Greetings Gang and Happy Monday, everyone! This month, I wanted to do something special to say thank you to the students who have invested in themselves and are working hard toward certification. I’m hosting an exclusive giveaway for members of the ✨PAID Microscope Views✨ community, and there will be 4 winners selected on August 15th. The prizes are designed to help make your journey to becoming certified a little easier. How to enter: ✅ Be a member of the paid Microscope Views community ✅ Head over to the paid community and follow the giveaway instructions in the giveaway post. 🎊 Bonus: To celebrate the giveaway, membership is on sale for just $87/month through August 15th. If you’ve been thinking about joining, now is the perfect time. You’ll get immediate access to all of the study resources, live support, and you’ll be eligible to enter this month’s exclusive giveaway before the sale ends. Join HERE https://www.skool.com/microscopeviews Good luck to everyone entering! I’m excited to bless a few of you this month. 🫶🏽 Xoxo, Marilyn

Greetings Gang 🤩 August is almost here, and I wanted to check in with everyone. I know a lot of us are graduating, finishing clinicals, starting new jobs, or really locking in for the ASCP or AMT exam. This is such an exciting (and sometimes stressful) time, and I just wanted to see where everyone is at. 🫶🏽 How are you feeling about your studying (or life right now)? 🔬 What subject are you spending the most time on right now? 🎓 Have you graduated yet, or are you still in school? 🫣 If you're testing soon, when's your exam? Also... 👀 ASCP August is almost here! I've been planning something really fun to celebrate all of the hard work you all have been putting in. Throughout August, I'll be doing giveaways to help students on their journey to becoming MLSs and MLTs. I'll be sharing all of the prizes and entry details very soon! One important thing: The giveaways are exclusive to members of the Microscope Views Inner Circle. That's where I'll be posting all of the details, announcing winners, hosting our live study sessions, and sharing everything for ASCP August. If you've been thinking about joining the Inner Circle, now is the perfect time so you don't miss out. Join HERE 🚨 Comment with your updates below (if you feel comfortable). I love seeing everyone's progress, and it's encouraging for everyone to see that we're all working toward the same goal. Let's cheer each other on as we head into August! 🥳 xoxo, Marilyn

I passed!!! 🎉 I have NO idea how! Does not feel real..... That test was... I don't even know what that test was. I feel like I dissociated through the entire exam. The only thing I kept whispering to myself was, "Think it through," just like Marilyn @marilynthescientist always says. Meanwhile, my internal monologue was just the F-word every two minutes. 😂 I was fully convinced I was failing the entire time!!! I mean THE WHOLE TIME. I almost walked out🤣 I felt despair self-deprecation you name it but..... I clicked Submit, a few words I barely even comprehended appeared on the screen, and then I saw PASS. Ten weeks of nonstop studying paid off! Afterthoughts: I despised my program director and basically lived at school five days a week, 8 hours a day for two and a half years. It still feels like a fever dream. But somehow I made it through......

Greetings Gang! I wanted to let you know what we've got planned inside the Inner Circle next week... We're kicking off 7 straight days of live ASCP study sessions, covering the highest-yield topics on the exam. Whether you're testing next week, next month, or just beginning your study journey, this is designed to help you build consistency, confidence, and a structured study routine. Here's what we're covering: 🩸 Day 1 (Sunday): Hematology I 🩸Day 2 (Monday): Hematology II + Coagulation 🅰️Day 3 (Tuesday): Blood Bank 🦠Day 4 (Wednesday): Microbiology – Bacteriology 🦠Day 5 (Thursday): Microbiology – Mycology & Parasitology 🧪Day 6 (Friday): Clinical Chemistry 💧Day 7 (Saturday): Urinalysis & Body Fluids 🧬Day 8 (Sunday): Immunology At the end of every session, we'll work through 10 Laboratory Operations questions together since that's one area many students don't spend enough time practicing. If you've been watching from the sidelines, this is probably the best week to jump in. You'll get a full week of LIVE instruction, ASCP-style practice questions, concept breakdowns, and the opportunity to ask questions live as we go. I'd love to have you study with us. If you're ready to stop studying alone and start following a structured game plan, come join us inside the Inner Circle community. 👉🏽 Join Now! https://www.skool.com/microscopeviews SEE YOU ON SUNDAY! 🤪🔬

Greetings Gang: Here is the recording of the live study session today, for your review at your leisure! We went over a mix of questions in Lab Ops, UA/Body Fluids, Micro, and Heme. 👇🏽 Click here to view the recording VIEW RECORDING - 84 mins (No highlights) Key Takeaways - LAP Score is the CML/Leukemoid Differentiator: A high LAP score (e.g., 155) indicates a leukemoid reaction (mature cells), while a low score is characteristic of CML (immature cells). - JAK2 Mutation is Not Exclusive to ET: The JAK2 mutation, often linked to Essential Thrombocythemia (ET), also occurs in Primary Myelofibrosis (PMF). The key differentiator is PMF's "marked marrow fibrosis." - Campylobacter Jejuni's Key ID: Identify C. jejuni by its growth at 42°C, oxidase/catalase positivity, and positive hippurate test. - Study Strategy is Critical: Use process of elimination and common sense. For complex questions, memorize 2–4 key biochemicals per organism to rule out incorrect choices. Topics Lab Operations & Safety - Electrical Safety: Use a non-conductive material (wood/plastic) to separate a victim from a live electrical line. - Patient ID: Acceptable identifiers are full name, DOB, and medical record number. A room number is insufficient and unsafe. - Bloodborne Pathogens: Prevent exposure with engineering controls (splash guards) and PPE (gloves, masks). Asking patients about their HIV/hepatitis status is unethical and a HIPAA violation. - Surface Decontamination: Clean work surfaces with disinfectant after any blood/OPIM spill and at the start of each shift. - Chemical Handling: Read a chemical's label before moving or opening it. Urinalysis & Body Fluids - Kidney Function: Kidneys maintain acid-base balance (via bicarbonate), produce hormones (renin, EPO), and regulate water/electrolytes. They do not reabsorb waste products. - Urine pH Indicators: The reagent strip uses methyl red (red/orange → yellow) and bromthymol blue (yellow → green/blue). - CSF Cell ID: