The Best of Both Worlds

Jerry Santiago, PhD, HTL(ASCP)QIHC, is a professor and the histotechnology program director at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Here, he writes about his thoughts on sharing his knowledge throughout his career.  

What does your heritage mean to you? 
My heritage is an essential factor that identifies me. My goal has always been to integrate my heritage with my current career. 

How did you learn about Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and what do you enjoy the most about working in this field? What do you hope to leave as a legacy from your professional life? 
I learned of the field of histotechnology in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in college, and it has been one of the best decisions in my life. I transitioned from the laboratory into academia, teaching what I love. Now, I have the best of both worlds: teaching and practicing histotechnology. I want to leave a legacy that you can do it no matter where you come from if you want to succeed in the medical field! 

If you could give one or two pieces of advice to your younger colleagues, what would you say? 
Don’t be afraid of challenges; they are what make us stronger. 

If you could achieve just one or two major goals in the next 10 years, what would they be? 
The primary goal I would like to achieve within the next 10 years is to share knowledge with other Latin Americans and contribute to their success as laboratory professionals.