Medical Laboratory Technician

MSgt. Lisa Thrasher, MLT(ASCP)^CM
Medical Laboratory Technician
Dayton, OH
Conducting tests that influence doctor’s treatment decisions

For Lisa, joining the military was a way to fund her education and pursue the career she wanted. As a Medical Laboratory Technician, she has the opportunity to serve her country and use her skills to help people around the world.

My Lab Hero Story

When I was deployed to Trinidad and Tobago as part of a humanitarian exercise, I realized that almost none of my equipment worked! The heat and the way that it was stored made everything malfunction. But there were so many people there that needed my help. Using only the bare minimum of equipment, I helped to triage and treat patients—it required a lot of out-of-the-box thinking! But I’ve never seen people so happy and grateful to receive basic healthcare. It was really a defining moment for me, one that not only showed how important my role as a laboratory technician really was, but what I was truly capable of accomplishing.

“My job is the perfect blend of coming to work, doing some crazy, cool, nerdy scientific stuff, and then realizing—oh, wow. I probably saved a life today!”

“Originally, I wanted to be a nurse or doctor—but medical school was so expensive! A career as a laboratory technician was a great option for me.”