28/04/2026
For Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (MLPW), ASCP BOC shares your stories! Here is a story from Muhammad Malik, MLS(ASCPi)CM.
"Like most laboratory professionals, I was used to working behind the scenes. But then February 2020 hit, and the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. When the outbreak started, there was a massive shortage of trained molecular diagnostics staff here in Pakistan. I knew I had to help, so I stepped up to volunteer at the Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Institute of Health in Islamabad. Working in the BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories during those early surge days was incredibly intense. We were running hundreds of samples a shift. It wasn't just about running polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and trying to optimize extraction protocols to avoid false negatives; we knew every single tube belonged to a human, and an entire family was waiting for those answers. Earning my Medical Laboratory Scientist - MLS(ASCP) credential was a tough journey, but those high-pressure months proved exactly why those standards are so important. The rigorous training in biosafety and analytical precision allowed me to keep my head down and operate confidently when things around us were so overwhelming. Today, I work as a Senior Medical Laboratory Scientist. I still carry that early COVID experience with me every single day. It constantly reminds me that even though we are usually hidden away in the laboratory, our daily work directly impacts patient lives. I'm really proud to be an ASCP BOC-certified scientist representing my country."