Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory (CDL)
Goals and Objectives of Medical Program
- To promote effective acquisition and understanding of the core knowledge of basic medical
sciences
- To promote acquisition of the knowledge and the skills for competent patient care and
health promotion specifically at the primary level, but to be broad based enough to be a
foundation for further training at secondary and tertiary levels.
- To emphasize the importance of individual, family, community and cultural differences in
the manifestations and impact of physical and mental illness.
- To foster desirable attitudes to ensure humane, ethical and cost- effective health care
delivery.
- To encourage interest and skills in self-directed lifelong learning.
- To develop skills in information handling.
- To understand the basic concepts of scientific methodologies.
Introduction
The clinical diagnostic laboratory (CDL) is an essential part of any hospital and plays an
important role as part of the clinical management team. The CDL posting will be based mainly in
the Central Medical Laboratory (Pathology Department) of Sarawak General Hospital. This
posting has been designed with the intention to familiarise the medical students to the basic
principles of the main diagnostic procedures conducted in the Medical Laboratory. It will re-
emphasise the role of the various investigations in making a clinical diagnosis.
At the end of the posting, assessment will be made based on student’s performance
in the laboratory sessions, completion of prescribed task in this portfolio book and the End of
Posting Examination (EOP).
,Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the posting, the students should be able to:
1. Describe the organisation and function of the medical laboratory.
2. List and discuss the various types of tests and diagnostic services offered by the medical
laboratory.
3. Describe the basic principles, indications and pitfalls of the tests and laboratory
equipments used.
4. Define and discuss the concept of results validation and quality control practiced by the
laboratory.
5. Describe the procedure to procure the laboratory specimens for investigation.
6. Interpret the important investigations available in the pathology laboratory.
Clinical Chemistry
General Objectives:
1. Describe the requirements in specimen collection, handling, transportation and
processing.
2. Justify the selections of appropriate tests for the diagnosis of a disease.
3. Instill the awareness of laboratory costs and to practice prudence in ordering laboratory
investigations so as to be cost effective.
4. Interpret clinical chemistry result in making diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of
disease.
Specific Objectives:
1. Describe the correct sampling and transportation of specimen for chemistry analysis.
2. List the types of routine investigation available at clinical chemistry lab.
3. List the type of test run in STAT laboratory service.
4. Describe the type of specimen used for the above listed lab investigation.
5. Discuss the relevance of ordering and interpret common clinical chemistry tests.
6. Describe the internal and external quality control in chemical pathology laboratory.
7. Describe the current/practical application in small clinical set-up e.g. Point-of care testing,
automation, QCs etc.
, Histopathology, Cytology & Cytogenetics
General Objectives:
1. Describe the role of histopathology, cytology and cytogenetic unit.
2. Describe the workflow in histopathology unit.
3. Describe the proper specimen handling and transportation of specimen to the
histopathology, cytology and cytogenetic unit.
4. Describe the quality control measures in histopathology, cytology and cytogenetic unit.
5. Analyse reports from histopathology, cytology and cytogenetic examination.
Specific Objectives:
1. Describe the factors that can affect turnaround time in histopathology and cytology unit.
2. Describe a proper fixation for histopathology and cytology specimen.
3. Describe the important gross pathological features of a resected specimen.
4. Describe the tissue processing and staining in histopathology unit.
5. Describe the use of special stain and immunohistochemistry.
6. List the investigations in cytology unit.
7. List the types of specimen sent at cytology unit.
8. Describe the types of specimen and its indication for cytogenetic test.
9. Describe the safety and quality control activity in histopathology, cytology and cytogenetic
unit.
Blood Bank & Haematology
General Objectives:
1. Describe the role of blood bank and haematology lab.
2. Describe the safety measures to ensure safety in blood collection and issue of a safe blood.
3. Describe a correct collection and transportation of blood and BMA to haematology lab.
4. Interpret common haematological test result.
Blood Bank:
Specific Objectives:
1. Describe donor’s selection criteria and its rationale.
2. Describe the chronological flow and procedures of a donated blood starting from its
collection until it is safe for patient use.
3. Describe the transport, storage of blood and blood component.
4. Describe the principle behind blood group and antibody testing.
5. Describe the principle of ‘Group Save & Hold (GSH)’ and “Group Crossmatch (GXM)”.
6. Describe the constituent, volume and expiry date of packed cell, whole blood, fresh frozen
plasma, and cryoprecipitate.
7. Describe the protocol for blood transfusion and blood transfusion reaction.
Goals and Objectives of Medical Program
- To promote effective acquisition and understanding of the core knowledge of basic medical
sciences
- To promote acquisition of the knowledge and the skills for competent patient care and
health promotion specifically at the primary level, but to be broad based enough to be a
foundation for further training at secondary and tertiary levels.
- To emphasize the importance of individual, family, community and cultural differences in
the manifestations and impact of physical and mental illness.
- To foster desirable attitudes to ensure humane, ethical and cost- effective health care
delivery.
- To encourage interest and skills in self-directed lifelong learning.
- To develop skills in information handling.
- To understand the basic concepts of scientific methodologies.
Introduction
The clinical diagnostic laboratory (CDL) is an essential part of any hospital and plays an
important role as part of the clinical management team. The CDL posting will be based mainly in
the Central Medical Laboratory (Pathology Department) of Sarawak General Hospital. This
posting has been designed with the intention to familiarise the medical students to the basic
principles of the main diagnostic procedures conducted in the Medical Laboratory. It will re-
emphasise the role of the various investigations in making a clinical diagnosis.
At the end of the posting, assessment will be made based on student’s performance
in the laboratory sessions, completion of prescribed task in this portfolio book and the End of
Posting Examination (EOP).
,Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the posting, the students should be able to:
1. Describe the organisation and function of the medical laboratory.
2. List and discuss the various types of tests and diagnostic services offered by the medical
laboratory.
3. Describe the basic principles, indications and pitfalls of the tests and laboratory
equipments used.
4. Define and discuss the concept of results validation and quality control practiced by the
laboratory.
5. Describe the procedure to procure the laboratory specimens for investigation.
6. Interpret the important investigations available in the pathology laboratory.
Clinical Chemistry
General Objectives:
1. Describe the requirements in specimen collection, handling, transportation and
processing.
2. Justify the selections of appropriate tests for the diagnosis of a disease.
3. Instill the awareness of laboratory costs and to practice prudence in ordering laboratory
investigations so as to be cost effective.
4. Interpret clinical chemistry result in making diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of
disease.
Specific Objectives:
1. Describe the correct sampling and transportation of specimen for chemistry analysis.
2. List the types of routine investigation available at clinical chemistry lab.
3. List the type of test run in STAT laboratory service.
4. Describe the type of specimen used for the above listed lab investigation.
5. Discuss the relevance of ordering and interpret common clinical chemistry tests.
6. Describe the internal and external quality control in chemical pathology laboratory.
7. Describe the current/practical application in small clinical set-up e.g. Point-of care testing,
automation, QCs etc.
, Histopathology, Cytology & Cytogenetics
General Objectives:
1. Describe the role of histopathology, cytology and cytogenetic unit.
2. Describe the workflow in histopathology unit.
3. Describe the proper specimen handling and transportation of specimen to the
histopathology, cytology and cytogenetic unit.
4. Describe the quality control measures in histopathology, cytology and cytogenetic unit.
5. Analyse reports from histopathology, cytology and cytogenetic examination.
Specific Objectives:
1. Describe the factors that can affect turnaround time in histopathology and cytology unit.
2. Describe a proper fixation for histopathology and cytology specimen.
3. Describe the important gross pathological features of a resected specimen.
4. Describe the tissue processing and staining in histopathology unit.
5. Describe the use of special stain and immunohistochemistry.
6. List the investigations in cytology unit.
7. List the types of specimen sent at cytology unit.
8. Describe the types of specimen and its indication for cytogenetic test.
9. Describe the safety and quality control activity in histopathology, cytology and cytogenetic
unit.
Blood Bank & Haematology
General Objectives:
1. Describe the role of blood bank and haematology lab.
2. Describe the safety measures to ensure safety in blood collection and issue of a safe blood.
3. Describe a correct collection and transportation of blood and BMA to haematology lab.
4. Interpret common haematological test result.
Blood Bank:
Specific Objectives:
1. Describe donor’s selection criteria and its rationale.
2. Describe the chronological flow and procedures of a donated blood starting from its
collection until it is safe for patient use.
3. Describe the transport, storage of blood and blood component.
4. Describe the principle behind blood group and antibody testing.
5. Describe the principle of ‘Group Save & Hold (GSH)’ and “Group Crossmatch (GXM)”.
6. Describe the constituent, volume and expiry date of packed cell, whole blood, fresh frozen
plasma, and cryoprecipitate.
7. Describe the protocol for blood transfusion and blood transfusion reaction.
