{"id":21498,"date":"2026-04-21T09:40:55","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:40:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/?p=21498"},"modified":"2026-04-21T09:55:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:55:56","slug":"the-front-lines-of-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/news\/the-front-lines-of-diagnosis\/","title":{"rendered":"The Front Lines of Diagnosis: Medical Laboratory Science"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Kathryn Casey and Sabrina Metallo graduated from the University of Rhode Island\u2019s Medical Laboratory Science<\/a> program in 2019, they didn\u2019t just enter a career\u2014they stepped into a critical role at the core of patient care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medical laboratory scientists are healthcare professionals who perform complex analyses on blood, tissue, and other bodily samples to detect disease, guide treatment decisions, and monitor patient health. Though their work happens behind the scenes, the data they provide is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything in healthcare depends on what we do,\u201d Casey says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hidden but Vital<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, both Casey and Metallo work at South County Hospital in Wakefield, Rhode Island, as board-certified medical laboratory scientists and specialists in blood banking and hematology respectively. Though patients never meet them, their work directly informs diagnoses and treatment decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe lab is foundational to all patient care,\u201d Metallo says. \u201cDoctors and nurses wouldn\u2019t know how to treat patients without our lab testing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many cases, medical laboratory scientists are the first to detect serious illness\u2013sometimes before a physician ever sees the patient. \u201cRoughly 60% to 70% of all medical decisions affecting patient care are based on laboratory test results,\u201d Casey explains. \u201cSometimes we\u2019re the first person to see that a patient has cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Behind every diagnosis are experts like Sabrina Metallo \u201919 who perform complex analyses on bodily samples.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Those moments are unforgettable. \u201cWhen you look under the microscope and see leukemic cells, it\u2019s a whole-body feeling,\u201d Metallo says. \u201cThere\u2019s a moment when you realize you could be the first person to know.\u201d Even without direct interaction with patients, the emotional impact is real. \u201cYou feel connected to them without ever knowing them,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking in the hospital\u2019s blood bank has inspired me to become a blood donor and an advocate for others to donate,\u201d Casey says. \u201cSo many patients, especially those in treatment for cancer, are reliant on blood product transfusions. They often become a patient we \u2018see\u2019 on a weekly basis and I donate in honor of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving Back<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite their critical role in healthcare, medical laboratory professionals often remain unrecognized. This lack of visibility drives both alumni to advocate for their profession and support the next generation of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Casey and Metallo serve in leadership roles with the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and remain closely connected to URI as guest lecturers, clinical instructors, and mentors\u2014helping bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metallo became a hematology clinical instructor just six months after graduating, teaching medical laboratory science majors in a hospital-based clinical program that serves URI, Rhode Island College, Salve Regina, and other bachelor\u2019s-level graduates. \u201cI love being able to foster a love of hematology in students,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen they graduate and say, \u2018I got a job in hematology,\u2019 it\u2019s the best feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Casey leads blood bank lectures for students in the same clinical program, emphasizing clarity and preparation for clinical rotations. \u201cI like knowing that I\u2019m giving students what they need to succeed,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen they get to their clinical rotations, they\u2019re not walking in saying, \u2018What is happening?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Metallo and Casey also return annually to URI to work with students in an Introduction to Medical Laboratory Science <\/em>course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both bring creativity\u2013and a sense of humor\u2013into the classroom. \u201cWhen I teach cell morphology, I use food,\u201d Metallo says. \u201cI\u2019ll say, \u2018This cell looks like a Cheeto Puff.\u2019 Everybody knows what that looks like, so it sticks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Casey takes a similar approach. \u201cWe have a donut lecture to explain blood types,\u201d she says. \u201cUsing visuals like that actually helps students understand and remember it better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broad Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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\u201cEverything in healthcare depends on what we do,\u201d says Kathryn Casey ’19 of being a medical laboratory professional. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A degree in medical laboratory science opens doors across healthcare and beyond\u2013from hospital laboratories and public health to biotechnology, education, and advanced clinical roles. \u201cIt\u2019s a really good jumping-off point,\u201d Casey says. \u201cYou learn so much that carries into other fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With growing national demand, the field also offers strong job security and flexibility. \u201cAt the end of the day, we\u2019re always going to be needed,\u201d Casey says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe field is a lot broader than people think,\u201d Metallo adds.. \u201cAnd as a student, you might not always realize how much of an impact you will have as a professional\u2014but it\u2019s huge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metallo, who also holds a master\u2019s degree in public health, is now considering pursuing a doctorate and eventually teaching full-time. \u201cI found my way into academics, and I love it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they continue to build their careers, both remain committed to raising awareness of their field and inspiring future professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe love what we do,\u201d Casey says. \u201cAnd we love getting more people into it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Though patients never meet them, Kathryn Casey \u201919 and Sabrina Metallo \u201919 are often the first to detect life-changing diagnoses. They are passionate about revealing the critical yet often invisible role medical laboratory science plays in healthcare.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1089,"featured_media":21505,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1089"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21498"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21503,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21498\/revisions\/21503"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}