Patient care is important to me. It is a wonderful feeling knowing that I am helping patients find answers and solutions to their medical issues.

My job is to draw patients' blood for the services requested. Each day I come to work, stock my cart, take a pager and my orders and go from room to room in the hospital. Some days I am in the Emergency Department or on a hospital floor. Other days I work with pediatric patients or do clerical work. The one thing that you need to get used to is that most people do not like to see us -- the whole needle thing!

This occupation requires training. I took a semester of classes at Rochester Community and Technical College to get a certificate for phlebotomy. Mayo provides six weeks of on-the-job training for new employees. I truly enjoyed my training at RCTC and the classes I took at Mayo once I was hired. This job requires multitasking and organizational skills. Customer service skills also come in handy when working with patients who would prefer not to be poked.

I enjoy this position because there is always something different to do and you meet new people every day.