LA PLATA, Md. – The School of Southern Maryland (CSM) Medical Laboratory Expertise (MLT) program topped all Maryland and D.C. college packages represented within the 2025 Cell Bowl.
The Cell Bowl checks college students’ blood cell data by a timed check to establish regular versus irregular cells, for instance if they’re cancerous, reactive, or contaminated. Groups use an app referred to as CellAtlas created by CellAVision, which provides contributors one minute to accurately establish 30 cells.
Over the competitors’s three weeks, CSM accurately recognized 30 cells in 51 seconds, ending the regional season 17th among the many 58 two-year and four-year establishments throughout the nation and first amongst groups in Maryland and D.C.
“The Cell Bowl actually activated my competitiveness. I needed our class to rank excessive in opposition to the opposite competing faculties,” stated MLT scholar Saniya Kelly. “I put some strain on myself to do effectively, I needed to make my professors proud and rank excessive.”
The MLT program gives hands-on observe to arrange college students for diagnostic healthcare careers and carry out procedures like blood counts, urinalysis, cross matching blood for transfusion, figuring out pathogenic organisms, and chemical evaluation of blood and different physique fluids.
CSM MLT Program Coordinator Professor Tiffany Gill first launched the competitors to her college students as a enjoyable and fascinating strategy to study cell identification and simplify the memorization course of. After talking with different program administrators, Gill labored with the American Society for Scientific Pathology (ASCP) to take the Cell Bowl nationwide on her YouTube channel, Medical Lab Woman Gill. The primary match was held in 2021.
The ASCP, a gold degree sponsor of the match, additionally gives Tremendous Cell Bowl champions with an interactive observe examination and e book to assist them put together for the certification examination.
Gill hopes that by taking the competitors to the nationwide stage with assist of trade leaders, it can carry extra consciousness to the medical laboratory subject.
“When individuals consider healthcare they sometimes take into consideration the professions you see and acknowledge,” Gill stated. “Medical laboratorians may go behind the scenes, however their coaching and experience are important to affected person care, analysis, and remedy. We’re hoping to carry some visibility and consciousness to this helpful subject.”
Kelly stated she was first impressed by a highschool biotechnology instructor to pursue a profession within the medical lab.
“I’ve at all times beloved the extra hands-on areas of science,” Kelly stated. “One thing I actually respect about this program is that we use actual specimens, reagents, and analyzers that simulate an precise laboratory setting.”
Whereas CSM didn’t make the Cell Bowl playoffs, the staff continued competing for further credit score and a trophy that strikes to every week’s prime scorer, which nonetheless sparks aggressive studying. Scores have improved dramatically because the begin of the Cell Bowl with the very best rating of thirty cells in 40 seconds.
“This competitors actually opened my eyes to how advanced the cells in our physique are,” Kelly stated. “I’ve needed to research the various kinds of cells so I may establish them faster. I realized quite a bit, and I really feel good after I present my household how rapidly I can establish all of the cells.”
Professor Gill stated it’s rewarding to observe the scholars enhance every week and get enthusiastic about their excessive scores.
“The enjoyment of being an educator is with the ability to watch these college students develop, and to really feel empowered by what they’ve realized,” Gill stated. “My aim is to arrange these college students to go away the classroom and be the very best professionals attainable.”
After finishing her diploma at CSM, Kelly is planning to work as a Medical Laboratory Technician whereas ending a bachelor’s diploma program to work as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.
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