BIOB3100 Transfusion Medicine and Medical Immunology Course description

Biomedical laboratory scientists play a key role in transfusion medicine. They are responsible for ensuring that safe and correct blood products reach the patients at the right time. Work at a blood bank requires a good understanding of immunology, genetics and cell membrane chemistry, as well as the physiology and function of blood cells. Topics included in the course are how to select and collect blood from donors, production of blood components, blood typing, i dentification of antibodies, compatibility testing and hemotherapy.

Biomedical laboratory scientists also perform important tasks relating to medical immunology, as well as organ transplantation and stem cell treatment. The biomedical laboratory scientist must have a good understanding of this part of immunology in order to perform the laboratory investigations that are necessary to make diagnoses in medical immunology and before transplantation from a donor to a patient.

• Passed first and second year or equivalent of the Bachelor’s Programme in Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, or
• Admitted to the Complementary Education in Biomedical Laboratory Science

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can describe how blood banks produce, control and store blood products such as erythrocyte concentraeste, thrombocyte concentrates and plasma
• can describe how different blood products are used in the treatment of patients
• can describe which blood type systems, blood types and blood type antibodies are important in connection with transfusions, and in relation to hematological diseases in newborns
• can describe the principles of basic blood type serology laboratory investigations
• can describe causal mechanisms of diseases in babies and newborns due to blood type antibodies and thrombocyte antibodies
• can describe complications that may occur during transfusion, transplantation and stem cell treatment
• can explain the principles of selected immunological methods and describe the various methods’ areas of use
• can explain how relevant methods and analyses can be quality assured
• is familiar with the laws and regulations that regulate the blood banks in Norway

Skills

The student

• can gather information about who can be a blood donor in Norway and how donors are selected in the blood bank
• can select and take blood from a donor under supervision
• masters basic blood type serology laboratory investigations, can assess the significance of the analysis results and demonstrate honesty and independence in their own work
• can conduct and quality assure different immunological methods and assess any sources of errors related to these

General competence

The student

• can identify and discuss ethical issues in the field of transfusion medicine and medical immunology
• can care for, respect and cooperate with fellow students, colleagues and patients/blood donors regardless of their ethnic, religious and cultural background

Work and teaching methods include lectures, assignments and laboratory work in blood type serology, immune hematology, medical immunology and transplantation immunology. The course includes four days’ external practical training at a blood bank.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• a minimum of 90 per cent attendance in laboratory teaching
• a minimum of 90 per cent attendance in external practical training at a blood bank
• individual report from the practical training in the blood bank

Supervised individual written exam, 4 hours

Pen/pencil and handed out antigram.

The course description was approved by the Academic Affairs Committee 10 April 2014

and revised 30 November 2015. Minor change approved 20 November 2017

Revised September 2023

Reading List updated 20 November 2017

The course was established by the Dean 28 May 2014

OsloMet offers a one semester full-time course (30 ECTS credits) in development studies in Ghana. The course is a joint venture between OsloMet and Kulturstudier (Culture Studies), an independent Oslo-based organisation that offers international academic courses in the fields of culture and human development at study centres in Vietnam, India, Argentina and Latin America. OsloMet offers interdisciplinary courses in development issues and North-South relations, leading to a bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS credits in Development Studies. Students who complete Development Studies I and Development Studies II can apply to continue their studies and complete a bachelor's degree in Development Studies at OsloMet by taking courses worth 120 ECTS (the 2nd and 3rd year at the bachelor programme). Be aware that the 3rd and 6th semester in this bachelor programme are taught in Norwegian, while 4th and 5th semester can be offered in English.

The aim of Development Studies II is to combine a study of the academic and institutional literature with field study, taking an inductive approach where learning from the field experience is brought to the literature and informs theory, rather than a deductive approach that applies a particular theory to research data. Thus, the field study will become part of the course curriculum. In addition, there will be a programme of lectures around four core themes, taught through an interdisciplinary social science/humanistic approach incorporating elements of history, geography, social anthropology, political science, economics and sociology. The course activities (lectures, seminars, assignments, examination) as well as the literature are all in English.

The first part of the course is web-based. After this, the students leave for Ghana to attend 10 weeks of lectures, academic activities and field study. The final five weeks are again web-based.

No prerequisite knowledge required.

Students must have the following requirements approved before examination:

Before the home exam:

Introductory assignment - literature review (approved/not approved)

This is a paper of 1800 words (+/- 10 %) that is to be completed by the student during the first period of home study. Relevant literature is available online, through Leganto, and set books will be identified for students to purchase. For the assignment, students should write 2-3 pages on development in Africa based on the readings, and a further 2-3 pages on a theme covered in the reading list. Students will have the possibility to contact the seminar leader during this period.

The purpose of the assignment is to develop background knowledge in order to prepare for the time in Ghana, to begin the process of identifying a topic for field-study, and to show evidence of academic conventions (a supported argument with a range of sources that have been referenced). The paper is to be submitted before the start of the course in Ghana, and will be assessed as approved/not approved by the seminar leader during the first two weeks. A student who receives a 'not approved' is entitled to maximum two new attempts to fulfil the course requirement. A new deadline for the revised assignment will be made by the seminar leader in relation to each individual case.

Before the field study report exam:

Research diary (approved/not approved)

It is a requirement of the course that students keep a diary of their experiences in Ghana, which starts at arrival in Ghana, and with particular attention to the periods of fieldwork. The diary should include plans, methods and daily thoughts on the experience of doing research, by being reflective on the processes, successes and limitations. It could also include such things as interview questions, notes on focus groups, drafts of questionnaires, and links to ideas and debates in the literature. The guiding principle is that it is useful to the students as researchers as it will be an essential source when it comes to preparing the assignments. A requirement is that students write down some reflections each day during fieldwork, and the diary is assessed as approved/not approved by the seminar leader.

Oral presentation on field study findings (approved/not approved)

Oral presentation on field study findings (approved/not approved). This will take place during the last week in Ghana, when each group will present their field study. The focus is on the methodological experiences and empirical results of their fieldwork, but it should be related to ideas from the literature and issues and debates raised in the course. The purpose of the assignment is to consolidate the students' learning from both their own field study and the academic literature, assessing similarities and differences, and being aware of possible reasons for such comparisons. The format - an oral presentation - gives students experience in a useful skill, as well as providing a learning opportunity for other members of the course. The oral presentation will be of approx. 30 minutes, and is assessed as approved/not approved by the seminar leader.

Course work requirements must be met within fixed deadlines. Lectures and seminars are mandatory, due to field preparations and group activities. Students who, due to illness or other valid and documented reasons (such as a medical certificate), do not meet the work requirements within the fixed deadlines, may be given a new deadline, in each individual case given by the seminar leader. Students who, due to the same reasons, have less than 80% attendance at lectures and seminars, will by the seminar leader be given a written assignment of 2000 words (+/- 10 %) over a fixed topic and with a fixed deadline. Students who do not comply with this lose the right to take the final exam (i.e. submit their field study report).