Medical Lab Technologist Course

Lesson 1 • Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

Identifies chemical, biological, physical, and ergonomic hazards present in laboratory environments. Risk assessment skills directly reduce incident rates in practical sessions.

Lesson 2 • Personal Protective Equipment

Covers selection, proper use, and disposal of PPE for various lab hazards. Correct PPE use is compulsory before students enter any practical laboratory session.

Lesson 3 • Biological Safety and Containment

Explains biosafety levels, containment equipment, and safe handling of biological specimens. Prepares students for microbiology and clinical specimen work in later chapters.

Lesson 4 • Regulatory Standards and Accreditation

Introduces workplace safety regulations, laboratory accreditation frameworks, and inspection readiness. Compliance knowledge protects both the technologist and the institution.

Lesson 1 • Scientific Method and Critical Thinking

Applies hypothesis-driven reasoning to laboratory problem-solving. Builds analytical habits that underpin accurate data interpretation throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Laboratory Documentation and Records

Teaches proper recording of observations, results, and procedures in lab notebooks and electronic systems. Accurate documentation supports traceability and quality assurance.

Lesson 3 • Measurement, Units, and Calculations

Covers SI units, metric conversions, and laboratory arithmetic. Accurate measurement is foundational to every analytical procedure performed in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Glassware and Basic Apparatus

Covers identification, correct use, and cleaning of volumetric and non-volumetric glassware. Proper glassware technique is prerequisite to accurate solution preparation.

Lesson 2 • Microscopy Principles and Practice

Introduces light microscopy operation, focusing techniques, and specimen preparation. Microscopy skills are directly applied in haematology, microbiology, and histology chapters.

Lesson 3 • Calibration and Preventive Maintenance

Establishes systematic calibration schedules and maintenance logs for all laboratory instruments. Consistent maintenance prevents analytical errors and extends equipment lifespan.

Lesson 4 • Balances, Centrifuges, and Mixers

Teaches operation and maintenance of weighing, separation, and mixing equipment. These instruments are used in virtually every specimen processing and analytical workflow.

Lesson 1 • Venepuncture and Phlebotomy Techniques

Covers site selection, tourniquet use, needle insertion, and tube order of draw. Competent phlebotomy minimises haemolysis and patient discomfort in clinical settings.

Lesson 2 • Pre-Analytical Error Recognition

Identifies common pre-analytical variables that compromise specimen quality and result validity. Students learn rejection criteria and corrective communication with clinical staff.

Lesson 3 • Specimen Labelling and Chain of Custody

Establishes labelling standards, patient identification protocols, and chain of custody requirements. Errors at this stage invalidate results and can cause serious patient harm.

Lesson 4 • Capillary and Alternative Specimen Collection

Teaches fingerstick, heelstick, and non-blood specimen collection methods. Expands student capability to serve paediatric, geriatric, and point-of-care populations.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Clinical Chemistry

Introduces enzymatic, colorimetric, and immunoassay methods used in routine chemistry panels. Establishes the analytical framework for all chemistry testing that follows.

Lesson 2 • Lipid Panel and Cardiac Markers

Teaches measurement and interpretation of lipoproteins, cholesterol fractions, and cardiac enzymes. Results directly inform cardiovascular risk assessment and acute care decisions.

Lesson 3 • Urine Microscopy and Sediment Analysis

Trains students to identify cells, casts, crystals, and organisms in centrifuged urine sediment. Microscopic findings complement chemical results for complete urinalysis reporting.

Lesson 4 • Urinalysis: Physical and Chemical Examination

Covers macroscopic appearance, dipstick testing, and chemical analyte interpretation in urine. Urinalysis is a high-volume, cost-effective diagnostic tool in most laboratory settings.

Lesson 1 • Blood Cell Morphology and Identification

Teaches recognition of normal and abnormal erythrocyte, leucocyte, and platelet morphology on stained films. Morphology skills are foundational to manual differential counting.

Lesson 2 • Anaemia Classification and Workup

Applies FBC indices and morphology to classify anaemias by mechanism and red cell size. Systematic workup skills guide appropriate follow-up testing selection.

Lesson 3 • Manual Differential and Cell Counting

Develops the 100-cell manual differential technique and absolute count calculations. Manual differentials remain the gold standard for complex or flagged specimens.

Lesson 4 • Full Blood Count Performance

Covers automated analyser operation, parameter interpretation, and flagging review for the FBC. Students validate automated results against manual film review findings.

Lesson 1 • Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing

Covers disk diffusion, broth microdilution, and MIC interpretation using established breakpoints. Susceptibility results directly inform clinician antibiotic prescribing decisions.

Lesson 2 • Gram Stain and Microscopic Identification

Teaches Gram stain technique, interpretation, and correlation with culture results. Gram stain provides rapid presumptive identification that guides empiric treatment decisions.

Lesson 3 • Bacteriology: Culture and Isolation

Covers inoculation techniques, media selection, and incubation conditions for bacterial cultures. Proper isolation technique is prerequisite to accurate organism identification.

Lesson 4 • Biochemical and Rapid Identification Methods

Applies conventional biochemical tests and rapid identification systems to characterise isolates. Accurate identification is required before susceptibility testing can be reported.

Lesson 1 • Method Validation and Verification

Teaches accuracy, precision, linearity, and reference interval verification for new methods. Validation data must be documented before any method is used for patient testing.

Lesson 2 • Continuous Improvement and Root Cause Analysis

Applies root cause analysis, corrective action, and process improvement tools to laboratory errors. A culture of continuous improvement reduces repeat errors and enhances patient safety.

Lesson 3 • Internal Quality Control Programmes

Covers QC material selection, frequency, and corrective action when rules are violated. Effective internal QC detects systematic and random errors before patient results are released.

Lesson 4 • External Quality Assessment and Proficiency Testing

Explains proficiency testing programmes, result submission, and performance evaluation against peer groups. External assessment validates internal QC and satisfies accreditation requirements.

Lesson 5 • Statistical Foundations of Quality Control

Applies mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation to evaluate analytical performance. Statistical literacy is essential for interpreting Levey-Jennings charts and Westgard rules.