CHEMISTRY

Requirement 7a of the Chemistry badge reads:

7. Do ONE of the following activities:

a. Visit a laboratory and talk to a practicing chemist. Ask what the chemist does, and what training and education are needed to work as a chemist.

With the approval of their MBC, some of the boys recently visited the hospital lab to fulfill this requirement.

Naval Hospital Bremerton is very accommodating. To schedule a tour for your group (or for as few as two), phone HM1 Call at 360.475.4918. It is Josh Milner who conducts the tours under the supervision of Cpt. Elizateri.

If you have a contact in Chemistry (in Kitsap, Mason, or Pierce counties) willing to let the Scouts tour, would you email us the information?

Elisha says: We went to the naval hospital laboratory on Thursday February 21th 2008, and went on a 25 minute tour. They showed us the machines for testing, which shows the contents in someone’s blood. Like if they have high glucose they might have diabetes. Later they showed us test tubes filled with a substance that kept it in a liquid state.

When we asked what education we would need if we wanted to become a chemist, he said you would need an associate’s degree in chemistry. He also said you could request to be in the lab if you are in the navy, then you would need to take a two year training course.

David says: At the Navy base lab, they showed us how they tested blood etc. and what was in it such as glucose and other things. They put it in into a big machine and it tested it and the results showed up on their computer. There were many things like glucose, cholesterol, and some other things. He said that for his job, he only had to request to go to the Lab to work there and they put him into a class for I think 2 years. After that someone else showed us some blood tubes. They put something in it that made the blood separate. I learned what it took to get the job and what things can do to the blood.