#IamMGH tells the stories of our people. Meet Laura Finlay, lab manager at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH).
“My healthcare journey started when I was a candy striper during high school. I remember always peeking into the windows of the lab whenever I would drop off samples. I was curious as to what was going on inside and decided to research the nuances of the profession. I ended up studying to become a medical lab technologist at school and I haven’t looked back since!
I began my career at another hospital in Toronto but when a position opened up in the lab at MGH, I applied right away. I was once a patient here and had such a positive experience being cared for by the staff. I knew the team at MGH was one I wanted to be part of. Everyone knows everyone else here — it’s such a pleasant environment to work in because I love building relationships with people.
Being a medical laboratory technologist is such an interesting profession. There are so many disciplines within the hospital lab, such as chemistry, hematology, blood bank, microbiology and pathology. Every day is different and there are so many opportunities to build and use your skillset in new ways. For instance, someone can work in chemistry for 10 years and then decide they want to change things up and go work in blood bank. If you’re passionate about science and you want to use it to help people in healthcare, I’d completely recommend it.”