Medical Laboratory Assistant

My name is Nicolette Barker, the Department Head of the MLA Program here at Stenberg. I am inspired by new students joining the MLA Program; it reminds me of when I decided to take the program many years ago. After graduating from Stenberg College in 2004, I obtained a position as an MLA at BC Cancer Agency, I worked there for over 8 years. In my career as an MLA, I have also worked at several hospitals within PHSA and Fraser Health including BC Children's Hospital, Surrey Memorial, Peace Arch Hospital, Delta Hospital, Langley Memorial and Mission Memorial Hospital. My passion for the healthcare industry, professionalism, customer service, and laboratory services led me back to Stenberg College in 2017 as the Lead Instructor for the MLA program. I instruct my students with hands-on, guided practice within the laboratory setting while demonstrating qualities of professionalism and leadership. I enjoy interacting with my students and love watching them learn new skills as they work hard to succeed in their new role as future Medical Lab Assistants. Medical Laboratory Assistants are an integral part of the healthcare team. We are lab professionals, we share knowledge, promote learning, collaborate with other professionals, and contribute to essential patient care. The Medical Laboratory Assistant Program will prepare you for exciting employment opportunities in both private and public medical laboratories. Students will learn the technical and non-technical skills required to begin a successful career, including an on-site Laboratory practicum. I welcome the opportunity to share in your education journey. All the instructors in the MLAD program have a passion for healthcare and are professionals in industry providing outstanding care and service to all patients.

From an early age, I've had an interest in biology, which naturally led me into laboratory sciences. This profession plays such a vital role in helping doctors diagnose and treat patients. My career began as a Medical Lab Assistant performing phlebotomy and ECGs, then I soon became intrigued with the technical aspect of lab testing and was inspired to return to school to become a Med Lab Technologist. During my career, I’ve been employed in a large private testing lab performing specialized testing and also worked in smaller hospital labs, which I found to be an incredible experience! My duties there included blood collection rounds in the hospital wards and then performing tests in all the lab departments. I felt I was an integral part of a healthcare team of caring, compassionate individuals who worked collaboratively to provide excellent patient care: MLAs, MLTs, nurses, doctors, and other professionals working together for a common goal. As I gained experience, I took on leadership roles as a trainer, Technical Resource technologist, Team Lead Supervisor and then Lab Manager. In 2009, I furthered my passion for training to become a Stenberg College instructor, doing both in-class and hands-on lab instruction for the MLA program. Currently, I’m an online instructor for the Anatomy & Physiology and Professional Practice & Lab Fundamentals courses and I’m the Quality Assurance instructor at the Duncan campus laboratory. I’m passionate about guiding students through demonstration, practice, and experiential learning as they learn, refine, and then master their new skills as I witness their remarkable transformation from nervous newbies into confident professionals and see them flourish in their careers as medical professionals. Several of my former students have gone on to become trainers, supervisors, and peers in the MLA program at Stenberg College!

I have worked as a medical laboratory technologist for over 35 years. I love being able to teach my students what I do at my workplace and witness them become part of the healthcare team. I joined Stenberg College in 2021 and is an instructor for in-person labs. In my spare time, I love to spend time with family, kayaking, reading, or just being outdoors in my garden.

I started my healthcare career journey when my father said to me back in 2014, “Leah, I have a Stenberg College brochure regarding the Medical Laboratory Assistant program.” “I was chatting with one of the ladies who worked at LifeLabs and I think this is something you would do well at and I would be your number one patient.” Well, my dad was right, this definitely was the right career choice for me and my family. I took the first-ever Vancouver Island Medical Laboratory Assistant course (situated in Duncan, B.C.) with Stenberg College in 2014. I was hired with LifeLabs right after my practicum and presently I have a permanent full-time position. Being an MLA brings me great joy and satisfaction every shift knowing my job is an integral part of the patient's health and wellbeing. I have a passion for helping people and want to make their visits at my lab a memorable one where they look forward to seeing me again in the future. I worked for 3 years in my MLA role with LifeLabs and then applied to Stenberg College to work in the Duncan lab as an instructor. During 2017-2019 I worked as a lab instructor and then pursued the Lead Lab instructor role in 2020. I am currently the Duncan Lead Lab Instructor, an awesome way to spread my contagious excitement about this career choice. I also teach the PROD100 course and the MLAD120 regional cohorts which brings me so much joy to meet the students at the start of the program and rejoin them near the end of the program for a full circle event. Along with working at LifeLabs and Stenberg College, I’ve been a commissioned Naval Officer for the Canadian Forces since 2000. The experience I have in the military will shine through with my class instruction. Don’t worry I’m not asking you to say “Yes, Ma’am”. Students in my class will benefit from my experiences and passion working as a Medical Laboratory Assistant. I am a mother of two children and one fur ball dog. My partner and I love teaching our kids outdoor survival skills, scuba diving, and exploring the backcountry when time permits.

I have been a Medical Laboratory Assistant since 2004. I love my career, and am now excited to be able to share my knowledge with the students of Stenberg College. I am an online instructor for the MLAD Program as well as assisting in the face-to-face portion of the program. It is a privilege to guide the students through their journey to becoming a Medical Laboratory Assistant and I am always looking forward to seeing the success of our graduates.

Jonathan enjoys biking along Vancouver’s seawall, sipping coffee at two in the morning, and travelling. He graduated from Stenberg’s last in-class only Cardio Tech program in 2016 and completed his clinical at Vancouver General Hospital. Before pursuing cardiology, he cultivated a deep interest for the heart during Stenberg's Medical Laboratory Assistant program, in the same cardiology course he now teaches. Jonathan develops curriculum and is also one of the lead instructors in the Cardio Tech program and the Business and Marketing program. Besides instructing online and in-class, his full-time role involves exploring new applications of machine learning in diagnostic cardiac devices. Occasionally, he also picks up shifts at a cardiology clinic that specializes in stress testing.

As a good standing member of the Canadian Society of Cardiology Technologists, and the Cardiology Technologists of British Columbia, Athena is credentialed as a Registered Cardiac Rhythm Device specialty Technician. Graduating all her post-secondary education with honours, Athena has a passion for continuing education and teaching. She started with Stenberg College in 2015 and is proud to still be part of the faculty. To keep current in the industry Athena works full time as the owner of a cardiology diagnostic clinic. Athena loves to gain knowledge on complex cases and share her expertise with her students.

My name is Janelle Hay and I am the Lead Cardiac instructor for the Duncan lab. I am a registered cardiology technologist and I went to Stenberg College myself to do the Cardiac Tech program back in 2018. I work full time between VGH and RJH in Victoria BC. I started teaching for Stenberg as a lab instructor a couple years ago and found it to be a very rewarding path teaching students everything I know about how to perform electrocardiograms and interpretation of the ECGs. Outside of work I love to exercise and compete in CrossFit, or be at home with my partner and our two cats with a good novel to read 🙂

Born and raised in the Greater Vancouver area, it was always my dream to work in healthcare. Originally attending university with the intent to pursue nursing, I switched gears and shifted into laboratory science, becoming an MLA in 2011. Since graduating I have worked at Royal Columbian Hospital in both phlebotomy collections and medical microbiology, before transferring to Surrey Memorial Hospital in 2015 to dedicate my career to medical microbiology full time.

I grew up in the interior mostly, and also spent a short amount of time up in northern BC. I moved to Vancouver in 2002 and attended Stenberg College’s (at the time offered) Veterinary Hospital Assistant program. I then went on the get my degree through TRU as a Registered Animal Health Technician and enjoyed that career for many years at various hospitals within the lower mainland. I met my husband Chris in 2009, and life priorities changed when I became a mom to our first daughter in 2012. We moved to Victoria, and I decided to be a stay-at-home mom, until we welcomed our second daughter in 2017. Knowing I wanted to go back to school at this point and also get into human medicine, but not wanting another long haul in university, Stenberg College's Medical Laboratory Assistant program was an easy sell to me. I attended an info session and signed up to start right away! I was hired at LifeLabs on my third day of practicum and have enjoyed working with many amazing coworkers in various lab settings since then. In 2019, when I heard Stenberg was hiring instructors for the Duncan Campus, I jumped at the opportunity. I thoroughly enjoy teaching and working with the amazing team we have within the MLA program. I hope to continue to expand my opportunities and tasks with the program for many years to come. I enjoy running, hiking, paddleboarding, and camping with my family and friends. I also enjoy organizing, planning and putting any type of creative touch to whatever I can. I currently live in Chemainus with my family, our dog Arlo and chameleon Toby.