CSM Medical Laboratory Technology Students Score Big in National Hematology Competition

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program topped all Maryland and D.C. school programs represented in the 2025 Cell Bowl.

The Cell Bowl tests students’ blood cell knowledge through a timed test to identify normal versus abnormal cells, for example if they are cancerous, reactive, or infected. Teams use an app called CellAtlas created by CellAVision, which gives participants one minute to correctly identify 30 cells.

Over the competition’s three weeks, CSM correctly identified 30 cells in 51 seconds, finishing the regional season 17^th among the 58 two-year and four-year institutions across the country and first among teams in Maryland and D.C.

“The Cell Bowl really activated my competitiveness. I wanted our class to rank high against the other competing schools,” said MLT student Saniya Kelly. “I put some pressure on myself to do well, I wanted to make my professors proud and rank high.”

The MLT program provides hands-on practice to prepare students for diagnostic healthcare careers and perform procedures like blood counts, urinalysis, cross matching blood for transfusion, identifying pathogenic organisms, and chemical analysis of blood and other body fluids.

CSM MLT Program Coordinator Professor Tiffany Gill first introduced the competition to her students as a fun and engaging way to learn cell identification and simplify the memorization process. After speaking with other program directors, Gill worked with the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) to take the Cell Bowl national on her YouTube channel, Medical Lab Lady Gill. The first tournament was held in 2021.

The ASCP, a gold level sponsor of the tournament, also provides Super Cell Bowl champions with an interactive practice exam and book to help them prepare for the certification exam.

Gill hopes that by taking the competition to the national stage with support of industry leaders, it will bring more awareness to the medical laboratory field.

“When people think of healthcare they typically think about the professions you see and recognize,” Gill said. “Medical laboratorians may work behind the scenes, but their training and expertise are essential to patient care, diagnosis, and treatment. We’re hoping to bring some visibility and awareness to this valuable field.”

Kelly said she was first inspired by a high school biotechnology teacher to pursue a career in the medical lab.

“I’ve always loved the more hands-on areas of science,” Kelly said. “Something I really appreciate about this program is that we use real specimens, reagents, and analyzers that simulate an actual laboratory setting.”

While CSM did not make the Cell Bowl playoffs, the team continued competing for extra credit and a trophy that moves to each week’s top scorer, which still sparks competitive learning. Scores have improved dramatically since the start of the Cell Bowl with the best score of thirty cells in 40 seconds.

“This competition really opened my eyes to how complex the cells in our body are,” Kelly said. “I’ve had to study the different types of cells so I could identify them quicker. I learned a lot, and I feel smart when I show my family how quickly I can identify all the cells.”

Professor Gill said it’s rewarding to watch the students improve each week and get excited about their high scores.

“The joy of being an educator is being able to watch these students grow, and to feel empowered by what they have learned,” Gill said. “My goal is to prepare these students to leave the classroom and be the best professionals possible.”

After completing her degree at CSM, Kelly is planning to work as a Medical Laboratory Technician while finishing a bachelor’s degree program to work as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.