BHSC 1116 provides a foundation for subsequent courses in microanatomy, histology, molecular diagnostics, transfusion, hematology, and clinical chemistry. The course follows a systems approach to study the relationship between structure and function in the human body. It begins with a discussion of cells and tissues as basic structural/functional units then introduces regulation and integration of body systems and the role of control systems in homeostasis. Every body system is covered with emphasis placed on the anatomy, physiology and systems relevant to Medical Laboratory Science. Case studies and other active learning techniques are used to integrate knowledge across body systems and to develop critical thinking skills essential to the practice of medical laboratory technology.

This course focuses on the role of the immune system in health and disease. The roles of immune cells and non-cellular soluble components; namely, antibodies, cytokines, complements and mediators of inflammation will be discussed. Basic concepts on immunology, including innate and acquired immunity to pathogens, foregin grafts and other immunogens, are presented with special emphasis on their clincal application in the following areas that are relevant to Medical Laboratory Science Technology: hypersensitivity, autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiencies, transplantation and transfusion, as well as basic bacterial and viral serology. A special detailed discussion of the chemistry and reaction conditions underlying antigen-antibody interactions in vitroand the relevance of immunological techniques to the measurement of analytes in the medical laboratory are also included to prepare students for more in-depth discussion of immuno-based techniques in the discipline-specific program courses.

Discusses the importance of communication within the health care team. Uses an experiential and self-reflective approach to develop self-awareness, an increased understanding of self, and how one's own interpersonal style affects others. Provides critical elements for health care professionals including concepts such as communication skills, establishing and maintaining a relationship with clients and others, caring, empathy, and courtesy. Emphasizes respecting and responding sensitively to individuals with cultural diversity. Includes other skills for success such as conflict resolution and stress management.

This introductory communication course is designed to teach effective listening, writing, and speaking skills required for the Medical Laboratory Technology field. The course covers the planning, organizing, and presenting of information, both orally and in writing. This course also aims to improve the learners' ability to analyse and evaluate various kinds of arguments and scenarios commonly met with in their professional field. Exercises and activities to develop the learner's abilities to work effectively as a team member or team leader will also be integrated into seminars and assignments.

This course introduces clinical microbiology concepts and theory. Students study prokaryotic cell structure, physiology, metabolism, and genetics basic to application in the clinical setting. Through seminars and labs, students gain an appreciation for routine C&S: strategies for isolating organisms using a variety of media and incubations; approaches to identification using differential testing; concepts of antimicrobial activity and drug resistance essential to the practice of antimicrobial susceptibility tests. In preparation for the study of clinically relevant organisms in Levels Two and Three, students relate these general concepts to the specific examination of staphylococci. Through laboratory sessions, students develop the basic skills to isolate bacteria, stain smears, record colonial morphology and perform required identification techniques. Students are instructed in Microbiology laboratory practices that support lab safety, organization and efficiency. Cooperative learning is used to facilitate the development of interpersonal skills and enhance student learning as team members teach and support each other.

This two week clinical placement will provide the learner with the opportunity to develop competency in the areas of phlebotomy, safe practices, professionalism and communication with other health care professionals. Prerequisites: MLSC 1104

This course assists the student in meeting the theory and practical requirements for the CSMLS Category 2, 10 and 11 Competencies Expected of an Entry Level Technologist. Students will be instructed in biological specimen procurement and handling, with particular focus on blood specimens. The medical laboratory technologist student learns to verify relevant data and ensure that appropriate specimens are procured according to established protocols while interacting with Clients/ Patients in a professional and competent manner, employing effective communication strategies and exercising professional behaviours that support the ethical obligations of the medical laboratory technologist. Students are provided with laboratory exercises to reinforce lecture material, and with supervised practice of venous and capillary collection techniques, followed by supervised assessments. Each student agreed to be a patient subject in this course through signing an acknowledgement form, when applying to the MLSC Program at BCIT. Once the student has proven capability within this course, he/she is deemed ready for Clinical 1. Students who are not successful in this course are not permitted to continue to Clinical 1.

This introductory course to the medical laboratory sciences introduces students to the various disciplines that comprise the medical laboratory and stresses the importance of approaching diagnostic testing in an interdisciplinary manner. Students learn many of the analytical and operational connections between the different disciplines of the medical laboratory: Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Anatomical Pathology, Transfusion Medicine, and Clinical Microbiology. Study of the over-arching concepts of safety, basic laboratory practice, specimen handling, methodology and analysis, quality assurance, and critical thinking with direction to problem solving is intended to form the basis for study in the discipline-specific level 2 and 3 Medical Laboratory Science Program courses.

This is an introductory course in molecular diagnostic techniques that will emphasize the molecular principles, instrumentation, and assay controls used to perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and restriction digest analysis. The role and application of molecular testing in the clinical lab will be discussed, as will essential distinctions between phenotypic and molecular testing. The structure and chemistry of nucleic acids will be covered, as will the cellular organization and function of nucleic acids. Applied theory for quality control, nucleic acid hybridization and melting, use of analytical enzymes, end-point and real-time PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, DNA sequencing, and extraction, isolation, and purification of nucleic acids from clinical specimens will form the basis for the student labs. The labs will focus on the application of molecular testing for bacterial targets.

Introduces human microanatomical structure, function, and histochemistry. Describes and discusses all of the basic tissue types and organ systems in relation to laboratory analysis of patient specimens. Includes microscopic evaluation of prepared tissue sections.

Introduces the basic concepts of transfusion science, including the application of genetics and immunology to transfusion practice. Utilizes terminology needed to understand and communicate about transfusion practice. Presents an understanding of major blood group systems, and component therapy and explains the significance these have in transfusion science. Illustrates and provides opportunity to practice the basic techniques used in transfusion service. Provides practice in pretransfusion testing, including ABO typing, Rh typing and antibody screening. Describes blood products (components and fractions) and considers donor issues and special treatment of blood products. Prerequisite: All Level 1 courses.

This course builds on the general concepts of disease and basic Microbiology outlined in Level I courses. Students study clinically relevant bacteria with emphasis on the ability to isolate and identify common pathogens in the laboratory setting. Students perform culture and susceptibility (C & S) of selected non-fastidious bacteria and report test results at an introductory level. Theory and laboratory practice emphasize safety and quality control. Cooperative learning is encouraged through laboratory workshops and assignments to teach specific content and problem solving skills, and facilitate the development of interpersonal skills by working as the member of a team.

This course will introduce learners to the study and identification of normal peripheral and bone marrow blood cells. Blood cell production, development, function, and identification in normal health and non-malignant disease states will be covered. Learners will become familiar with the parameters involved in a Complete Blood Count and Differential (CBC/Diff), the clinical significance of normal and abnormal range CBC/Diff values and how to handle situations with erroneous blood results. Learners will also be introduced to the various equipment and supplies utilized in both manual testing methods as well as highly automated testing systems in the hematology department. Microscopic examination of stained blood films, cellular identification, and operation of automated instrumentation are the major laboratory activities involved in this course. Students will gain experience making and examining blood smears and identifying various peripheral blood cells through practice using manual and automated slide procedures as well as using digitized imaging. Anemia and the associated disorders related to anemic states will be introduced.

This course will introduce the practice of clinical chemistry by providing the clinical significance and analytical methods involved for several different biochemical constituents. It will involve the use of manual and automated techniques for qualitative and quantitative analysis of blood, urine, and stool specimens. Students will utilize quality control procedures to assess the analytical results and be able to interpret patient results, correlate them with other test results and indicate any follow-up tests. Prerequisites: MLSC 1218

This laboratory based course consists of processing surgical and autopsy specimens through to stained slide preparations. Includes activities such as tissue fixation, paraffin processing, embedding, sectioning, and staining. Also includes biological staining procedures such as methods for routine morphological assessment, connective tissues, carbohydrates, microbiological specimens, pigments, leukocyte enzymes, silver impregnation, and immunohistochemical markers. Prerequisites: MLSC 1105

This course builds on the molecular fundamentals from MLSC 1014 and applies them to clinical molecular analysis of human genomic sequence variations and result interpretation. Human cellular processes of transcription and translation will be overviewed, as will basic human and cancer genetics, and standard nomenclature describing genomic DNA sequence variations. The molecular basis of selected disease phenotypes will be discussed, with focus on the advantages and limitations of molecular testing relative to phenotypic testing. The relationship between genomic DNA sequence variations and personalised medicine will be investigated, and the concept of evidence-based laboratory medicine as it applies to molecular testing will be introduced. PCR assay development and optimisation will be covered, and principles of selected hybridisation and PCR/non-PCR amplification molecular testing platforms used in the clinical environment will be discussed. Prerequisites: MLSC 1014

This course builds upon information covered in Transfusion Science 1. Covers the identification of irregular antibodies, complex patient presentations, hemolytic disease of the newborn and adverse reactions to transfusion. Introduces special transfusion situations, based on case study presentation. Prerequisites: MLSC 1223

This course builds knowledge and competency in the discipline of Clinical Microbiology. Clinically relevant microorganisms are reviewed with an emphasis on the isolation and identification of common pathogens and the recognition of organisms generally considered normal flora. Infections will be presented by body system and include: the Urinary Tract, Skin and Soft Tissues, the Genital Tract, the Gastrointestinal Tract, both Upper and Lower Respiratory Tracts, the Circulatory System, the Central Nervous System and Sterile Body Fluids. Each of these systems will be studied individually, focusing on the clinically relevant bacteria, those organisms considered normal flora and/or colonizers, and the pathogenic processes for each system. Theory and laboratory practice include antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), both standard and modified Kirby-Bauer methods, a semi-automated minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method, as well as common methods used to screen for and confirm mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance. Current methods for detecting and confirming Methicillin-Resistant-Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Extended-Spectrum-Beta-Lactamases (ESBL’s) in gram negative bacilli such as E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), Penicillin resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and other concepts antimicrobial resistance will be introduced throughout the term. This course will also introduce the student microbiologist to a semi-automated instrument used in both the identification (ID) and AST of routine bacterial pathogens. The Autoscan4 instrument and the combination ID/AST panels provide a bridge between the traditional testing schemes introduced in MLSC 1009 and MLSC 2008, and the ‘black box’ instrumentation widely used in today’s clinical microbiology laboratory. Using this instrument and it’s clinical software, Microscan’s LabPRO, the student will lay a foundation of learning that will be built on during the Level 4 and 5 Clinical Practicums. Students will be also be offered an introduction to some clinically significant fungi: ie., Candida albicans and Aspergillus species, to parasites such as Trichomonas vaginalis, and to agents of atypical pneumonia such as Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Mycobacterium avium and M. tuberculosis. Written laboratory workup and reporting protocols, emulating those used in the clinical lab, will be used to direct the student’s work-up of cultures, the reporting of pathogens and non-pathogens, and the reporting of site and organism specific antimicrobials, to create clinically relevant lab reports. Both self-directed and cooperative learning are used, providing an opportunity to develop a full understanding of the course learning goals. Cooperative learning continues to be emphasized to meet academic goals and to prepare students for the laboratory workplace. Prerequisites: MLSC 2008

The first part of this course introduces the leukemias, myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative disorders, myelodysplastic syndromes, multiple myeloma and lipid storage diseases. Microscopic examination of peripheral blood and bone marrow films are the major laboratory activities. The second part of the course introduces the coagulation, fibrinolytic, kinin, and complement systems within the context of hemostasis. Platelet disorders, thrombosis and anticoagulant therapy are also introduced. Performing prothrombin and activated partial thromboplastin times, mixing studies and factor assays are the major laboratory activities. Prerequisites: MLSC 2114

This course provides the student with an opportunity to apply the concepts, theory, and techniques learned in previous MLSC courses. This course will include new information which will aid the student to correlate knowledge of clinical chemistry to patient test results and determine the acceptance or rejection of testing data based on quality control criteria, the correlation of test results with patient symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and other related analyte concentrations. Prerequisites: MLSC 2116

This clinical placement represents the first of two terms that will be spent in clinical laboratory. This course will build upon skills developed in BCIT didactic courses and will provide the learner with the necessary clinical context to attain competency in the areas of microbiology, clinical chemistry, histology, hematology, transfusion science and (where available) molecular diagnostics.

This primary delivery method for this course will employ distance learning tools via the web, such as D2L and/or Elluminate (i.e., web conferencing). This course consists of two main components. The first component directs the learner in the exploration of the theory and application of critical thinking and ethical judgement to medical laboratory practice. In this component, students will also have an opportunity to explore professional responsibilities of medical laboratory technologists, including issues of accountability, clinical judgement, and commitment to carrying out the tenets of the CSMLS code of conduct in all aspects of practice. The second component involves examination of the tools and relevant contexts for problem solving and research in a clinical laboratory context. Learners will be required to regularly participate in online discussion forums (i.e., blogs) and associated learning activities.

This course is a continuation of MLSC 2213. By the end of this clinical placement, the learner will have successfully attained all the necessary competencies in microbiology, clinical chemistry, histology, hematology, transfusion science and (where available) molecular diagnostics to support challenge of the CSMLS national certification examination. Prerequisite: All MLSC level 3 courses.

As a continuation of MLSC 2218, this course explores strategies and issues arising in laboratory operations including quality systems, fiscal management, human resources, professional development, laboratory process improvement, and interprofessional collaboration. This course will also provide support to the learner in preparing for the CSMLS certification exam through the exploration of case studies using critical thinking and problem solving skills allowing the learner to integrate prior knowledge of pathophysiology and laboratory methodology in identifying normal and abnormal patterns of analytical results. Most of the content in this course will be delivered via BCIT's on line learning platform and associated resources. Students will participate in individual and group learning activities and are encouraged to augment their experience by participating in continuing education opportunities offered through their clinical practicum sites. Prerequisites: MLSC 2218