When You Fall Off The Horse...

Falling Down

    I was sitting at my favorite coffee shop in Birmingham when I started writing this entry. It's called Lucy's Coffee and Tea, and I loved to go there after class to grab a scone and a coffee or a chai tea with steamed milk. That favorite ritual of mine changed about two months ago. I fell face first into a Research Technician job at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "But, Jesie," you might say, "I thought you were in graduate school."
    You would be correct. I was in a graduate program at UAB, but the pace of the classes overwhelmed me and I fell behind. This didn't suddenly happen. This took place over several months. I had some trouble adjusting to the lightning-fast pace at which the dense material had to be memorized. Sometimes I had to memorize an entire two hours worth of lecture within only a day and then take a test on it. These tests were in excruciating detail down to the most seemingly meaningless minutia. Meanwhile, I also had to spend a good deal of time working in lab, preparing presentations, going to journal clubs (which meant more presentations), and taking care of SACNAS business. I was NOT prepared for such a full swing lifestyle. I also wanted more time with my Bham fam, including Vanessa. It was not possible to get the right amount of sleep and complete all of my tasks without isolating myself in a way that I didn't enjoy. I just fell down.
    But it's okay to fall down sometimes. I quickly realized that I needed a back-up plan. Luckily, I was in a position which offered me a great deal of opportunities. There are several biotech companies, hospitals, and research labs in the area. I have just the right skill set to appeal to the job market here. I applied to every research technician job that I could find at UAB, an assistant pathologist opening, and some other job openings at biotech companies in the area.

Standing Back Up

    I was hired on as a Research Technician in a laboratory in the Department of Medicine at UAB. This lab studies specific Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Infections. I LOVE my job! I get to look under a microscope for Trichamonas vaginalis, a sexually transmitted protozoan that can increase the chances of acquiring HIV. Most people have no symptoms, but if the infection is not treated it can last for years!

Trichamonas vaginalis from http://www.cdc.gov/std/trichomonas/stdfact-trichomoniasis.htm

I also culture and identify Garnerella vaginalis, a bacterium which is part of the common vaginal flora but can be related to infection if associated with other types of bacteria or imbalance of the vaginal flora. The lab that I work for looks for signs of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), and an abundance of G. vaginalis is one of those signs. 
    I get to look at Trich pouches every morning. They're exactly what they sound like. They are little pouches filled with liquid that have been inoculated with a patient sample. If the patient has Trich they will grow in the pouch. I can see them under the microscope. Honestly, I think they're kind of cute. Here's a video by SuperLabGeek that is very similar to what I see under the microscope if a TV pouch is positive.
    Culturing G. vaginalis is my other favorite task. I take a patient sample swab and rub it on a Human Blood Tween (HBT) plate, put it in the incubator for a few days, and then see what grew up on it.

HBT Plate with bacterial growth (from StudyBlue's website).

The plates usually grow all kinds of bacteria when they first come out. I take bacteria from the plate that looks like G. vag and grow it up on another plate. Then I perform several biochemical tests to verify that what I have grown up is indeed G. vag. It's like playing a puzzle game. I enjoy it even if it seems disgusting. (Trust me, it's super gross!)
    That's what I've been up to after making the decision to leave graduate school. I will occasionally feel a pang of regret, but the reality of the situation helps me remember that I'm where I want to be now. Nothing is perfect, but I am happy.