Assisting at a reference laboratory?
I’m starting a new laboratory assistant job in a mycobacterium reference lab soon. I have worked as a lab assistant in large micro lab for a pathology company for 2 years now and I know something of mycobacterium but not a heap. How different is a reference lab from a testing laboratory in the medical/hospital setting? As for mycobacterium I’m aware of TB and Mycobacterium genitalium but I have not worked in the enclosed decontamination room for TB at my lab. I mentioned this in the interview and they were fine with it and said if I’d be going into theirs I’d be trained/fitted with PPE for the room appropriately.
Will there be a variety of specimen types? Are these typically mostly processing jobs? Will I get to do hands on work I guess is what I’m asking cause that’s the type of micro work I typically thrive in. I get that this job will have a little more admin being a smaller lab though I’m not looking forward to returning to handling phone calls and add ons, etc. but I will manage. Anything else I should know about a hospital reference lab vs a pathology corp lab?