Pros
- Gain experience in multiple departments like Hematology, PCR, Clinical Chemistry etc, everything you'd do in a human lab. - Overnight differential - No patients, or customers - No uniforms
Cons
- Truly terrible way of running Overview: Someone in the corporate aspect of Antech made a horrible deal that is a large contributor to why Antech Atlanta runs so terribly. Technicians must work to the BONE to push out samples by a certain time, or the company loses 100% of the profit. Why would you make a business model (i don't know business jargon, I'm literally a scientist) where majority of the profit is risked even though you still have to pay/ use materials and workers. Because of this they are EXTREMELY cheap, pay you the least possible, and hire the least amount of people possible and stretch them thin to do the work. This leads to overworking, quality control issues, and most importantly to Antech, lost profit if the production cut off is not made. Pay: Not even close to the worth of the work, you MIGHT get $18, but you will absolutely prep or analyze 300 samples. Safety: Speaking of quality control, there is barely any care for safety hazards and PPE. There is a hema tech that doesn't even wear gloves when handling blood. They only wear gloves when a QC analyst is physically present. Even the machines are overworked. The hematology analyzers self clean but spew the remaining blood of the hundreds of samples Antech profits from you running. Disgusting. Despite being severely understaffed, there aren't even enough lab coats for everyone throughout the week. They are supposed to be washed once a week, but all of them don't make it to the bin, and if they get dirty before wash day, you're out of luck. We end up sharing between shifts or simply not wearing one. The disposable ones are so thin you might as well show up in lace. Expectations: Warehouse, truly just pushing samples and results. If you have enough of a science background you may be able to understand enough of what you're doing to give quality results and add the skill to your resume, but if not you're really just pushing samples. Retention: Turn over is so high the more intense departments clean house every 3-5 months. Workers don't feel their efforts are reciprocated in pay or lab management. Team morale is under the ground. If you do make it to a year the raise is one measly dollar. Also, if you are written up for any reason during the entire year, you cannot be promoted according to policy. Leaving: 2-week notice or you cannot work at another Antech/ Mars, but honestly, why would you want that. But maybe other Antech labs are different. PLEASE READ PLEASE READ: Parasitology is feces! Apparently potential hires are being told that the department tests blood urine and feces as if it's every once in a while. Parasitology at Antech is STRICTLY FECES, sure some fecal tests are testing for blood such as an occult blood, that's still stool. 1,000 samples of stool daily.