In her role as a senior medical technologist with the MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Kaliyma L. Muhammad is responsible for making sure employees are up to date with their training and tests them for competency annually. In addition, she is responsible for assessing and overseeing the quality control systems and processes. The MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the largest private hospital in Washington, D.C., and is part of MedStar Health, a not-for-profit health care organization with more than ten hospitals in the region. Ms. Muhammad’s location has more than 925 beds and serves a wide variety of patients. Prior to her current role as a senior medical technologist, she garnered experience working as a clinical laboratory technician at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, from 2012 to 2013. Good Samaritan Hospital is now also part of MedStar Health.
Ms. Muhammad attributes her success in health care to her drive, curiosity, and possessing the passion to continue her education and professional development in what can be a challenging, yet necessary, field. With equal parts pride and gratitude, she pursued higher education at Morgan State University, the largest historically black university in Maryland, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology in 2012. Following this accomplishment, she attended medical laboratory school at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where she enjoys her current role as a senior medical technologist. Ms. Muhammad completed the program in 2014, becoming a certified medical technologist through the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s Board of Certification. Now, her next goal is to become certified as a specialist in microbiology, which would further advance her valued abilities and career.
Among her many professional achievements, Ms. Muhammad is proud to have received the Award for Earthquake Research from the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Alongside this honor, the Annual Conference for the Southern California Earthquake Center inducted her into the Minority Biomedical Research Support – Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement, also known as MBRS-RISE, in 2009. With MBRS-RISE, she reflected on being mentored by Dr. Christine Holman. Ms. Muhammad fondly recalls, too, conducting the earthquake research as her most notable achievement, as it was outside of the scope of her normal biomedical research experience. She focused on research throughout her college education, enabled by the financial support and encouragement of her grandfather. Ever committed to professional advancement, Ms. Muhammad plans to apply for the Special Master’s Program in Physiology and Georgetown Experimental Medicine Studies at Georgetown University after she earns certification in microbiology.
Ms. Muhammad found her way to her current career role following her graduation from Morgan State University, applying to be a medical technologist with MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital and then excitedly landing the position. There, she saw the duties of the clinical laboratory technicians and realized she was very interested in the work, and she plans to pursue further advancement. To stay abreast of, and to contribute to, developments in her field, Ms. Muhammad maintains membership in the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, which sets standards for the profession and advocates for development among her peers and contemporaries. She also is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, a certified national honor society recognizing the academic achievements of first-year higher education students, and Sigma Delta Tau, a national sorority focused on empowering women.
As a devout alumna of Morgan State University, Ms. Muhammad remains committed to serving the institution and its community through her volunteerism and donations. In her spare time, she likes to keep herself busy by learning about any number of new topics and activities. Moreover, she enjoys astrology, studying mystical science, and knitting, and she stays active through kickboxing.
