MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY/ CLINICAL LABORATORY / SCIENCE EDUCATION

Definition of Curriculum
Curriculum comes from the Latin word currere which means to run. A student enrolled in a program has
to work hard and run with all his or her might in order to finish the race on time. Curriculum can be defined in
many ways.

Definition of Curriculum
- refers to the knowledge and skills students are expected to learn, which include the learning standards or
learning objectives
- refers to the means and materials with which students interact for the purpose of achieving identified
educational outcomes
- is the "continuous reconstruction, moving from the child's present experience out into that represented by the
organized bodies of truth that we call studies... the various studies…are themselves experience- -they are that
of the race. (John Dewey)
- refers to the planned interaction of students with instructional content, materials, resources, and processes
for evaluating the attainment of educational objectives (Indiana Department of Education)

Characteristics of Curriculum
A. is systematic and organized:
B. explicitly states outcomes (knowledge, skills) the learners/students have to achieve and learn through the use
of planned instructional processes and other learning implements In a specific period;
C. consists of a planned process of measurement, assessment, and evaluation to gauge student learning; and
D. is designed for students.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

- established on May 18, 1994, through the passage of Republic Act No. 7722, Higher Education Act of 1992
- CHED is the government agency under the Office of the President of the Philippines that covers institutions of
higher education both public and private.
- It is tasked to organize and appoint members of the technical panel for each discipline/program area.

Technical Committee for Medical Technology Education (TCMTE)

- organized/under by CHED
composed of leading academicians and practitioners (appointed by CHED) responsible for assisting the
Commission in setting standards among institutions offering Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology/Medical
Laboratory Science program and in monitoring and evaluating such institutions.

BSMT/BSMLS program
- Considered one of the allied the health programs
- four-year program consisting of general education and professional courses that students are expected to
complete within the first three years.
- The fourth year is dedicated to the students' internship training in CHED- accredited training laboratories
affiliated with their college/department.

CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No.13

o (Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory
Science program) as a guide for institution offering the program.
o The CMO contains the goals, program outcomes, performance indicators, and the minimum course offerings
(general education core course, and the professional course with allotted units) of BSMT/BSML program.

o This new CMO is complaint with K-12 Curriculum. Educational institutions offering the program are given
certain leeway in enhancing the curriculum for their program.

The prescribed minimum number of units per course, and whether each course has a laboratory or lecture
component, are also indicated in the new CMO.

One unit of lecture is equivalent to one hour of class meeting every week. Thus, a 3-unit lecture course
renders 3 hours of class meeting per week which is equivalent to 54 hours per semester (if one school year is
divided into two semesters, with each semester equivalent to 18 weeks).

Principles of Medical Laboratory Science 1

3-unit lecture without a laboratory component. One unit of laboratory is equivalent to 3 hours of class meeting
every week.

Clinical Bacteriology
5-unit course composed of 3 units of lecture and 2 units of laboratory. This is equivalent to 3 hours work of lecture
and 6 hours of laboratory (total of 54 lecture hours and 108 laboratory hours per semester).
In the MT/MLS curriculum, the policy of taking prerequisites for
some courses is followed. A student taking the BSMT/BSMLS
program must be aware of the courses he or she needs to take in
order to move on to more advanced courses In the curriculum.
For example, before taking the course Immunology and Serology,
one should have already completed the course Clinical
Bacteriology.

GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES

General Education (GE) course offerings cut across different programs.
 These courses aim to develop foundational knowledge, skills, values, and habits necessary for students to
succeed in life, to positively contribute to society, to understand the diversity of cultures, to gain a bigger
perspective and understanding of living with others, to respect differences in opinions, to realize and accept
their weaknesses and improve on them, and to further hone their strengths.
 GE courses aim to develop humane individuals that have a deeper sense of self and acceptance of others.

GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES

1. Understanding the Self
2. Readings in Philippine History
3. The Contemporary World
4. Mathematics in the Modern World
5. Purposive Communication
6. The Life and Works of Rizal
7. Science, Technology, and Society
8. Art Appreciation
9. Ethics

PROFESSIONAL COURSES
 Professional courses are taken for learners to develop the knowledge, technical competence, professional
attitude, and values necessary to practice and meet the demands of the profession. Critical thinking skills, decision-
making skills, interpersonal skills, collaboration, and teamwork are also developed.

Professional Courses
1. Principles of Medical Laboratory Science 1
Introduction to Medical Laboratory Science, Laboratory Safety, and Waste Management

This course deals with the basic concepts and principles related to the Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory
Science profession. Its emphasis is on the curriculum, practice of the profession, clinical laboratories, continuing
professional education, biosafety practices, and waste management.

2. Principles of Medical Laboratory Science 2

Clinical Laboratory Assistance and Phlebotomy

Clinical Laboratory Assistance encompasses the concepts and principles of the different assays performed in the
clinical laboratory.
Phlebotomy deals with the basic concepts, principles, and application of the standard procedures in blood
collection, transport, and processing. It also involves the study of pre-analytic, analytic, and post-analytic variables
that affect reliability of test results.

3. Community and Public Health for MT/MLS

This course involves the study of the foundations of community health that include human ecology,
demography, and epidemiology. It emphasizes the promotion of community, public, and environmental health and
the immersion and interaction of students with people in the community.

4. Cytogenetics
This course is focused on the study of the concepts and principles of heredity and inheritance which
include genetic phenomena, sex determination, and genetic defects rooted in inheritance, among others. It also
discusses the abnormalities and genetic disorders involving the chromosomes and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA).
Emphasis is given to the analysis of nucleic acids and their application to medical science.

5. Human Histology
This course deals with the study of the fundamentals of cells, tissues, and organs with emphasis on
microscopic structures, characteristics, differences, and functions.

The laboratory component of this course primarily deals with the microscopic identification and
differentiation of cells that make up the systems of the body.

6. Histopathologic Techniques with Cytology

This course covers the basic concepts and principles of disease processes, etiology, and the development
of anatomic, microscopic changes brought about by the disease process. It deals with the histopathologic
techniques necessary for the preparation of tissue samples collected via surgery, biopsy, and/or autopsy for
macroscopic and microscopic examinations for diagnostic purposes.

Some of the tests that students perform for the laboratory component of the course in a school-based laboratory
are:

 Tissue processing
 Cutting of processed tissue
 Staining
 Mounting of stained tissue for microscopic examination
 Performing biosafety and waste management
7. Clinical Bacteriology
This course deals with the study of the physiology and morphology of bacteria and their role in infection
and immunity. Its emphasis is on the collection of specimens and the isolation and identification of bacteria. It also
covers antimicrobial susceptibility testing and development of resistance to antimicrobial substances.

 Preparation of culture media

 Collection of specimens
 Preparation of bacterial smear
 Staining of smear
 Inoculation of specimen on culture media
 Characterization of colonies of bacteria growing in culture media
 Performing different biochemical tests for identification of bacteria
 Biosafety and waste management
 Quality assurance and quality control
 Antimicrobial susceptibility testing

8. Clinical Parasitology
This course is concerned with the study of human parasites and animal parasites in humans and their
medical significance in the country. Its emphasis is on the pathophysiology, epidemiology, life cycle, prevention
and control, and the identification of ova and/or adult worms and other forms seen in specimens submitted for
diagnostic purposes.

Some of the procedures and tests that students perform for the laboratory component of the course in a school-
based laboratory are:

 Microscopic identification of diagnostic features of different groups of parasites pathogenic to man (e.g., nematodes,
trematodes, cestodes, protozoa, plasmodium, among others)
 Different methods of preparing smear for microscopic examination (e.g., direct fecal smear, Kato-Katz, among others)

9. Immunohematology and Blood Bank

This course tackles the concepts of inheritance, characterization, and laboratory identification of red cells
antigens and their corresponding antibodies. It also covers the application of these antigens and/or antibodies in
transfusion medicine and transfusion reactions work-up.

Some of the procedures and tests that students perform for the laboratory component of the course in a school-
based laboratory are:

 ABO and Rh typing Coombs test (direct and indirect Coombs)

 Blood donation process
 Compatibility testing
 Transfusion reaction work-up
 Preparation of RBC suspension

10. Mycology and Virology

This course deals with the study of fungi and viruses as agents of diseases with emphasis on epidemiology,
laboratory identification and characterization, and prevention and control.

11. Laboratory Management

This course looks into the concepts of laboratory management which are planning, organizing, staffing,
directing, and controlling as applied in clinical laboratory setting. It also tackles the process of solving problems,
quality assurance and quality control, preparation of policy and procedure manuals, and other activities necessary
to maintain a well-functioning laboratory. Lab Manager
12. Medical Technology Laws and Bioethics
This course encompasses various laws, administrative orders, and other approved legal documents
related to the practice of Medical Technol0gy/Medical Laboratory Science in the Philippines.

Bioethics looks into the study of ethics as applied to health and health care delivery and to human life In general.
Different bioethical principles, philosophical principles, virtues and norms, and the Code of Ethics of medical
technologists are also discussed.

13. Hematology 1
This course deals with the study of the concepts of blood as a tissue. Formation, metabolism of cells,
laboratory assays, correlation with pathologic conditions, special hematology evaluation are given emphasis.
Quality assurance and quality control in hematology laboratory as well as bone marrow studies are also discussed.

Some of the procedures and tests that students perform for the laboratory component of the course in a school-
based laboratory are:
 Complete blood count (CBC)
 Hematocrit blood test Platelet count
 Preparation of blood smear and staining
 Red cell morphology
 Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
 Fragility test
 Erythrocyte indices
 Reticulocyte count
 Instrumentation
 Osmotic fragility test
 Quality assurance and quality control
 Biosafety and waste management

14. Hematology 2
This course deals with the concepts and principles of hemostasis, and abnormalities involving red blood
cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), and platelets. Laboratory identification of blood cell abnormalities,
quantitative measurement of coagulation factors, and disease correlation are emphasized.

Some of the procedures and tests that students perform for the laboratory component of the course in school-
based laboratory are:
 Identification of abnormal RBC and WBC
 Special staining techniques
 Coagulation factor test (e.g., activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), Prothrombin Time (PT), Bleeding time (BT),
Clotting time (CT), Clot retraction time (CRT)
 Instrumentation

15. Clinical Microscopy

This course focuses on the study of urine and other body fluids (excluding blood). It includes the
discussion of their formation, laboratory analyses, disease processes, and clinical correlation of laboratory results.

Some of the procedures and tests that students perform for the laboratory component of the course in a school-
based laboratory are:
 Routine urinalysis (macroscopic, microscopic, chemical examinations)
 Special chemical examination of urine
 Examination of other body fluids (seminal fluid, gastric juice, cerebrospinal fluid)
 Pregnancy tests
 Chemical examination of stool specimens

16. Clinical Chemistry 1

 This course encompasses the concepts and principles of physiologically active soluble substances and
waste materials present in body fluids, particularly in the blood. The study includes formation, laboratory analyses,
reference values and clinical correlation with pathologic conditions. The course also looks into instrumentation and
automation, quality assurance, and quality control.

Some of the procedures and tests that students perform for the labor component of the course in a school-based
laboratory are:
 Instrumentation
 Quality assurance and quality control
 Glucose determination
 Lipid testing (triglyceride, lipoproteins)
 Renal function tests [blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood uric acid (BUA), creatinine o Protein testing (total proteins,
albumin, globulin)
 Biosafety and waste management

17. Clinical Chemistry 2

This course is a continuation of Clinical Chemistry 1 and deals with the concepts and principles of
physiologically active soluble substances and waste materials present in body fluids, particularly in the blood. It
also covers the study of endocrine glands and hormones and their formation, laboratory analyses, and clinical
correlation. Therapeutic drug monitoring and laboratory analyses of drugs and substances of abuse as well as toxic
substances are also emphasized.

Some of the procedures and tests that students perform for the laboratory component of the course in a school-
based laboratory are:
 Bilirubin tests Clinical enzymology (transferases, dehydrogenase, hydrolases)
 Electrolyte testing
 Hormone testing
 Drug tests

19. Molecular Biology and Diagnostics

Molecular Biology deals with the nucleic acid and protein molecule interaction within the cell to promote
proper growth, cell division, and development. It covers the molecular mechanisms of DNA replication, repair,
transcription, translation, protein synthesis, and gene regulation.

This course is focused on the concepts, principles, and application of molecular biology in clinical
laboratory. It also deals with the application of different molecular techniques as tools in the diagnosis of diseases.

RESEARCH COURSES

Research 1: Introduction to Laboratory Science Research

Research 1 deals with the basic concepts and principles of research as applied in Medical Technology/Clinical
Laboratory Science. Ethical principles, as applied in research, are also emphasized.

Research 2: Research Paper Writing and Presentation

Research 2 covers the methodology of the research (approved in Research 1), writing the research paper in the
format prescribed by the institution and international research agencies for possible publication, and presentation
of the finished and completed research in a formal forum.

CLINICAL INTERNSHIP TRAINING

Clinical internship training is taken during the students' fourth year in the program. Only those who have
completed and passed all the academic and institutional requirements for the first three years of the program, and
other requirements as specified in the official documents of the institution, college and/or departments are
qualified for internship.

Before proceeding with the actual training, students are required to undergo physical and laboratory examinations
which include, but not limited to:
 Complete blood count (CBC)
 Urinalysis
 Fecalysis
 Chest X-ray and/or sputumn microscopy
 Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) screening
 Drug testing (for methamphetamines and cannabinoids)
 Proof of vaccination for Hepatitis B (if negative for HBsAg and HBsAb)

CLINICAL INTERNSHIP TRAINING

This intensive training aims to apply the theoretical aspects of the profession into practice. Students are
assigned to CHED-accredited clinical laboratories affiliated with their academic institution on a 6-month or one-
year rotation. This rotation ensures that all students experience to work in the different sections of a clinical
laboratory.

The intern is required to render 32 hours of duty per week not exceeding a total of 1,664 hours in one year. This is
broken down per section as follows (based on CMO 13 s. 2017):
LICENSURE EXAMINATION
The Medical Technologist Licensure
Examination is conducted in order to identify
graduates who possess the basic qualifications
or the minimum conceptual skills and technical
competencies to perform the tasks with
minimum errors.

The Professional Regulation

Commission (PRC) is the government agency,
under the Office of the President of the
Philippines, tasked to administer licensure
examinations to different professionals.

Meanwhile, the Professional Regulatory Board (PRB) for Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory
Science, under the PRC, is tasked to prepare and administer the written licensure examinations for graduates
qualified to take the examination.

Composition of the Board (3):

1. Pathologist - chairman
2. Two Medical Technologists – members

Subjects and their corresponding weights:

To pass the exam, an examinee must:
1. receive a general weighted average of 75%,
2. have no rating below 50% in any major courses, and
3. pass in at least 60% of the courses computed according to their relative weights.

PROGRAM GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning outcomes are general statements that define what the learner has to achieve. These learning
outcomes serve as the foundation of curriculum development and teaching methodologies that shape a program.
When learning outcomes are clearly stated, shared responsibilities and accountabilities for learning are developed
in both students and teachers.

The program outcomes of the BSMT/BSMLS degree expect students to:

1. demonstrate knowledge and technical skills needed to correctly perform laboratory testing and ensure
reliability of test results.
knowledge is comprised of fact, information and concepts acquired through experience and education.
technical skill relates to the psychomotor domain of learning. A graduate skill will be employed in specimen collection,
transport and processing, manual testing and automation of equipment, molecular biology techniques well as in biosafety and
waste management practice.

2. be endowed with the professional attitude and values enabling them to work with their colleagues and other
members of the health care delivery system;
Attitude deals with the affective domain. Learning outcomes in this domain look into the feeling, emotions, tone of voice and
disposition of BSMTL/BSMLS.it also deals with

3. demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills when confronted with situations, problems, and
conflicts in the practice of their profession;
Critical thinking is the ability of an individual to objectively and systematically analyze, without bias facts and information to
come to with reasonable decisions and to guide behavior.
Problem solving involves the detailed analysis of the problem at hand by focusing on the present facts and information before
making a decision
Decision making entails one’s ability to gather and synthesize facts, information, and opinions about the problem at hand.

4. actively participate in self-directed life-long learning activities to be updated with the current trends in the
profession;
There is a need to engage in self-directed learning to be updated with the constant changes in the medical technology practice.
It is also ideal for one to take part in training program, workshops and even enroll in graduate programs related to profession.

5. actively participate in research and community-oriented activities;

Research is the systematic and organizes study materials to come up with conclusions or to establish facts. Involves
experimentation and gathering and analyzing data to solves problem or reach conclusion.
Research involves identifying a problem or topic, using appropriate methods to gather data ,analyzing and interpreting data,
and disseminating research results through publication and paper presentation.

6. be endowed with leadership skills; and

A leader sets the direction of a group for it to achieve its full potential while having a consolidated vision toward the attainment
of goals and objective.
A leader is someone who has excellent communication skills, motivates, and inspires others, and not afraid to develop others
who may end up better than him or her
No one is born a leader. Becoming an effective leader entail learning through experiences that include failure inside and
outside the academic and work environment

7. demonstrate collaboration, teamwork, integrity, and respect when working in a multicultural environment
Collaboration and teamwork are two important social skills necessary to work in a complex and at times. multicultural
environment like the clinical laboratory.
Collaboration means working together with multiple individual and finding a common ground to work toward achieving a set
goal. Likewise, working with others in a team means working people you disagree with but coming to terms with such
disagreements by sharing a common goal.

ASSESSMENT
Assessment involves a planned, systematic, organized way of testing, measuring, collecting, and obtaining
necessary information to feedback on students' progress against set standards per course and on the effectivity of
teaching methodology. Thus, feedback comes from both teachers and students.

Assessment plays a significant role in ensuring that students are on the right track toward attaining their
goals, as well as gauging their strengths and weaknesses.

Functions of Assessment Techniques

1. It provides feedback on the progress of students toward the achievement of learning outcomes.

2. It identifies the flaws in the psychomotor skills and deficiencies in the theoretical knowledge and conceptual
skills of the student.

3. It serves as a diagnostic tool to determine the capabilities of a student so that a teacher can prepare additional
exercises and activities to address his or her needs during the assessment.

4. It serves as a motivation to further improve a student's skill set in a particular area.

5. It provides information on students' response to a particular learning strategy which serves as a basis for
retaining or changing a strategy.

6. It provides information to the teacher if there is need to improve teaching and learning strategies.

7. It determines the demonstrable changes in the attitude and behavior of students.

8. It determines whether learning has taken place.

TYPES OF ASSESSMENT
1. Formative assessment
“is a planned process in which assessment in which assessment-elicited evidence of students status is used by teachers to
adjusts their ongoing instructional procedures or by students to adjust their current learning tactics ”W. James Popham
(2008)

This is an assessment for learning. This is done during and/or within the instructional process of a course.
Formative assessment determines whether a student is achieving the outcomes of the topics discussed. This is also
used by the teacher to gain feedback for the improvement of his/her instruction. Examples of Formative
assessment for learning : quizzes, short-answer questions, reflection papers, and the like.

2. Summative assessment
This is the assessment of learning. This is done at the end of instruction, grading period (prelim, mid-terms, finals)
or comprehensive examination. Information gathered form this type of assessment can be used to know well each
students learned the tasks or how well the student attained the learning outcomes.
Examples of summative assessment of learning: end-of-unit and end-of-term exams, research/ term papers, and
final projects.
3. Diagnostic assessment
given prior to instruction to gauge what students already know and do not know about the topic at hand

ASSESSMENT TOOLS
There is no single assessment tool that is suited to measure both lower-order thinking skills (LOTS) and
higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)

1. Teacher-made written tests

Written tests are very popular and widely used assessment tools. Written tests includes quizzes, long exams, term
exams and comprehensive exam. Reliability and Validity of these assessment tools must take precedence to meet the learning
outcome
2. Reflection papers
Writing a reflection paper requires excellent writing skills, that is the ability to put ideas, facts and opinions in an
organized, direct and understandable manner. Reflective thinking requires analytic and critical thinking skills. In science-based
programs, writing reflection papers involves tackling the connection and relationship between theory and practice.
3. Portfolios
A portfolio is a tool for assessing students’ mastery of skills through a collection of outputs that show their progress at
the end of the course program
4. Performance tasks
Performance tasks are usually given in the laboratory component of a course. This assessment tool measures the
attainment of psychomotor skills necessary for the correct performance of a practical exams, return demonstrations, move
systems and objective structured clinical examination.
5. Oral examinations and presentations
Oral examinations and presentations are assessment tools that gauge competency through oral communication
skills.in oral exams and presentations, student a discuss certain topics to an audience. This requires a lot of presentation on the
part of the students. The quality of an oral presentation is affected by the body language, tone and quality of voice, confidence,
and preparedness. Visual aids can also be helpful in oral presentation as long as they are appropriate and well thought out.
6. Rubrics
a rubric is an assessment tools that evaluate that work of students based on an particular criteria. It clearly
communicates the standards for a particular academic takes for the characteristic of each criterion is clearly written. It is better
version of a checklist rating scale. It guides students in taking notes of teacher’s expectations.
Rubrics provide feedback to the learners regarding their own strength and weaknesses. They are versatile assessment
tool for they can be used for grading oral, presentations, case analyses, essays, portfolios, performance tasks and can be used
for self and peer evaluation

JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GRADUATE OF THE PROGRAM

A BSMT/BSMLS graduate can practice as a/an :

1. Medical technologist (hospital-based or non-hospital-based clinical laboratory)

2. Histotechnologist in an anatomical laboratory
3. Researcher/research scientist
4. Member of the academe (faculty, CI, clinical coordinator, dean, dept chair, academic coordinator)
5. Perfusionist
6. Molecular scientist
7. Diagnostic product specialist 8. Public health practitioner 9. Health care leader

A graduate may also practice in the following fields :

1. Molecular Biology
2. Public Health and Epidemiology
3. Veterinary Laboratory Science
4. Food and Industrial Microbiology
5. Veterinary Science
6. Forensic Science
7. Nuclear Medicine/Science
8. Health Facility Administration and Management
9. Quality Management
KEY POINTS
 The Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science is a four- year program consisting of three
years of school-based courses and one year of internship training in accredited training laboratories.
 The courses are grouped into general education courses, professional courses, and research courses.
 The courses may have a lecture component only or both lecture and laboratory components.
 A BSMT/BSMLS graduate must demonstrate the learning outcomes of the program.
 The Medical Technologist Licensure Examination is a requirement in order to practice the profession. It is given by the
Professional Regulatory Board (PRB) for Medical Technology under the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) every
March and August/September of each year.
 In the licensure examination, major courses (i.e., Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Microbiology and Parasitology, and
Immunohematology (Blood Bank) and Immunology and Serology) are given a weight of 20% each.
 Minor courses (i.e., Clinical Microscopy and Histopathologic Techniques) are given a weight of 10% each in the
computation of the general weighted average.
 An examinee should garner a general weighted average of 75% to pass the exam and shall be given the professional title of
Registered Medical Technologist (RMT).
 Assessment is an integral part of teaching-learning activities. Various assessment tools are available to gauge student
learning.