Student Internship Programme(SIP)

Subject Title: CCHEM/ HAEM/ LMQA/ MMIC
Topic : SIP
Content:

Hi all

In case you are wondering what am I actually doing at my SIP, no I am not bathing for the horses, not drawing blood or any other body fluid from the horses(done by Vet, Vet nurses, or the horse's traininer themselves. In this hospital for horses, there is a clinical lab of it's own that also runs Haematology(Full Blood Count, Fibrinogen test etc.). I currently work in this laboratory that runs these tests.

There is a seperate lab that test for any performance drugs administered to the horse to prevent cheating.

In the Hospital, there is a X-ray room, Radioactivity room, patient stables(not ward for humans =P) and even a operation theater for the horse! Big operating tables and another big room where horse is given anaesthesia then a crane is used to put the horse onto the operating table. Today(second day of work), there is a surgery for a lame horse and the doctor sent a urgent blood tube to our lab.

My lab is a seperate building from the hospital. This is because there are new instrument boughted by company for clinical test and needed more space to house this equipment. Hence, my supervisor and I have to take a 5 minutes buggy ride to and fro the hospital at least 4 times a day to check if any sample are sent for testing. In my laboratory, the Haemotology is done by the CELL-DYN 3700 from ABBOTT, and clinical tests are done by the OLYMPUS AU400. The Olympus is the new instrument that is bought recently. My supervisor has just finished evaluating the machine and has just switched from the old instrument to this new one. However, there are still several problems and uncertainty that requires trouble-shooting. As the Olympus AU400 is still not stable, and that it is a very sensitive and complicated machine, I will first learn to use the CELL-DYN 3700.

Today, I did the Daily Maintanence. This includes the daily start-up(priming machine and doing background checks), running the Control samples (3-level: Low, High, Normal), Auto-cleaning(cleaning probe and wash block, auto-clean with enzymatic), Daily Shutdown. I also did the FBC for 2 of the samples.

An account in the LIS is created for me so that I can access and order test and record/retrieve results when necessary. I also learn about filling up Laboratory Request Form(LRF) and procedures(who sign who validate results, which copy of LRF to who, lab report out must have who to sign etc.). I also learnt to change reagent for the CELL-DYN3700.

Driving the buggy around the Club needs experience. Some horses are naughty and easily agitated so overtaking them or sudden movement startle them and may cause them to respone vigourously or even violently. Extra care have to be given and observation of the horses' movement and action allows you to tell if the horse is a naughty one or a tame one.

Hope to hear about some of your experience soon too.

Cheers
Yew Long Jie, Douglas
S8819476
0503224H
TG01