Hey everyone! I graduated a few weeks ago and I am preparing for the ASCP. I'm taking practice tests like a mad woman and studying the questions I get wrong. I have the purple and gold MLS review book I've also been studying from but I am still struggling with Microbiology! The biochemical test is whats taking me out 😭 Any tips on how to get these organisms/biochemical test to stick? The questions I do know have been low difficulty questions and I scared that is going to hurt me when I take the exam. Thanks in advance! 😊😊

Hello my little gang of nasties 😈😜 I hope you’re having an amazing and peaceful holiday season because December? Shiiiiii… December is about to be DIFFERENT. I’m launching 30 DAYS OF ASCP across all of my social media platforms, and I’m going all in for y’all. Every. Single. Day. I’ll be dropping: 🔬 One 30 to 60 second high-yield ASCP concept (clear and simple, not like how grandma lectured you in college) 🧠 One ratchet study tip to make the info stick (you'll never forget some of the crazy sh*t I say) 📚 One thing MLS school absolutely FAILED to teach you (and you KNOW they left a lot out especially for my online MLS/MLT students😭) That’s 3 posts every day all month long because I want you to walk into 2026 knowing how to use and implement the strategy, with clarity, and confidence in your studying, not confusion and anxiety. Everything I’m dropping PUBLICLY is designed to help you PASS this exam once and for all. But if you want to go from: “I’m studying…” to “I KNOW I’m going to pass this exam,” that shift happens inside the Inner Circle. The Inner Circle is where I give you the things I cannot explain in words: 🔥 Weekly Study Sessions every Sunday with me (alternating between 8AM PST and 4PM PST) 🔥 Breakdowns of topics like biochemical reactions, antibody IDs, morphology, etc. 🔥 Charts and .pdfs of high-yield concepts (like some of the ones I've dropped in here) 🔥 Direct guidance so you STOP wasting time reading nonsense and trying to make sense of it 🔥 Accountability + a community of students tryna pass just like you If you love this 30-day series, you’re going to THRIVE in the Inner Circle. It’s where students go from overwhelmed → confident → certified. Want in? Drop “ASCP” in the comments and I’ll send you all the Inner Circle details. Or Click HERE to join now! Let’s finish this year strong. Let’s hit January confident. Let’s get you certified. Happy holidays, nasties. 😈🎄🧪✨

Free Live Study Session #1 For the Books! Great job today everyone! See you tomorrow!!! Meeting Purpose A FREE study session for the ASCP exam, reviewing random practice questions. Key Takeaways - Study Strategy: Use LabCE's detailed explanations to understand why answers are correct and eliminate at least two choices, then reason through the remaining options. - Critical Concepts: Master key differentiators like the orfX gene for MRSA vs. coag-neg staph, the Lewis blood group's unique pregnancy-related changes, and the role of standard curves in absolute PCR quantification. - High-Yield Facts: Memorize specific associations, such as VMA as the end-product of epinephrine metabolism, magnesium as an activator for ALP/CK, and malnutrition as the top risk factor for latent TB progression. - Resource Recommendation: LabCE is preferred over the ASCP BOC simulator for its larger question bank (~5,000 vs. ~2,000), superior explanations, and higher exam relevance. Topics Study Strategy & Resources - LabCE vs. ASCP BOC Simulator: LabCE is recommended for its larger question bank, more detailed explanations, and higher exam relevance. The BOC simulator's questions are often simpler and its explanations less thorough. - Effective Study Method:Eliminate at least two incorrect answer choices.Reason through the remaining options using keywords and background knowledge.If unsure, make an educated guess, then use the explanation and external research (Google, ChatGPT) to learn the concept. Random Practice Questions (84% Score) - Competency Assessment: Manufacturer's instructions are the best guideline for developing competency assessments, as they provide the required step-by-step procedures. - Steroid Synthesis: The rate-limiting step is the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone, catalyzed by the CYP450 enzyme. - Real-Time PCR Quantification:Absolute Quantification: Requires a standard curve to determine the exact number of target copies by comparing an unknown sample's signal to known-quantity standards.Relative Quantification: Can be estimated from an amplification curve. - MRSA Gene: Oxacillin resistance in Staphylococcus is confirmed by the presence of the mecA gene. - Phlebotomy Needle Gauge: For small, delicate hand veins, a 23-gauge needle is recommended. A 25-gauge is too small and risks hemolysis. - Urinalysis for UTIs: The leukocyte esterase test detects inflammatory cells (PMNs), indicating a possible UTI. - Aspirin's Effect: Inhibits platelet function by irreversibly acetylating cyclooxygenase (COX), preventing thromboxane formation. - Pediatric Phlebotomy: The best approach is to smile, make eye contact, get to the child's level, and introduce yourself to build trust. - CPT Codes: Provide a uniform method for coding medical services, used by insurers for reimbursement. - GUIAC Test: Detects occult (hidden) blood in stool, a screening tool for colon cancer and ulcers. - Reticulocyte Identification: Contains reticulum visible only with a supravital stain (e.g., new methylene blue), not a Wright stain. - DNA Probe Labeling: End labeling, Nick translation, and random priming are methods. Digoxygenin addition is an example of a label, not a method itself. - Blood Group Inheritance: If parents are group A and B, their children can be A, B, AB, or O. Assume the most variable genotypes (AO x BO) to cover all possibilities. - Protected Health Information (PHI): An individual's education level is not considered PHI. - CSF Pleocytosis: An increased number of lymphocytes in CSF compared to a normal sample. - Urine Crystals: Uric acid crystals are found in acidic urine and would not be present in an alkaline specimen (pH 8.0). - Real-Time PCR Applications: Not used for amplifying DNA for a Northern blot, which is a hybridization method for detecting RNA. - Coagulation Tube: The light blue top tube (sodium citrate) is used for coagulation testing because it reversibly chelates calcium, allowing it to be added back for analysis. - Non-Conservative Mutation: A point mutation that codes for a new amino acid with different biochemical properties, altering the final protein's function. - Polychromasia: Explained by an increased reticulocyte count, indicating accelerated RBC production. - CSF Hemorrhage vs. Traumatic Tap: In a subarachnoid hemorrhage, blood is evenly distributed across all tubes, and the supernatant is xanthochromic (pink/yellow). - Acute Phase Proteins: Synthesized primarily in the liver by hepatocytes. - MRSA vs. Coag-Neg Staph: The orfX gene is present in MRSA but not coagulase-negative staph, differentiating the species. The mecA gene indicates resistance and can be found in both. - Lewis Blood Group: Antigen expression is diminished on the mother's red blood cells during pregnancy, a unique feature among blood groups.

Hello My Little Gang of Nasties 😈👅 We’ve got another FREE study session coming up this week, but I need your vote! 👇🏾 ⚠️ Quick note: Tuesday is a United States Federal Holiday, so keep that in mind when voting! Drop your vote in the comments: Which day works best for you? 👉🏾 Tuesday (Veteran's Day Holiday) 👉🏾 Wednesday Then comment your preferred time + time zone (Example: 4PM CST / 5PM EST). Once I see what works best for most of you, I’ll lock in the schedule and post the Zoom link! 🎥 We’ll be going over ASCP-style questions and breaking down strategy, so come ready to learn and laugh like last time. xoxo, Marilyn 🫶🏽

Greetings my little gang of Nasties Check out the attached chart for all the Thalassemias Simplified for the ASCP 🧬 Here’s a quick summary: Thalassemias = ↓ or ⛔ production of hemoglobin chains (not abnormal Hgb like in sickle cell). It’s a problem with quantity, not quality. Alpha Thalassemia (4 genes total): 🤫 Silent Carrier (1 gene deleted): basically normal 🔞 Trait/Minor (2 deleted): mild microcytic anemia 🚥 Hgb H Disease (3 deleted): moderate anemia ☠☠ Major (Hydrops fetalis) (4 deleted): lethal, only makes Hgb Bart’s = bad at oxygen delivery Beta Thalassemia (2 genes total): 🔞 Minor/Trait (1 gene mutated): mild anemia 🚥 Intermedia (partial function): moderate anemia, possible iron overload 🧊 Major (Cooley’s Anemia) (no beta chains): severe anemia, transfusion dependent, ↑ HgbF & A2 👶 Delta-Beta Thalassemia: Both delta & beta genes deleted → body compensates by ↑ gamma chains = ↑ HgbF I hope this helps clarify the differences between thalassemias vs other hemoglobinopathies as well as remembering the genotypes and clinical presentation/symptoms.