Episode 49: "Benefits of Formal and Informal Mentorship"- Meredith Hurston, MHA, MT (ASCP)

Lona Gordon Small, MBA, MT (ASCP) sat down to talk with Meredith Hurston, MHA, MT (ASCP) about her experience in a corporate mentorship program, and the take-aways that could help medical labs and medical lab professionals adopt mentorship.

Meredith is a native of Flint, Michigan, currently residing in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a medical laboratory scientist by trade who also nurtures her entrepreneurial spirit. She is a graduate of The University of Michigan-Flint and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. After completing a graduate degree in healthcare administration, Meredith now works at one of the nation’s top-rated hospitals as a QA Specialist focusing on quality and patient safety. In addition to working in the lab by day, Meredith also owns Maurita’s Essentials, where “Our dream is to transform your dry skin to help you achieve a gorgeous and glowing

complexion through our small-batch handcrafted skin care products”.

Meredith spoke about how she started her lab journey as a Phlebotomist. Meredith discussed that her curiosity, guidance from other medical lab professionals, and her willingness to make changes, led her into the field of medical lab Science.

She spoke about curiosity and research as her strengths, and how those qualities helped her in her current role as a Quality Specialist in Quality and Patient Safety. Meredith discussed some take-aways as a mentee in a formal mentorship program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

As Meredith discussed her mentorship experience, some important points that were brought to light included:

· A mentor should first have the willingness to help the mentee to grow.

· There should be regular time allotted for mentor mentee interactions.

· A mentor should be willing to connect the mentee to available opportunities aligned to the mentee’s aspirations.

· A mentee should first want to be mentored.

· A mentee should be encouraged to reach out to mentor when there is need, and guide the interaction.

· Have written guidelines to follow in for a formal mentorship program.

Meredith discussed the need for mentorship for medical lab professionals, and the importance of exposing medical lab professionals to different career options in the field. She gave a few suggestions on how a lab could establish a mentorship program.

Listen to the podcast for the detailed discussion and all the valuable information Meredith shared.

You can connect with Meredith on twitter at @meredithhurston and email her at meredith@msquaredhealth.com

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