Donna Castellone originally set out to become a medical doctor, but began to think twice during her senior year of college when she was “traumatized” by the rigors of organic chemistry. Long intrigued by the laboratory world after a cousin had given her a tour of the lab where she worked, Castellone decided to pursue her certification in medical technology, reasoning it would provide a good foundation for medical school later on.

Thirty years later, Castellone is still in the medical technology field, currently serving as the Coagulation Consultant for Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, NY, where she also acts as Research Coordinator for Transitional and Applied Laboratory Medicine, as well as an Instructor in the Pathology Department. Her varied roles exemplify one of the career field’s major advantages, according to Donna -- providing a rich assortment of job opportunities, from research to teaching, consulting to lecturing, bench work to publishing.

It’s also a field that has enabled the mother of three grown daughters to work part-time while raising a family, then later pursue full-time positions. “I always knew I wanted a career, and with laboratory medicine, I knew I could be flexible, taking shift work when necessary so I wouldn’t have to stop working completely,” said Donna.

Building on her certification
After obtaining her Medical Technologist (MT) certification, she became interested in bleeding and clotting disorders – one of the fastest-growing areas in laboratory medicine -- and obtained a second certification as a Specialist in Hematology (SH) which she later applied at both the University Hospital, SUNY, in Stony Brook, NY and the New York Hospital - Cornell Medical Center, in New York, NY. Along the way, she developed interests in lecturing at medical conferences, writing for laboratory publications, as well as teaching medical technology to medical residents and fellows. She also earned a Masters Degree in Health and Science and Administration, and is currently half way through the course requirements for a PhD degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Her advice for aspiring laboratorians? “Be creative with the field – there are many more opportunities beyond just “nine to five” jobs in the laboratory or in corporate clinical trial research positions,” said Donna. For example, she also writes some eight to ten articles per year for professional magazines, and lectures frequently at laboratory conferences nationwide.

Like mother, like daughter
It’s advice that her daughter, Theresa Castellone, took to heart after following her mother into the profession in 2004. “I always wanted to go into the field of medicine, after watching how excited my mother would get about her work,” said Theresa, who dreamed of becoming a pediatrician. While studying for a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Microbiology at the University of Rhode Island, she interned as a pathology student technician in Rhode Island Hospital’s microbiology laboratory, where she later obtained a full-time position. “I also applied to some of the other laboratory departments there, but my degree includes a concentration in microbiology, and it’s really the laboratory discipline I like the most,” said Theresa.

Her current work entails analyzing various pathogenic bacteria from patient specimens. “It’s very ‘hands-on’ work. Everyday, it’s like trying to put a new puzzle together, drawing on our knowledge as scientists, what we know about the patient whose specimen we’re analyzing, and other information,” she said.

Theresa, who is certified as an MT by both the American Society for Clinical Pathology and the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel, also is studying for a Masters Degree in Public Health, and may eventually leverage her education and background in the growing field of public health and information services.

“There’s so much health-related information on the Internet these days, some of it good, and some of it erroneous, so there’s a real need to help improve health literacy in this country,” she said. She also still occasionally considers applying to medical school or exploring another patient-care field, but in the meantime, is convinced that her laboratory background has provided a solid foundation for whatever career path she ultimately follows.

“My medical technology degree enabled me to get a good job right out of college, in an area that I find really interesting,” said Theresa. “If I want to switch to some other medical discipline later on, I can, because I set myself on the right foot. Meanwhile, like nursing, I’m convinced that salaries and other benefits will only continue to improve over time because there will be such a growing need for lab professionals in the years ahead.”