WHO Report on Antimicrobial Resistance

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a report on antimicrobial resistance. It has made headlines around the world and this global threat to public health is currently receiving widespread global attention. I have attached a brief news clip that gives a general overview of the situation as well as the entire WHO report.

Rise of Superbugs

WHO Report on Antimicrobial Resistance

Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) Tips and Sample Questions

So this week is the week that the Michener Institute is conducting multiple mini interviews (MMIs) to assess candidates on their ability to respond to various scenarios. Some of them are obviously related to healthcare and other scenarios focus on other areas. There might also be an acting station in which you must interact with the actor regarding a specific scenario. I really enjoyed the MMI circuit and found it much better than a traditional interview. It is a really interesting approach and McMaster University has published many articles on its efficacy.

The scenarios you encounter will be different than the ones you have used to practice so get used to thinking on your feet and logically working through a problem. Make sure to get a good night sleep before the interview and don't be too nervous during the circuit. If you think you did badly on a station, don't dwell on your mistakes and focus on the other remaining stations. The circuit will go by pretty quickly and most people have really good things to say about it once it is finally over. Best of luck if you have an interview this week :)

I have posted a bunch of sources with sample questions and I encourage you to check them out. Also practice as much as possible with a friend and have them formulate followup questions for you. I found that really useful for getting used to responding within the time limit.

Sample MMI Questions

Sample MMI Questions

Sample MMI Questions

Sample MMI Questions

Sample MMI Questions

Medical Laboratory Student Society (MLSS)

I was the first year representative during my first year of the medical laboratory science program at the Michener Institute and I'm very honoured that my classmates voted for me to be president for second year. The image below is the official MLSS logo that a student from a few years ago designed.

Awards Ceremony

I received an entrance scholarship from the Michener Institute last fall. It was an honour to be a part of the awards ceremony and hear more about the other award winners.

Research at Mount Sinai Hospital

I have been volunteering in the rapid response lab at Mount Sinai Hospital for over a year and I recently sent my resume up to the microbiology lab in the hope that they would have some volunteer positions available over the summer. I ended up doing an interview and getting a research assistant position with them over the summer. Dr. Susan Poutanen is one of the lead microbiologists and infectious disease consultants at Mount Sinai Hospital and her research focuses on the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and development of new testing methods. Barb Willey is the senior technologist that will supervise the summer research projects that will focus on developing new testing methods for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CREs). I'm really excited to be a part of their research team over the summer and I will try to update this blog once I start in June.

I have attached a link to a really interesting interview with Dr. Susan Poutanen. She also has tons of published articles that can be found with a simple google search so check that out if you have the opportunity :)

Interview

WASP System

This is an automated system used by large microbiology labs. The microbiology lab at Mount Sinai Hospital recently implemented this to process various specimens. It automatically streaks plates so they are ready for incubation. I had the chance to see it in action when i went on a tour of their lab. 

WASP System

Antimicrobial Stewardship

The first link that I have posted is a great overview of antimicrobial stewardship and its growing importance as antimicrobial resistance becomes a major threat to public health. This video was created by the Mount Sinai Hospital and University Health Network Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and I highly encourage you to check out both the video and their website for more information :)

Why is Antimicrobial Stewardship Important?

Mount Sinai and UHN Antimircobial Stewardship Program

First Year of the Med Lab Program at Michener

I have just finished my first year at the Michener Institute and I have nothing but good things to say about the medical laboratory science program. I knew that the program would be much different than my university experience before starting the program. There is a large emphasis on the development of practical skills and it was amazing to spend just as much time in the labs as lectures during the school year. The schedule is also designed so that lectures early in the week directly correlate to the labs later in the week. The first semester emphasizes theory but the practical applications are a fundamental part of the second semester and I have heard from upper year students that it becomes an even bigger part of the second year.

Michener Institute is known as being really competitive so I was kind of worried that I would have a hard time keeping up with the workload especially after talking to some of the students at various recruitment events. I found it to be easier than university in the sense that there are constant small assessments like quizzes that make you stay on top of the material. By the time that midterms and final exams come around, you feel very prepared as a result of the regular assessments and labs.

I was also pretty scared at the thought of taking blood from a classmate during the venipuncture course but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. The first half of the course involves practicing on a fake arm to get comfortable with the equipment and process. I also observed other people in the class take blood before I attempted it which helped calm my nerves. It is much easier after the confidence boost of a successful blood draw and almost everyone in my lab group got blood the first time!

We have had the opportunity to work with various types of instrumentation found in medical laboratories. We got to operate clinical chemistry analyzers such as the Vitros 250, Beckman Coulter AU480 and the Beckman Coulter Access 2. We have also started using the microbiology analyzer Vitek Compact 2. We had one lab that introduced us to blood gas analyzers and we learned how to operate the Siemens Rapidpoint.

Summary of First Year Courses 

PPML110: Normal and Pathophysiology
     -introduction to the body systems and physiological mechanisms
     -case study presentations exploring various diseases
     -class discussion regarding the case studies

AMML110: Gross and Microanatomy
     -computer labs involve looking a microscopic images of normal tissues
     -characteristics of tissue types and their microscopic appearance

CCML112: Clinical Chemistry
     -characteristics of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids
     -brief introduction to spectrophotometry and clinical chemistry analyzers
     -quality control and maintenance procedures

HEML112: Introduction to Hematology
     -prepared blood smears and observed them under the microscope
     -focus on red blood cell morphology
     -complete blood count (CBC) parameters

MIML113: Microbiology and Immunology
    -basic microbiology lab techniques
    -mycology and parasitology
    -theory behind biochemical tests

HEML120: Hematology and Hemostasis
     -correlation of red blood cell morphology with diseases such as megaloblastic anemia
     -coagulation cascade and tests such as prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time
     -introduction to the AcT 5 hematology and ACL Elite coagulation analyzer

HIML110: Introduction to Histotechnology
     -gross dissection and processing of tissues
     -embedding tissues into wax blocks for microtomy
     -cutting tissue sections using a microtome and putting the sections on slides
     -hematoxylin and eosin staining of slides

INML120: Instrumentation
     -Westgard rules and quality control procedures such as checking lot numbers
     -introduction to Siemens Rapid Point blood gas analyzer and gel electrophoresis
     -immunoassays and introduced to the Beckman Coulter Access 2 immunoassay analyzer
     -electrochemistry and introduction to the Vitros 250 and Beckman Coulter AU480

VPML120: Venipuncture and Specimen Procurement
     -introduction to specimen containers including vacutainers for blood
     -venipuncture and microcollection techniques for obtaining blood
     -troubleshooting problems with venipuncture
     -legislation related to medical laboratory science

MIML121: Applied Microbiology
     -introduction to Vitek 2 compact microbiology analyzer
     -introduction to API20E and API20E to performed miniaturized biochemical tests
     -colonial morphology and correlation of appearance on plates to groups of bacteria
     -appearance of gram stained bacteria under the microscope
     -infections caused by bacteria such as Group A Streptococcus

BAIP113/BAIP124: Interprofessional Collaboration
     -opportunity to work with students from other programs
     -project and presentation on a vulnerable population in the healthcare system
     -communication and teamwork skills
 

Stained Tissues

During HIML110 (Introduction to Histotechnology) at the Michener Institute, we were given the opportunity to embed tissues, cut them using microtomy then stain then using hematoxylin and eosin. I have posted the final result of the slides that I ended up submitting at the end of the semester. I'm looking forward to next year when we get into special staining.

Offer of Admission from Michener Institute

I'm very excited that I received an offer of admission for the Medical Laboratory Science Program at the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences earlier today. I attended the multiple mini interview last week, which included nine stations and two rest stations. It was an intense but really interesting process. I ended up doing better than expected in the interview and it was probably a result of the adrenaline that kicked in once i got up to the interview circuit. It was still a nerve racking week waiting for the offers to come out and I'm glad I ended up getting good news. I'm really excited to start school this fall and I already know that this is going to be an incredibly rewarding experience :)

Inner Life of a Cell

I was shown this video in my second year Molecular Biology course while I was attending the University of Toronto. It was amazing to see the processes talked about in class to be presented in a three-dimensional environment. The video is incredibly accurate as it was created by a group of Harvard researchers and shows the various areas of the cell in incredible detail. I'm amazed by the level of complexity that exists within each and every cell in the body. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_zD3NxSsD8

Preparation of Tissue Samples for Microscopic Analysis

1. Fixation 

2. Infiltration 

3. Embedding 

4. Sectioning 

5. Staining 

6. Coverslipping 

This video provides an overview of the steps involved in order to prepare tissue samples for microscopic analysis. Medical laboratory technologists working in the field of histology must be able to prepare slides which are then analyzed by a trained pathologist that can detect abnormalities on the cellular level.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQynYJnZtuw

Comprehensive List of Laboratory Tests

A1c
ACTH
AFP maternal
AFP tumour markers
Albumin
Aldosterone
Allergies
ALP
ALT
Amylase
ANA
AST
Bilirubin
Blood culture
Blood gases
BMP
BNP
Bone marks
BRCA
BUN
CA-125
Cardiac risk
CBC
CD4
CEA
Chlamydia
Cholesterol
CK
CK-MB
CMP
CO2
Cortisol
Creatinine
CRP
Electrolytes
ESR
Estrogen
Fecal occult blood
Ferritin
FSH
GFR and EGFR
GGT
Glucose
Gonorrhea
Gram Stain
H-pylori
hCG
HDL
Hepatitis
Herpes
HIV antibody
Homocysteine
HPV
hs-CRP
Iron
LDL
Lead
LH
Lipase
Lipid profile
Liver panel
Lyme disease
Microalbumin
Myoglobin
p24
Pap smear
Prealbumin
Prothrombin time
PSA
Rheumatoid factor
Rubella
Serum iron
Sickle cell
Strep throat
Syphilis
Testosterone
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
TORCH
Total protein
Transferrin and TIBC
Triglycerides
Troponin
TSH, T3, T4
Uric acid
Urinalysis

This is a very comprehensive list of laboratory tests that are currently used as tools to diagnose diseases and assess the health of patients. There is a more complete list and explanation of each individual test available from the following website

http://labtestsonline.org/

Career as Medical Laboratory Scientist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5yo31Pjx0c

This video shows some of the tests that are performed by medical laboratory scientists on a daily basis.

Medical Laboratory Technology at SAIT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62ADPFSST6o

This video is an overview of the medical laboratory technologist career.

Becoming a Medical Laboratory Technologist

What is a Medical Laboratory Technologist?

Medical Laboratory technologists are responsible for analyzing human specimens and their analysis will be used in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. They are part of the third largest group of healthcare professionals in Canada and their role is vital to the healthcare system. The five main disciplines for medical laboratory science are clinical chemistry, microbiology, hematology, transfusion science and histology. Clinical chemistry involves testing specimens for the presence of certain chemicals or drugs. Microbiology involves testing specimens for the presence of bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Hematology involves tests to detect blood disorders. Transfusion science involves blood typing and compatibility tests. Histology involves the analysis of tissue samples for the presence of diseases based on the visualization of abnormalities. Medical Laboratory technologists have the option to work will all of these disciplines in a core lab or specialize in a particular area. There are advanced specializations including clinical genetics and diagnostic cytology. Clinical genetics involves the use of cytogenetics and molecular genetics techniques to detect chromosomal abnormalities or genetic diseases. Diagnostic cytology involves the microscopic analysis of tissue samples in order to detect the presence of cancer cells.

What is the process of becoming a Medical Laboratory Technologist?

The first step to becoming a Medical Laboratory Technologist in Canada is to attend a school that has been accredited by the Canadian Medical Association.  There is usually a clinical placement at the end of the program in order to make use of the skills acquired and network with indivudals that are currently working in the field.

The following is a list of Canadian schools that have an accredited medical laboratory science program:

• Ontario- Cambrian College (3 years), Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences (2.5 years), St. Clair College for Applied Arts and Technology (3 years), St Lawrence College for Applied Arts and Technology (3 years), University of Ontario Institute of Technology (4 years)
• Quebec- Cegep de Sherbrooke (3 years), College d’enseignement general et professionnel Chicoutimi (3 years),   College d’enseignement general et professionnel Rimouski (3 years), College d’enseignement general et professionnel Rosemont, College d’enseignement general et professionnel Sainte-Foy (3 years), College d’enseignement general et professionnel Sainte-Hyacinthe (3 years), College d’enseignement general et professionnel Sainte-Jean-sur-Ricelieu (3years), College d’enseignement general et professionnel Sainte-Jerome (3 years), College d’enseignement general et professionnel Shawinigan (3 years), Dawson College (3 years)
• Newfoundland- College of the North Atlantic (3 years)
• Nova Scotia- Nova Scotia Community College (81 weeks)
• New Brunswick- New Brunswick Community College (2.5 years), CCNB (4 years)
• Manitoba- Red River College (2 years)
• Saskatchewan- Saskatchewan Institute for Applied Science and Technology (2 years)
• Alberta- University of Alberta (4 years), Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (2 years), Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (19 months)
• British Columbia- British Columbia Institute of Technology (2.5 years), College of New Caledonia (2.5 years)

The following is a list of Canadian schools that have an accredited diagnostic cytology program:

• Ontario- Michener Institute of Applied Health Science (16 months)
• Quebec- College de Rosemount
• Nova Scotia- Dalhousie School of Health Sciences (4 years)
• Manitoba- Diagnostic Services of Manitoba (20 months)
• Saskatchewan- Saskatchewan Institute for Applied Science and Technology (2 years)
• Alberta- Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (2 years)

The following is a list of Canadian schools that have accredited clinical genetics program:

• Ontario- Michener Institute of Applied Health Sciences (16 months)
• British Columbia- British Columbia Institute of Technology (13.5 months)

The next step following graduation from one of these programs is completion of the Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) national certification examination. This examination is designed to test the understanding of required knowledge and skills. Members of this organization receive a discount on the price of writing the examination. There are separate certification examinations for medical laboratory science, diagnostic cytology and clinical genetics.  

The next step is joining a provincial regulatory body in order to practice in a particular province. Medical laboratory technologists in Ontario must join the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO) in order to find employment. This organization exists to ensure that the public receives quality laboratory services by competent individuals.  

The final step is finding employment as a medical laboratory technologist. Most work in hospital laboratories but there is also the option of working in public health institutions, private laboratories, research laboratories, forensic science etc.

www.csmls.org
www.cmlto.com 

Hello!

I have become very interested in the field of medical laboratory science in the last year and my career goal is to become a medical laboratory technologist and join the third largest group of healthcare professionals in Canada. I have been researching the profession and decided to start this blog to share what I have learned and document my experiences related to school and beyond. I have earned my Honours Bachelor of Science in cell and molecular biology from the University of Toronto in 2011. I'm going to be attending either Michener or St Lawrence College for medical laboratory science in September. This will allows me to get one step closer to my dream of becoming a medical laboratory technologist.