Students and Alumni Stories

"My name is Taryn Waraksa-Deutsch, and I've been working as a Specialist in Cytology (Cytotechnology) at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA, after I completed an accelerated one-year Master's degree in 2014. A typical day includes examining patient cells under the microscope for diagnostic abnormalities, such as infections or precancerous changes from biopsies specimens, fluids, brushes, pap smears, etc. While a laboratory professional is often thought of as a hidden figure in the background, my career allows me to be on the frontline by interacting with an interdisciplinary care team and performing rapid onsite evaluations to triage pathology specimens for diagnostic and prognostic tests. When I expressed interest in higher-level duties, my supervisor took me under his wing and "donated" his responsibilities of quality assurance and quality control statistics, budget preparation, supply chain management, clinical instruction, and laboratory information system upgrades with me. While many people become supervisors after years of experience, I wanted to take the next step and enhance my experience by learning how to lead people, manage resources, and make the lab (and health system) a better place through a Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) degree.

My favorite thing about the DHSc program at Bay Path University is the availability of unique concentrations that truly allow doctoral candidates to tailor their education to their careers. Most DHSc programs only offer two or three tracks, such as clinical practice or education. The fact that Bay Path offers an Organizational Excellence in Healthcare concentration stood out to me, as the elective courses are optimal for developing my continuous improvement and project management toolbox. While these tools are highly applicable to the laboratory environment, they also serve a critical role in improving organizational health and fostering a change and safety culture. Being able to readily apply everything I learn in my coursework to my career in real-time allows me to unleash my leadership potential more and more every day, and it's the best feeling when you see minor changes making a huge impact in your field.

Sure, it's easy to feel intimidated by the thought of embarking on a doctoral program while working full-time (and planning a wedding during the entire first year of your program (if I can do it, you can do it)), but the flexibility and understanding of the Bay Path faculty made the first half of my journey an absolute success! An applied doctoral program is meant for the working professional looking to take the next step; it's meant for the girl planning her wedding, the ER nurse working crazy hours, the dad of seven kids, it's meant for you. Flourish in your career, nurture yourself and your family, take those dream vacations (there's a reason I became a certified rescue diver!), and go for your doctorate! I'm a firm believer in pursuing goals and embracing opportunities that present themselves because the only ceiling you face is the one you hold over yourself. My biggest piece of advice for students is to find their passion, embrace their goals, and break their own ceiling." - Taryn Waraksa-Deutsch