Ordinary Diploma in Medical Laboratory Sciences (NTA Level 4)

The Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) is a branch of medicine that creates professionals able to provide laboratory information from laboratory tests and analysis that assist physicians in patient diagnosis and treatment, together with health maintenance through disease monitoring and prevention. The medical laboratory professionals are considered health detectives due to their vital role in testing samples for physicians to have a clear picture of a phenomenon and guidance on treatment.

To provide an example, take John who wakes up early in the morning, not feeling well and decides to go to the hospital for a check-up. Upon arrival he provides his details at the reception, he is instructed to wait to see the doctor. When the doctor calls John into his office to explain his condition, the doctor not able to determine what John is suffering from he sends John to a professional (medical laboratory scientist) who can conclusively investigate John’s condition by running tests that would enable properly treatment. Therefore, without a medical laboratory science professional, physicians would have a high risk of administering patients such as John with the wrong treatment for some illnesses are due to fatigue and do not need any medical prescriptions. This is among the many examples showing the importance of medical laboratory professionals.

Medical Laboratory professionals use sophisticated biomedical equipment and methods requiring manual agility to perform laboratory tests. Laboratory testing encompasses such disciplines as clinical chemistry, hamatology, immunology, immunohematology, microbiology and molecular biology. Medical laboratory science professionals generate accurate laboratory data that are needed to aid in detecting and identification of various diseases caused by bacteria, cyanobacteria, viruses, fungus and other health-related diseases including cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, infectious mononucleosis furthermore in detecting abused drugs. Besides, they monitor testing quality and consult with other members of the healthcare team.

As stated, the medical laboratory sciences field makes a graduate being a disease or health detective by finding the cause of an illness or disease through examinations and analysis of tissues, blood, and other bodily fluids. Specialty areas of laboratory science include clinical chemistry, hematology, transfusion services, clinical immunology, clinical microbiology, histopathology, cytogenetics (cytotechnology), histology and the emerging field of molecular diagnostics. However, the field of laboratory testing has evolved with the appearance of advanced, automated, and analytical devices, laboratory scientists have found themselves in the role of making decisions about the validity of data to be used by physicians in medical decisions. It is estimated that 70-80% of a physician’s medical decisions on anyone patient are a direct result of laboratory test data provided by medical laboratory scientists. Furthermore, this type of knowledge and analysis is highly utilized in medical and industrial research and the data obtained is helpful institutions/parastatals that are involved in monitoring public health.

Therefore, graduating with a laboratory science degree can lead to exciting career opportunities. The opportunities are essentially unlimited in clinics, hospital laboratories, forensic laboratories, veterinary clinics, medical biotechnology and industrial research laboratories. With advanced education, a graduate can find rewarding careers in medicine, teaching, research, management and with its diversity, it has a wide range of areas for specializing in its master’s and Ph.D. degree levels. Laboratory science is a critical healthcare field that impacts the health of every individual. Careers in laboratory science are perfect if a person is analytical, enjoys problem-solving and is interested in the science of healthcare.

Kampala International University in Tanzania offers Non-Degree and Degree programs for Medical Laboratory Sciences students seeking to be professionals of international repute in the field. Medical Laboratory in the Non-Degree Level, is a 3-year program where a student studies Basic Technician Certificate in Medical Laboratory Science (NTA Level 5), Ordinary Diploma in Medical Laboratory Sciences (NTA Level 6) and Ordinary Diploma in Medical Laboratory (Upgrading) 1 year. As it stands with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of not less than 3.0, a student can pursue a 4-year bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences to become a full-fledged professional.