Katrina Gale returned to the University of Otago to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science, proving people don’t need to compromise on the life they want to pursue career goals.
Due to graduate at the end of this year, Medical Laboratory Science student Katrina Gale proves you don’t need to compromise on the life you want to pursue your professional goals.
Having completed a Bachelor of Science at the University of Otago in 1997, Katrina returned to her alma mater to take hold of an opportunity she wasn’t able to pursue in prior years.
A family-centred woman, Katrina is mother to two children, Kylie and Regan, and was already working as a Qualified Technical Assistant in Ōtepoti Dunedin when she decided to go back to university to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science.
With a successful career under her belt, Katrina had no need to return to university but a past experience encouraged her to take up this challenge.
While working as a Qualified Technical Assistant at Southern Community Laboratories in the early 2000’s, Katrina was introduced to a pathway that would allow her to pursue medical laboratory science. However, she chose to forgo that in place of starting and raising her family.
After seven years at that Laboratory, she left in 2004 to begin working part-time at Bayfield High School as a Science Technician, where she would stay until 2022.
Once her children finished school, she began working at Awanui Hospital Laboratory in 2023 part-time, then full-time, before deciding it was the right time to pursue becoming a medical laboratory scientist.
“Balancing full-time work and study has been challenging, but I am so proud of what I have achieved,” Katrina says.
“Things have changed since I completed my Bachelor’s, and online study was a new experience for me, but my family and workmates have been incredibly supportive throughout.”
Katrina never imagined she would achieve the high grades she has and looks forward to completing her research project and graduating.
Katrina says her experience shows people don’t need to compromise on having a career versus a family, and that there is wisdom in waiting for the right moment to pursue those things.
She says the opportunity to move from being a technician to a medical laboratory scientist had always appealed to her, so she greatly enjoyed learning more about diseases and the science behind laboratory tests during her diploma.
Working in immunology at the Awanui Hospital Laboratory, Katrina tests blood samples to find out whether someone may have an autoimmune disease or an allergy, and to check how their immune system is responding.
Her diploma helped her understand why particular tests are done and what the results could mean for her patients.
“My work also includes blood grouping. I enjoy the variety, and studying has given me a better understanding of the work I do each day and how this directly impacts the lives of patients.”
Kōrero by Division of Health Sciences Communications Adviser, Kelsey Swart.
Medical Laboratory Science
Medical laboratory scientists are part of a highly-skilled team that works to solve the mysteries, put the pieces of the puzzle together and answer the critical questions of medicine. They play a crucial role in health care by providing laboratory tests and interpreting results to enable accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients. It’s a life-saving profession.
More about the course