3 Questions with Steven Springer, MS, MHA, MLS(ASCP)CM, PACM, MBCM

Steven Springer, MS, MLS(ASCP)^CM, PA^CM, MB^CM, was first drawn to laboratory medicine as a patient. He remembers being sick and getting his blood drawn while contemplating his future career, knowing that he wanted to do something in science with a heavy focus on medicine. While waiting for the blood test results, Mr. Springer looked up what happens to the tubes of blood after they are drawn and came across an article on medical laboratory science. It captured his interest and prompted him to take an introductory class in medical technology which ultimately led to applying to the clinical lab science program at University of Iowa where he pursued his bachelor’s degree.  

Here, Mr. Springer shares his thoughts on his career in the laboratory, the impact he hopes to make, and more.  

What aspects of laboratory medicine do you find most intriguing and fulfilling, and how do these align with your personal and professional interests? 

I really enjoy working in the biotechnology industry within molecular pathology. These are reference laboratories servicing medical centers and clinics all over the world and are generally doing cutting-edge science at the intersection of medicine. I find this most fulfilling because you get to be business oriented as well as science focused. It’s fast-paced and allows you to be very cross collaborative with other industry professionals you may not have a chance to collaborate with in generally healthcare settings such as business development, market access, government affairs, and commercial teams.  

What impact do you hope to make through your work in this field? 

I hope to help bring maturity to the field of molecular pathology in terms of operational excellence. This field is somewhat new in comparison to other specialties within pathology. Having worked within both clinical and anatomic pathology before this, I hope to bring some of the more established practices for those settings to molecular in hopes of solving end-to-end automation issues and optimizing manual processes though the use of broadly available AI tools to help better understand your own operation and leading to faster turnaround time for the patient and quicker intervention for the clinicians.  

How did you first get involved with ASCP?  

I first got involved with ASCP after the Board of Registry (now Board of Certification) exam and attending a conference early in my career. I have always had a passion for continuing education and made sure to take advantage of all ASCP had to offer, especially as I rose through the management track. After exploring the website later in my career, I wanted to do something that could have a larger impact on the entire profession within my area of specialty and found out about the Council of Laboratory Management & Administration within ASCP. I applied to serve on the committee and was honored when the chair reached out to me for an interview and have been serving on the committee ever since. This year I am pleased to also join the ASCP 40 under 40 awards committee. As a past recipient of the award, I am excited to be able to play a role in promoting the next generation of laboratory leaders.