BIOPRA2 Practical and Employable Skills Course description

The course deals with the professional role and work of medical laboratory technicians. It is essential that medical laboratory technicians have knowledge of their role and the role of laboratory medicine in the health services. Students will develop qualifications in medical laboratory sciences enabling them to practice in this field. The course places emphasis on linking learning to authentic work situations and issues under the supervision of experienced medical laboratory technicians with relevant expertise. 

Passed the first and second years of the programme.

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 is capable of

• describing how laboratory activities at the practical training institution are significant to the health service and discussing the medical laboratory technician's professional role 
• explaining the principles of a selection of analyses and investigations performed at the practical training institution
• describing the relevant quality assurance systems and discussing the responsibilities and duties of medical laboratory technicians in quality assurance work
• describing the purpose of and systematics relating to improvement projects
• describing the legal basis of medical laboratory activities

Skills

The student is capable of

• performing relevant laboratory analyses and investigations in accordance with regulations 
• mastering a selection of medical laboratory science tasks at the practical training institution
• assessing the reliability and medical probability of laboratory results
• documenting his/her own laboratory work
• following the framework for the content of and how to write assignments
• demonstrating careful use of referencing and use of sources

General competence

The student is capable of 

• providing professional justifications, asking critical questions and seeing a case from more than one perspective
• complying with laws and regulations governing the field

Work and teaching methods are practical training, lectures and seminars. The students take eight weeks- practical training in another laboratory specialisation than medical biochemistry. Prioritised specialisations are microbiology, histopathology, immunology and blood banks. Examples of other specialities students can choose are nuclear medicine and molecular genetics. 

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can be awarded final practical training approval and take the exam:

• minimum attendance of 90% during the period of practical training
• minimum attendance of 80% at seminars

Practical training

• Assessment content:     Criteria for practical training
• Form of assessment:     Midway and final assessment

Exam

Practical training must be passed in order to take the exam.

• Exam content: The learning outcomes
• Exam form: Individual home exam, 2,500-3,500 words        

All

Pass/fail

Practical training

• The midway and final assessments are made by the practical training supervisor and the contact lecturer at OsloMet. The final decision on whether the course is approved or not is made by the university college.

Exam

• All answer papers are assessed by two internal examiners. An external examiner contributes to the preparation of the question papers and assessment criteria.