From morning to afternoon, today was a day filled with data analysis. We began the workday at 10:00 AM sharp by analyzing the 4 fake patient samples–unceremoniously tagged as 6001, 6003, 6007, and 3184–against both the immunoassay and mass spectrometer results. For most of the patients, the immunoassay results were as expected: they matched the patient prescriptions, giving us a sigh of relief. However, some of the results showed that patients were potentially alcoholic (a presence of ethyl sulfate, or EtS values) or opiate addicts (a presence of morphine despite a lack of a prescription). One of the lab technicians told us that around 30 or 40% of tests don’t come out as per what is expected, so even though our patients were fake, I still believe that this mock test speaks volumes about North Carolina’s ongoing prescription drug abuse crisis.
We were interrupted by a new shipment of quality control samples, which are run on the mass spectrometers to make sure they are in working order. We took advantage of this moment to examine the proper lab procedure for unboxing new lab chemicals, and we shadowed one of the technicians as she meticulously unpacked the refrigerated box, carefully labeled the samples inside, and stowed them away inside the refrigerator.
As this was our last day, time seemed to pass faster than ever, and before we knew it, it was time for a lunch break. Panera Bread was the choice for the day, and a few rounds of foosball suppressed our growling stomachs for the moment.
After a Cuban Sandwich and a comforting bowl of Mac & Cheese, it was time to get back to work. Likewise, we did further mass spectrometer analysis, but this time, it was on a different piece of software. Although we had to leave before we were finished with our analysis, Adam showed us the results, and we were quite accurate! Not bad at all for a second time.
We spent some time giving some heartfelt goodbyes and last words, and we walked out of the doors of Integrated Laboratory Solutions for the final time. This week, I met many bright, creative, and amazing minds, and I would like to thank Dr. Zhong, Adam, Ashleigh, Krystel, Jelani, and Dr. Jay for all the good memories from these past few days.
