Anatomical Pathology

• Preparation of specimens for light microscopy including fixation and tissue processing, decalcification technique and general staining methods such as Haematoxylin and Eosin stain, Van Gieson stain and Masson Trichrome stain

• Normal histology especially basic tissue types

• Histochemical methods as applied to light microscopy such as PAS and Perls Prussian Blue for Iron

• Fixation of cytological specimens

• The Papanicolaou staining technique

• The cytological features of inflammation and neoplasia in cervical smears

• Normal cell types in cytological specimens.

Chemical Pathology

An understanding of the underlying techniques utilised and methodology behind the measurement of common chemistry analytes and their clinical utility including:

• Blood gas and electrolytes measurement

• Urea, creatinine, and creatinine clearance, uric acid

• Glucose, glucose tolerance, HbA1c

• Liver function tests

• Lipid analysis

• Plasma proteins and protein electrophoresis

• Specific plasma proteins e.g., CRP

• Principles of enzymatic analysis

• Enzyme tests e.g., amylase, creatine kinase

• Calcium, phosphate, magnesium

• Bilirubin including neonatal bilirubin measurement

• Myocardial function tests

• Common tumour markers e.g., Prostatic specific antigen, CEA

• Basic virology tests now performed in core laboratory settings

• Endocrinology such as Thyroid function tests and Adrenal function tests

• Bioinstrumentation including Immunoassay, spectrophotometric assays and Point of Care Testing

• Quality Control concepts as they apply to the automated biochemistry laboratory.”

Genomic Pathology

• Basic understanding of inheritance

• Structure of DNA and all forms of RNA

• Mitochondrial DNA

• Transcription and translation

• Influence of epigenetics on phenotypes

• Chromosome structure and common pathologies associated with chromosomal abnormalities

• Common mutations in oncology, inborn errors of metabolism

• Principles of basic thermal and isothermal PCR techniques including sample preparation and use of controls

• Principles of reverse transcriptase PCR, real-time PCR and multiplex PCR

• Sample integrity for DNA and RNA based techniques

• Awareness of next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques.

Haematology

• Principles of automated cell counting

• Macrocytic anaemia

• Microcytic anaemia

• Normocytic anaemia

• Myeloproliferative disorders

• Lymphoproliferative disorders

• Production of erythrocytes, leucocytes and platelets

• Iron metabolism

• Intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation pathways and methods of testing

• Bleeding disorders

• Anticoagulant therapy and methods of monitoring this therapy

• Natural anticoagulants

• Fibrinolysis

• Malaria testing and species

• Quality control in haematology and coagulation

• Pre-analytical factors in haematology and coagulation.

Immunopathology

• Basic understanding of the structure and function of the immune system

• Adaptive and acquired immune mechanisms

• Cellular and humoral immune responses

• Immunoglobulin properties and functions

• Key cytokines i.e., IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17, TNF and their functions

• Monoclonal antibodies their production, properties and uses

• Mechanisms of hypersensitivity and their laboratory investigation

• Acquired and inherited immune deficiency conditions, major autoimmune conditions and their laboratory investigation

• Principles of immunology-based assays e.g., immunophenotyping using flow cytometry, immunochromatographic techniques, solid-phase immune assays, immunohistochemical techniques.

Medical Microbiology

• A basic knowledge of infectious diseases and organisms most commonly associated with these diseases. There will be a greater emphasis on bacterial diseases, but some knowledge of parasitic, fungal and viral disease is also expected.

• Collection, handling and processing of samples including the minimum criteria for acceptance of samples

• Knowledge of normal flora (indigenous flora) of major body sites or absence of normal flora in sterile body sites

• Presumptive identification of major groups of bacteria based on microscopic and colonial morphology on a variety of common media including chromogenic media and the use of key basic identification tests such as catalase, oxidase and atmospheric growth requirements

• Principles of major methods of susceptibility testing i.e., disc diffusion, agar dilution and broth dilution and the relationship between breakpoints, MIC and susceptible / resistant categories

• Microscopy: Function and maintenance of a modern binocular microscope, including setting up and using for bright-field, phase-contrast and dark-field microscopy

• Staining techniques: Gram stain, Ziehl Neelsen stain, Modified ZN stains

• General principles of quality control and quality assurance as it applies to microbiology

• Safety in the microbiology laboratory, Biosafety Cabinets, Biosafety levels.

Transfusion Science

• Antibody structure and function

• Antigen / antibody interaction

• Antibody production

• Blood donation testing

• Blood components

• Blood group systems

• Antibody detection and identification

• Pre transfusion testing

• Haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn

• Quality assurance in the blood bank laboratory

• Internal quality control and external quality assurance in the blood bank.

Laboratory Safety and Quality Control

• Safe handling of biological specimens

• Safe handling of hazardous chemicals

• Sterilisation and disinfection procedures

• Handling of infectious specimens.

Principles of Quality Assurance and Quality Control

• Basic charting and rules for rejection of results

• Simple statistical evaluation, Reference ranges methodology – parametric and non-parametric

• The role of internal quality control and external quality assurance

• Uncertainty of measurement.

Basic Laboratory Procedures and Equipment

• Normal and molar solutions

• Basic laboratory calculations

• Basic laboratory equipment and its appropriate use

• Spectrophotometry.