Today would have officially marked the end of my six months of Student Industrial Work Experience (SIWES) and I have decided to write about my internship experience, even though I regret not having a blog to have frequently talk about events as they occurred.
Get caught up: I’m an 400 level student of Biological science at the Federal university of technology Owerri and I have just finished my six month Industrial Work Experience that’s a prerequisite as a now final year student.
After a week of sending Emails to Laboratories, Hospitals and Diagnostics Centres, I finally got a placement, my mum called someone that knew someone and that person knew someone and after a long chain of brief conversations, I was asked to come the next day for an interview. I was told I could begin the next day.
The next day came and I was assigned to the Hematology department, I was excited!! My eagerness to learn was very visible. Basically the hematology department was responsible for the blood banking and serological services in the diagnostics clinic.
Things I learnt in the Hematology department:
• Venipuncture: process of making a puncture in the vein, usually in the arm or wrist to withdraw a blood sample.
• Calculation of PCV: This is a vital procedure and it’s basically to calculate the pack cell volume of a person.
• Blood Grouping: Classification of blood based on inherited differences in antigens of the red blood cells.
• ELISA: This is a serological test used to detect mostly HBV, HIV, HCV, HTLV.
This is a test result showing negative-positive HIV persons…
• Genotype
• Separation of plasma from whole blood -FFP (Plasmapheresis)
• Separation of platelets from whole blood through centrifugation (Apheresis).
• Blood Donation and Cross-matching.
Some other tests I learned are; Hematocrit, ESR, Prothrombin time, Hemoglobin A1C, Glucose test, D-dimer. We had machines and that made a lot of work easy to finish on time.
A DAY IN THE MOLECULAR LAB
The molecular lab was used strictly for PCR, and only a few authorized persons were allowed to enter. I didn’t do much there, I geared up and went in to arrange covid samples, disinfected and came out.
I worked in the hematology department for four and a half months, I got bored and requested to be moved to the Microbiology and Chemistry laboratory, my request was granted.
Microbiology tests I mastered
• Grams stain
• Blood culture
• Bile esculin sugar
• Sputum culture
• Stool test
• MacConkey Agar
• Semen Analysis
Diagnostics tests I learnt
• LFT (Liver Function Test)
• Iron studies
• TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
• Urinalysis
• INR (International Normalized Ratio)
• Lipid Profile
• Vitamin D test, Drug tests.
Some notes from my experience…
Asides from the science stuff, i learnt a lot of other stuff that had helped in building my character and mindset, it was exciting until it wasn’t.
Please share your internship story with me, I’d love to hear them.
You are doing an amazing job Sandra.. Keep up the good work then the sky will b the starting point to the achievement u could match.
Omg!! Thank you Mr Seth ☺️♥️
I need to to thank you for this good read!! I certainly loved every bit of it. I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you postÖ
I need to to thank you for this good read!! I certainly loved every bit of it. I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you postÖ
Loving every post so far, your IT experience is so accurate, expecting more exciting posts ❤️
Thank you, Sosa.