship, early exposure to laboratory medicine, and creative approaches to workforce development in clinical laboratory science.

Follow Kenzi on TikTok: @lablifewithmrsh Stay connected with Let's Talk Micro:

Website: letstalkmicro.com (https://www.letstalkmicro.com/)

Questions or feedback? Email me at letstalkmicro@outlook.com

Resource details

Contributed by: Pathology Portal
Authored by: Luis Plaza, Let's Talk Micro
Licence: © All rights reserved More information on licences
First contributed: 27 May 2026
Audience access level: General user

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