When she enrolled at College of Saint Mary, Makayla Bossman had considered a degree in nursing, but she decided it wasn’t for her.

“I didn’t want to do direct patient care,” the junior said. “I still wanted to be in healthcare, so I looked more into jobs behind the scenes.”

That’s when she found CSM offered a degree in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS), which prepares students to work in professional diagnostic laboratories in hospitals, clinics, research, industry, and educational institutions. Students must complete a professional year of study at a medical institution as part of the degree.

Makayla learned in November that she will spend her clinical year at Methodist Hospital in Omaha.

“They have a separate lab building on their hospital campus, and they have a classroom specifically for the MLS students,” she said. “Their classroom experience is over the summer and then we start doing clinical rotations in the hospital lab.”

The clinical rotations consist of two different experiences, each eight and 15 weeks.

“You get that hands-on experience in a lab,” Makayla said.

The Gretna High School graduate already has a head start, working part-time in the microbiology department of a lab.

“I get a bunch of hands-on experience streaking plates and setting cultures,” she said. “That's interesting. Learning all the techniques in a lab now is very helpful.”

Makayla said her professors are supportive, too.

“I get that one-on-one connection. I enjoy the small class sizes,” she said. “The program sets you up well.”

While she hasn’t decided what specialty she wants to do, Makayla knows she wants to work in a lab.

“I’m waiting for my clinical year to decide that,” she said. “My dream job is to work at a lab at NASA to test specimens from astronauts.”

At CSM, Makayla has been vice president of Do Unto Others (DUO) and the Residence Hall Council. She has also served as a resident advisor.