Bc. Vilma Klemensová
Department of Medical Microbiology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital
Born: 17. 3 1961
She graduated: Secondary Medical School in Ústí nad Labem, Bachelor's degree at the 2nd Faculty of Medicine in Prague
Concept of occupation: Helping people
Most popular activity: Creative activity such as painting, wiring.
The idea of an ideal holiday: Getting to know new countries
Favorite movie/book: How Thyme Smells by Marcelo Pagnolo and the movie Homecoming
Life motto: What does not kill you makes you stronger.
When did you decide to become a health laboratory technician and what led you to this idea?
Around the eighth grade, when we were starting to decide what we wanted to be, I had a clear idea that I wanted to do creative work, but one that helps people. I only had a very vague idea that a laboratory technician does various experiments and tests, which then help to reveal the causes of diseases and the result can help with treatment.
Do you remember your first working day at FNM?
I honestly don't remember much, I just know that it was after five years of maternity leave and I was really looking forward to work, but of course I was also worried about what awaited me and how I would fit in, because it was a new job in a large hospital and in new collective. Before kindergarten, I worked in a hygiene station in a smaller town with a small team, so it was quite a new challenge for me.
You work at the Institute of Medical Microbiology of the 2nd Faculty of Medicine of the UK and the Motol Faculty of Medicine. What brought you to this field?
I chose microbiology already at medical school, because it most fulfilled my idea of work - a creative field. By this I mean the diversity of the processing of biological material and the methods used. In microbiology, you had to think about what you would do with a sample from a patient, what culture medium and what environment you would use to grow bacteria that could be the cause of an infection - to put it simply. Other laboratory disciplines were more about working with analyzers. Today, even microbiology has a number of analyzers, but the share of manual work is still significant, such as inoculation on culture medium.
What is your typical working day like at the Institute of Microbiology?
A typical day of a senior laboratory assistant always starts the same way – in the morning I open my mobile phone and find out if everyone has arrived. As soon as I come to work, the first thing I do is go through the laboratories, I actually do a workplace visit. In connection with checking the status of staff and possible absences, of course I have to ensure operations. At the same time, I check whether the technical background is also in order and operational. Then I take care of administrative activities, such as attendance, reports, ordering diagnostics and other medical material. It's just that every day is different - it depends on what the operation will bring, what the employees need and what maintenance the old building requires.
What qualities and prerequisites do you think a person who decides to work in the healthcare sector should have?
Persistent, indomitable, empathetic, reliable, responsible, with adequate theoretical knowledge and the ability to communicate well.
Can you remember something that most pleased or amused you at work recently?
Because I want to retire, I announced it to all the employees and made the elderly laboratory assistant, with whom I had some problems in the past, cry. That moved me.
How do you relax, what do you think is the best rest?
When I'm tired, I try to relax. In winter and autumn, for example, by wiring or painting with watercolors. In spring and summer I work in the garden or go for a bike ride.
What was your biggest childhood dream?
As a child, my dad, who was an avid reader, would read excerpts from travel books to me and we would both imagine ourselves exploring different countries. You couldn't travel during totalitarianism and unfortunately my dad died soon, but my dream came true and when my children grew up, I started traveling and I enjoyed it a lot.
Do you have a guaranteed recipe for stress management?
I don't have one, but it helps a lot to practice yoga and talk to someone about problems.
Is there anyone who is life inspiration for you?
Yes, my great role model was and is doc. MD Otto Lochmann, CSc., who was the principal when I joined. He was a person in his place, whom I admired for his human qualities and as a great expert. He walked through the labs in the morning and had a smile and a kind word for every microbiology employee, even though he was often not well at all. We all liked him very much precisely because of his optimism, hearty laugh, it was simply a pleasure to work with him.
text: B.Sc. Vilma Klemensová
photo: David Černý