In this episode Luis is joined by Dr. Kristen Pesavento from Loyola University in Chicago. She was a guest in 2023 when she came to talk about the MS in MLS degree that her institution was offering. This time she joins the podcast to talk about clinical certificates. They are offered on three subjects of the clinical laboratory. These certificates allow you to sit for the categorical certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) on the areas of Hematology, Blood Banking, and Microbiology. Join in and listen to this episode to get more information on these certificates.

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Does your institution teach distance microbiology courses? What do you use to teach students those critical skills required in microbiology? In this episode Luis is joined by Brittany Jackson, a specialist from the Carolina Distance Learning section of the Carolina Biological Supply company. Brittany talks about the kits for microbiology students. Which materials are in those kits? Gram stains? Media? Tune in to learn more.

Link to website: https://carolinadistancelearning.com/ready-to-ship/

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A great conversation between three microbiologists! In this episode Luis is joined by Kelli Maddock and Jessica D'Angelo to talk about their careers. Kelli is a previous guest and is currently a section head in microbiology. Jessica is a microbiology supervisor. What inspired them to pursue a career in the laboratory and microbiology? What challenges have they encountered? What is their favorite bug?

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If you work in laboratory medicine or microbiology, what led or inspired you to choose that career? What have you learned? Do you have a different occupation within the field than the one you started with? This episode is part of a series that features members of the laboratory and microbiology community, who come in and share their journey. They talk about their positions, what they have enjoyed, what challenges they have encountered, and more.

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It's time to talk about AFB! What is acid fastness? What are some stains used for acid-fast bacilli? In this episode Luis is joined by Dr. Filipe Cerqueira to talk about AFB. He goes over stains, media, processing of AFB cultures, Runyon groups, and more. He also talks about Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and provides examples of organisms. Tune in for another great episode .

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The next episode of the AMR series is here! This time Luis and Andrea are joined by Sonali Kalathiya, a pharmacist and Medical Science Liaison. Sonali joins the podcast to talk about two classes of antibiotics: macrolides and lincosamides. Have you performed a D-test in the lab? What is the purpose of the test? If you have performed it and perform susceptibilities for erythromycin and clindamycin, then you are familiar with these classes of drugs. Tune in to learn more. Also, in the episode Sonali asks Luis about the origin of the Let's Talk Micro logo.

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A simulation laboratory? In this episode Luis is joined by Emily Matthys, an Assistant Professor at Northern Michigan University. Emily teaches at a Medical Laboratory Sciences program and she joins the podcast to talk about a simulation laboratory that was implemented for blood bank and microbiology for medical laboratory technician students. As some labs become more centralized, and end result might be diminished exposure to some areas for medical laboratory science students undergoing their clinical rotations. How does this simulation lab help students? What do the students do in this lab? Tune in for another great episode.

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Let's Talk Micro kicks off 2025 with a great new episode. This time Luis is Joined by Dr. Sam Aitken to talk about sulopenem. Have you heard about this oral antibiotic? It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs). This is an oral penem, and the news of its release has caused different reactions in social media by members of the Microbiology/Infectious Diseases community. What is sulopenem? Why is it combined with probenecid (Orlynvah)? What are the concerns regarding sulopenem? When are carbapenems appropriate for treatment? Tune in for a great episode .

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Working in the microbiology field you might be familiar with outbreaks and health care associated infections (HAI). What about linens in health care? What outbreaks have been associated with health care linens (HCLs)? Are there any regulations regarding their use? What about the MOULD study? Luis is joined by Dr. Alex Sundermann to talk about HCLs, regulations, mold-associated outbreaks, and more.

Link to Dr. Sundermann's article:

https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/health-care-linens-underrecognized-risk-infection-prevention-control

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Following the episode with Dr. Kelli Maddock, Luis decided to talk about his favorite organism: Pasteurella! This time Luis goes into more detail. What are some species of Pasteurella? Which animals are they found on? Which species are isolated from humans? This episode also covers media, biochemicals, diseases, and more.

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