Dan Nielson will be the first to tell you that his inner critic is tough to beat. The 54-year-old veteran, who is graduating this May with an associate’s science degree in Medical Laboratory Technology, has battled PTSD and negative self-talk for more than half of his life. However, Nielson, a clinical lab assistant at Atrium Health in Lincolnton, persevered through self-defeating hurdles to redefine his medical career.
Having worked for fifteen years as an EMT, Nielson experienced an injury that made it impossible for him to continue this type of physical work. The Lincolnton resident completed a phlebotomy degree from Gaston College during COVID and settled into a job as a phlebotomist at Atrium Health. But after a couple of years, he felt restless in that role. “After I drew blood, I was curious about what we were going to do with it. You can look at it and determine a diagnosis,” He said. “I have always been a puzzle person, and I wanted to analyze [the blood].”
Nielson’s laboratory supervisor encouraged him to look into a medical lab technician degree, and Nielson found A-B Tech’s program, which appealed to him for its affordability and online nature. However, the critic stepped into the ring and challenged.
“I thought, I’m 52. I don’t know if I can do this, especially online,” he said. “Some of these kids have the option of going to class, and if they have a question, they can sit down with their professor. It’s different if you’re learning on Zoom."
Despite his self-doubt, Nielson applied and has successfully completed the online program while juggling life as a dad, phlebotomist, and CPR and First Aid instructor, a side gig he began in 2023.
The online program, he said, has helped him become more disciplined with his time as he’s learned to fit in assignments around other daily duties. The hardest part has been taking courses like microbiology and chemistry online, classes that are hands-on and require sight, sound, touch, and smell. Fortunately, he has been able to do his clinical practicum in the lab where he has worked as a phlebotomist. “You learn by the book and put the knowledge to use hands-on,” he said. “I am a hands-on person. I read it in a book, and I don’t get it. Luckily, I’ve been able to call my teachers and get help."
Now, set to walk with his degree in May, Nielson can’t quite believe he’s graduating. “I never thought I was smart enough to get a laboratory job,” he said. “An EMT is black and white. This lab level is more of a gray area that you have to navigate through; it’s more intellectual.”
Having taken all his classes online and graduated from Gaston with an Associate of Arts during Covid, when the college wasn’t able to have a ceremony, Nielson, the first to graduate from college in his family, is looking forward to claiming his diploma. He credits his online instructors for helping him succeed, especially Molly Cothran and Jennifer Picher, who always helped him if he had a question.
When asked what he plans to do after graduation, Nielson said. “I’m very happy where I am now. I’m working as a clinical lab assistant. I want to become a better technician before I move on.”
These days, Nielsen’s inner critic has thrown in the towel, at least for the time being. The student feels a new sense of confidence and can’t wait to share his success with his closest friends.
“A lot of friends don’t know I’m doing this program, “he said. “I kept it a secret in case something went wrong. I didn’t want the patronizing 'Oh, that’s too bad!' Now, I’m letting the cat out of the bag: I’ve been doing this for two years. I’m graduating!”