Marian Mckee

Experience

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  Medical Laboratory Technician/Technologist

  Mar 1971 - Jun 1975

  MLT (ASCP)

  I worked in various areas of the medical laboratory in Hematology, Microbiology, Serology, Chemistry,Special Chemistry, Blood Bank, Urinalysis and Phlebotomy.

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  Morris Village Substance Abuse Center

  May 1975 - Aug 1987

  Physician's Assistant

  I worked in addictions for several years in a long-term facility. My patients included drug abusers, alcoholics, food addicts and sex addicts.Many of my patients not only had addiction issues but often had underlying mental illnesses. On admission, I would withdraw them slowly from their addiction with various medications until they were well enough to join the general population and attend group and individual therapy. I took care of their health care needs and medical education during their 3-6 month admission. I worked with a staff phychiatrist in helping diagnose and treat mental illnesses.My most famous patient was involved in the murders of the "Green Beret" killings. Show less

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  Midlands Technical College

  Jan 1978 - May 1981

  Instructor

  I taught students the science and art of phlebotomy in continuing education courses.

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  S.C. Department of Mental Health

  Jun 1980 - Aug 1990

  Physician's Assistant
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  None

  Mar 1995 - Jul 2013

  S.C. Environmentalist

  was the chairman of an environmental group that got the EPA to come make an onsite inspection at a company for the first time in the history of the EPA. The plant was found to have large amounts of toxins and teratogenic chemicals leaching into the ground water and traveling to a nearby large creek. Many people were fishing in the creek and eating the fish. The fish, despite their migratory behavior, were found to have numerous deformities and mutations caused by the chemicals, thus making them toxic to eat. I was able to get Senator John Courson and Representative Jim Harrison to join our cause in getting a real EPA inspection. After their historic inspection, the EPA shut down the plant and declared it a Superfund site for government clean-up. The process took nearly two years but saving people from the toxin-laden fish was a huge triumph. I consider this one of my greatest accomplishments. Show less

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  Helium.com

  Apr 2012 - Jul 2013

  Freelance Writer

  I have numerous articles published on Helium.com. Google MARI MCKEE to see some of my work/

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  Midlands Technical College

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  College instructor

  As an instructor in the Pre-Health Certificate Program, I teach a variety of courses to students vying for positions in Nursing, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Medical Laboratory, Dental Hygiene, Medical Coding, Pharmacy Technology, Radiology, and Nuclear Medicine. Each semester we have nearly 3,000 students, who, when completing the Pre-Health Certificate Program (which takes approximately 1 ½ - 2 years), compete for 24 seats in each technology program. I have students from all cultures, different countries and from all walks of life. Some are newly graduated from high school and some have Master’s Degrees in non-health fields. I have taught students who are engineers, teachers, bankers, retired military personnel, and single mothers with several children. They range in age from 18 to 70.The important aspect of my courses is to bring real-life experiences of former patients (while following HIPAA guidelines). Anyone can teach with a text, but those who have worked in the health field for years, offer something different and invaluable to students… experience. I use particular past patients to teach empathy, compassion, integrity and morals, respect, critical thinking skills, cultural diversity, communication skills, and a sense of humor to keep from suffering from burn-out.As of the last U.S. Census in 2010, there are no longer any minorities within the United States. Students have to learn how to treat patients from different cultures, from different countries, with different languages and who often know little about Western medicine. They must treat patients not the way the student would wish to be treated, but the way the patient wishes to be treated.As the baby boomers age (the most populous of all generations), there will be an increased need of health care providers in all fields of medicine.While I teach students needed curriculum, many of my students have taught me some humbling life lessons. The day you stop learning is the day you begin dying. Show less