Caitlin Wildrick, MLS (ASCP)

Current Position: Lead Blood Bank Technologist

Story Last Updated: Summer 2024

A graduate of Pennridge High School, Caitlin ultimately chose GMercyU because it enabled her to stay close to home and offered small class sizes.

“I was more than just a statistic. The professors actually knew my name and would make time to help students during office hours,” Caitlin said.

GMercyU also allowed her to continue playing the sport she loves, volleyball.

[During my clinical year], I enjoyed seeing how involved I could be in a patient's care from just providing the doctor and nurses with lab results. Even though you never meet the patients, you get to know them in a sense and see them recover through numbers.

Why Medical Laboratory Science?

Caitlin knew she wanted to work in healthcare but preferred a more "behind the scenes" career. Medical Laboratory Science allows her to work in healthcare and impact someone's care by getting them fast and accurate test results, but without direct patient contact.

“As soon as I stepped into the laboratory during my clinical year, I knew that I had chosen something that I could see myself doing for the rest of my life,” Caitlin said. “I enjoyed seeing how involved I could be in a patient's care from just providing the doctor and nurses with lab results. Even though you never meet the patients, you get to know them in a sense and see them recover through numbers.”

She also enjoys that no two days are the same in the lab.

For those considering pursuing MLS, Caitlin feels there is a great deal of opportunity.

“Most of the current MLS employees are closer to retirement age, and there are not many people coming out of school with this degree,” she said. “Most times when people ask me what I do for a living, they always respond with ‘What is that?’ because they really don't know that we exist. There is always a need for more laboratory staff as healthcare is ever-changing.”

GMercyU Experience

MLS students take courses in GMercyU's Biology program for three years. Their final year is spent at a hospital program, where they learn more about MLS specifically.

“All of the professors at GMercyU are super knowledgeable about their field,” Caitlin said. “My favorite professor was Dr. McEliece. She was always upbeat during class and kept the lecture/lab interesting but also helped me prepare for the hospital year/clinical rotation.”

A Typical Day as a Medical Laboratory Scientist

In the lab, Caitlin rotates through three departments: hematology, chemistry, and blood bank.

“In hematology, we look at a patient's white cells, red cells, and platelets in a blood smear on a slide. We also look at the coagulation results and their urine under the microscope,” she said.

“In chemistry, we run a patient's serum for all the basic tests as well as specialized testing, pregnancy tests, drug screens, and blood gases. In chemistry, we also prepare samples to be sent to the reference labs if we do not perform the tests needed at the hospital. In blood bank, we test for blood type and for abnormal antibody reactions,” Caitlin said. “We cross-match blood so that we make sure blood is compatible with the patient before transfusion. But there is so much more detail I could go into!”

A GMercyU Wedding

In 2023, Caitlin got married to Brian Wildrick '20, who she met at GMercyU, with several former Griffins serving as bridesmaids and groomsmen on the big day. Congratulations!

In May 2025, Caitlin will graduate with a Master's in Medical Laboratory Science Leadership from the University of Cincinnati.