Hi! My name is Gary. I attended and completed the laboratory training program at the BioTechnical Institute of Maryland (BTI). The program is 12 weeks long; 9 weeks in the classroom and lab and 3 weeks at an internship. The training focuses on different areas in the lab, including lectures and hands-on skills. I enjoyed cell culture the most. It is a very delicate process. In the BTI classes I learned sterile technique as well as information about the different kinds of cells used in cell culture. During the cell culture training we grew and fed our own cells as if they were our children! We were required to read about the topics before we began our work. The training wasn't the easiest thing for me to do, however, it wasn't the hardest either. It did take a lot of practice. BTI offers a lot of hands-on practice. The staff members watch over you, and correct you so that you don't leave the Institute confused about any of the topics.
The staff is very helpful. They are good at explaining the unexplainable. I occasionally stayed after hours to work on my "weaknesses". They also helped me iron out some personal issues. The staff will do all they can to help you. They are very respectful and keep your personal issues confidential. The instructors come from the professional environment to show the students how to do certain lab skills. For example, in addition to cell culture, they taught us about DNA and sequencing. They taught us about DNA and how it works. We learned how to run gels and extract DNA from cells. We also learned about cleanroom gowning. They taught us about the different types of cleanrooms and how to prepare to work in them. The motto was, "Leave the area a little bit cleaner than you found it".
At the end of the 9 weeks at BTI, students choose an area they would like to work in and the staff finds an internship. You work at your internship site for 3 weeks. If the internship is hiring they may choose to keep you, if not, the staff at BTI will assist you in finding a position in your field of interest. In closing, BTI training has helped me get a much better job, with benefits. It's what I've been looking for!

Gary

Cell Culture Technician
Johns Hopkins University

Gary began his Cell Culture career in 2000.