Staff Profile: Abed Kader

(Aotea News, August 2010)

Abed Kader
Medical Laboratory Scientist, Head of Cytology department

Qualifications

I began working as a trainee cytotechnician in a large 15 storey government hospital on the beautiful “Golden Mile” beachfront of Durban, South Africa after my final year at school. I completed the the National Diploma in Medical Technology there. I relocated to New Zealand in 1990 and registered as a Medical Laboratory Scientist with the then Medical Laboratory Technology Board. I have 26 years of experience in gynaecological and general cytology.

Responsibilities

My main role at Aotea Pathology is to manage day-to-day operations and the 10 staff in the Cytology department. The staff are a mix of laboratory assistants, technicians and scientists, who work under the clinical guidance of our Lead Pathologist, Dr Peter Bethwaite. A large part of my work involves meeting compliance requirements of the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) in processing gynaecological samples through the department. I am also involved in various NCSP advisory and working groups.

Most rewarding part of your job

Working with a team with staff at various levels of experience. Encouraging staff to participate in ongoing professional development and seeing a staff member stand up in front of an audience to do a novice presentation. I have always found it rewarding to explain to people what happens in a cytology department: what we do; how we can diagnose the nature of that tiny neck lump - using specialized processing and staining techniques and then using our morphology training to microscopically examine the slide preparation and deduce a diagnosis.

How do you most enjoy spending time outside work

Anything outdoors that is physically challenging. A recent achievement was completing the Tongariro Crossing walk with my sons (aged 11 and 13). It is a walk that, if done in good weather, boasts breathtaking mountain scenery. I would recommended it to all intrepid trampers! Mountain biking is exhilarating, although mine is probably the more sedate form of the sport. I am also involved in my sons’ sporting activities, either coaching or managing.