Long hours on your feet doing hard work for little remuneration may deter some people from pursuing a career in medical science but Hameem Sayed, a medical technician in clinical pathology, says he won’t walk away from his job, even if you paid him.
Hameem, 29, fell in love with science many years ago. He decided to pursue a career in pathology and although the honeymoon period is now over, the love affair continues nine years later.
He says his first encounter with a red blood cell left him mesmerized: “I remember the day I saw a red blood cell for the first time. I was amazed by how they looked on a slide and how science was able to find a way to study such cells in the body. My passion for science also developed while working in a hospital setting where I saw first-hand the ability for us as medical professionals to play a pivotal role in diagnosis.”
It was love at first sight and at that moment Hameem decided that science would be part of his life. He now holds a certification as a medical technician, which involves a two-year program and a board exam with SMLTSA.
The job of a medical technician in clinical pathology involves the testing of the human body or tissue in order to discover the route cause of someone’s illness or disease. Doctors need these results to determine the illness or disease someone is suffering from so that they can decide on an adequate treatment plan. Due to the time-sensitive nature of patients needing help quickly. Labs are pressured to provide accurate results as fast as possible. Therefore, they can become inundated. This may create backlogs because the demand is so high. We see this especially during the coronavirus pandemic when daily covid tests need to be conducted in the thousands in addition to other medical tests.
Hameem explains: “Working in the laboratory has always been a career of long hours. There are a range of issues that could contribute to the long hours. I believe the main one is [the] shortage of staff as well as companies trying their best to keep operational expenses at a minimum.
Hameem says his passion for biomedical science is what motivates him to continue during the tough and long daily grind.
“I currently work in a one-man laboratory, so at 7am I am welcomed by my lonely analyzers. I start my day with maintenance and quality controls of all my instruments. My laboratory services an array of doctors, but what keeps my time ticking is the efficient service I have to provide to our oncologist. He needs his results as quickly as possible to start his patients on chemotherapy. I love being able to provide this service. I love the feeling of knowing that I play a key role in helping doctors help patients. The ability to save a life is beautiful.”
Speaking to B & M Scientific, the father of one admitted that it can be hard for those working in the industry to develop relationships with others as staff work long hours. He says it was especially challenging for him personally when he became a parent and needed to juggle the demands of work and fatherhood.
“Being a new parent, my previous job hours were not compatible with being a parent that is present and [that is there to] help out my partner when [she] needed [me]. Therefore, I had to look for a much more flexible laboratory so I could be available for my little princess and to assist my partner.”
Hameem says that the long hours aren’t the only challenge facing the industry: “I believe we have the right structure and foundation to allow the medical field to adopt much more efficient technologies to help strengthen our business. We have to embrace technology to allow our service to become more efficient and reliable.”
Pathologists, including Hameem, play a key role in the treatment team of a patient but the work of these superheroes who run these important tests often go unnoticed. They are the unsung heroes that wear lab coats instead of capes.
“I believe the medical professionals specifically in biomedical technology need to be recognized more. This starts with proper remuneration, development strategies and resources. This will attract more candidates to remain in the field and also take up biomedical technology as a profession.”
Hameem says that despite the sacrifices, the time away from home, the long hours and the endless challenges, he won’t trade his lab coat for a shirt, blazer and shiny shoes any time soon.
“Being a medical technician might not come with the best remuneration, but it definitely comes with the best purpose. Being in the medical field affords you the ability to be a key player in helping people, patients and doctors in diagnosis, prevention and treatment. The best reward is seeing or meeting a patient you were able to save or play a part in diagnosing. Saving a life will always be the most rewarding experience for me.”
Medical science is Hameem’s labour of love and it gives his life purpose. It is the reason he wakes up each morning and faces all the challenges ahead of him with a smile. Hameem says he will continue to throw on his lab coat and play his part in saving lives.
