Super Busy Bee

Microbiologist, Phlebotomist, has been bullied in and outside of school, works at five in the morning, runs her girls to sports and is a mother all in one fantastic lady. If you know this fantastic mother you know how hard she works if not you should meet her. Her name is Shari Roberts.  Her job is something simply amazing and she is simply amazing at it.

When she gets to work she gets on a lab coat to start her day off.

“The lab is only accessible to technical staff with key passes.It is considered a “dirty” area were we are required to wear labcoats at all times. There are no food or drinks at all some areas need to be sterile” explains Shari when I asked about her work environment.

She works at Interpath Laboratory in Pendleton. She has a very strong stomach when it comes to working with more than just blood.

I asked what is the coolest thing that she has ever encountered and she replied with,

“ A 30 foot tapeworm that was taken surgically from a persons stomach”.  

Pretty cool right?  Then following up with the question what is the grossest thing you have encountered on the job?

“I can’t think of any one thing that has grossed me out...I have a really tough stomach.”

She is a woman with many different talents. I asked what is required to get started in that job?

“We have to have a state or national phlebotomy certificate,customer service training and months of on the job training and a high school diploma no GEDs” The equipment is the best part in my opinion.  They work with many different machines like microscopes, kits for testing, samples and reagents, inoculation loops,incinerators, CO2 incubators, non CO2 incubators,large walk-in refrigerators, chemical/fume hoods,needles and many more”.

Finally I have one more question for Shari before we wrapped up what is it like having two daughters with food allergies?

“I worry a lot!!!!! It is scary to think about all the different situations where they could have an exposure and then I worry about will someone be around that is trained to helped. That doesn't change how much I love them though… and that is A LOT!!!!!” Thank you for sharing all this information with me and being an amazing mother.