A Day in the life of a medical microbiology director: Navigating the diverse duties as a clinical conductor

Clinical microbiology laboratories support a range of services such as infectious disease diagnosis, infection prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship. The role of the clinical microbiology laboratory is more pivotal than ever as we face emerging pathogens, increases in healthcare-associated infections, antibiotic-resistant organisms, and rapidly advancing technologies. In the wake of these challenges, it is crucial for a clinical microbiology laboratory to be directed by medical microbiologists (i.e. laboratory directors) as they can provide accurate laboratory oversight and professional competence. Medical microbiologists can be found pursuing leadership roles in academic medical centers, diagnostic reference laboratories, public health institutions, and commercial entities such as diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies. Given the diverse career trajectories that medical microbiologists can have, the perspectives of these laboratory directors may be different even though they all strive to meet the common goal of providing diagnosis and management of infectious diseases.