Each rotation in your internship year is a short course in one corner of the laboratory. If you know what to aim for in each section, you leave with real skills, and with a mental reviewer for the board exam. Here is a section-by-section guide.
Phlebotomy and specimen reception
Master: patient identification, order of draw, proper tube filling and mixing, labeling at the bedside, recognizing hemolysis, clots and insufficient samples, and specimen rejection criteria. Common mistake: pre-labeling tubes before seeing the patient.
Clinical chemistry
Master: analyzer principles (photometry, ion-selective electrodes, immunoassay), daily maintenance and calibration, running and interpreting QC with Westgard rules, critical values and how they are communicated, and common interferences such as hemolysis, icterus and lipemia. Common mistake: rerunning failed controls without investigating why.
Hematology and coagulation
Master: CBC parameters and flags, preparing and staining a good peripheral smear, performing a differential count, red cell morphology, platelet estimates, and PT/aPTT pre-analytical requirements such as the correct citrate tube fill. Common mistake: reading the thick part of the smear instead of the monolayer.
Microbiology and parasitology
Master: aseptic technique, Gram staining and reading, culture media and colony morphology, basic biochemical identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing principles, blood culture handling, and biosafety. Common mistake: underestimating how much a contaminated or poorly collected specimen affects results.
Clinical microscopy
Master: physical, chemical (reagent strip) and microscopic urinalysis, correlation between strip and sediment findings, stool examination for parasites, and body fluid analysis. Common mistake: reporting sediment without correlating with the chemical findings.
Blood banking and serology
Master: ABO and Rh typing (forward and reverse), resolving discrepancies, antibody screening, crossmatching, component handling and storage, transfusion reaction workups, and serologic tests used in your laboratory. Common mistake: rushing. In the blood bank, a clerical error can be fatal. Double-check every identifier.
Histopathology and cytology
Master: fixation, processing, embedding, microtomy, H&E staining, and specimen accountability. Common mistake: poor labeling of cassettes and slides.
Across all sections
- Logbooks: keep them complete and signed daily.
- Safety: PPE, sharps disposal and spill procedures in every section.
- Ethics: confidentiality of results and patient information.
- Correlation: always ask what the results mean for the patient.
Every section has a few skills you must not leave without. Find out what they are on day one.
References
- Republic Act No. 5527, examination subjects (Section 17, as amended): digest.ph
- CHED Memorandum Order No. 13, s. 2017, as implemented in a BSMLS curriculum (Davao Doctors College): davaodoctors.edu.ph
- CDC, Blood culture collection quality tool: cdc.gov
- Westgard QC, Westgard Rules: westgard.com
