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» Home » Student Profiles » Gaithre Kalainathan

Meet the Grads

Gaithre Kalainathan

By dcc2012 | May 17, 2016

Program: Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science
Hometown: Richmond, BC

Gaithre Kalainathan_450X300What have you enjoyed most about your experience with the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science program at UBC?

The people truly contributed towards making this experience a memorable one! Within two years, our peers became lifelong friends. With similar interests in the health sciences we were able to challenge and inspire each other. The instructors were leading professionals in their fields, who were dedicated towards teaching. Being able to meet individuals from an assortment of various health care backgrounds was an enriching and humbling experience.

What has surprised or challenged you?

I think “Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science” is often misperceived. While we were able to gain many laboratory skills, and hands-on experiences, we were also exposed to a lot of other areas. This program allowed us to explore various fields such as hematology, histology, and microbiology. Additionally, we learned numerous transferrable skills, which we will carry with us past post-secondary; for example, we learned how to facilitate discussions, were able to practice our teaching and presenting skills, learned to critically appraise scientific papers, and develop various professional skills. For a person who wants to explore and experience various fields related to health care, this program was phenomenal. I was definitely surprised to be exposed to the breadth of knowledge that this program offered.

What advice would you offer to incoming students?

Make the best of it! This program will be what you make out of it, and you are given countless opportunities to have a rewarding two years. You will get to attend various workshops, such as at BC Children’s Hospital, and go on tours to enhance your learning experience. You will have leading health professionals teach you about their fields, and you will have many hands-on experiences. You never know what you will discover about yourself over the next two years!

What’s one thing that we might be surprised to learn about you?

I really want to go skydiving and absolutely love the outdoors!

What’s next for you?

For the next year I am going to be managing programs for an organization that aims to provide music and art therapy for children with disabilities, where I will definitely be using the transferable skills I learned from BMLSc! After this year, I am going to come back to the world of academia and continue to pursue another degree, either in health administration or a more clinical environment. BMLSc has affirmed my passion for health care, and I know this is the field I want to be in!

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