Hawassa University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences

School of Medical Laboratory Sciences

Date: August 30, 2020

Venue: School Head Office

Time: 2:00 P.M

Members Present:
1. Siraj Hussen -----------------------------------------------------------Chairperson
2. Dr. Mussa Mohammed --------------------------------------------------Member
3. Tariku Lambiyo ---------------------------------------------------------Member & Secretary

Agenda Item: Discussion on the comments on course catalogue

The chairperson welcomed the committee members and introduced the purpose of the meeting.
He briefly introduced the comments collected from experts and different Universities. We
disseminate for Twenty universities and Medical Laboratory professional Association(EMLA) to
get valuable comments. We received from two Universities (Viz. Jimma University, Bahirdar
University and personal contact expert Professor Zeleke Mekonnen from Jimma University and
Professor Baye Gelaw from Gondar University) and discussion were made from each of them
through phone call and email.
1. Comments from Jimma University
• They worried about compromising the practical issues for both practical sessions
and hospital and health center attachments. They were not clear about the time
arrangement of the modules with practical will have hospital laboratory practicum
in a single semester. They made this note, as there was a practical deficiency on
the students when it was introduced for the first time.
• Considering the obligations and restrictions made the following rearrangements
and general comments were made
 i. Starting professional courses that have multiple tests (laboratory sessions)
in early years so that students will have an opportunity to practice at least
during practical attachments i.e. Parasitology, Hematology, Medical
bacteriology, Clinical Chemistry, Urinalysis and body fluid analysis.
• Medical Parasitology and Vector biology (Year 3 Sem 1 to Year 2
Sem 2)
• Health promotion and disease prevention (SPH 3) (Year 3 Sem 1
to Year 2 Sem 2)
• Medical Bacteriology ( Year 3 Sem 2 to Year 3 Sem 1)
• Health service management and policy (SPH 4) ( Year 3 Sem 2 to
Year 3 Sem 1)
• Clinical chemistry and toxin analysis (Year 4 Sem 1 to Year 3 Sem
2)
• Urine and Body analysis (Year 4 Sem 1 to Year 3 Sem 2)
ii. Move professional courses with no or little practical component to latter
years i.e. Immunology and Serology, Molecular biology and Genetics,
Medical virology.
• Medical Virology (Year 3 Sem 2 to Year 4 Sem 1)
• Molecular biology and applied genetics (Year 2 Sem 2 to Year 4
Sem 1)
• Histopathology (Year 3 Sem 1 to Year 3 Sem 2)
• Immunology and Serology (Year 2 Sem 2 to Year 3 Sem 2)
• Community Based Training Program (CBTP) (Year 3 Sem 2 to
Year 4 Sem 1)
iii. Students will be exposed to majority of professional courses at the end of
the third year, so that the fourth year will be dedicated more for
attachments, internship, and research
• Modification was made on laboratory internship to respond to the
prevailing deficiency in practical contact by breaking the
laboratory internship in to two phases (Laboratory internship
during 4th year 1st semester with 6 EtCTS and Laboratory
 internship during 4th year 2nd semester with 10 EtCTS) [ it was 12
EtCTS on MoSHE document]
iv. Courses/modules previously arranged together for similarity are partially
re-distributed
• The courses which were categorized altogether on Year 3 Semester
2 were redistributed to different semesters (i.e. Histopathology -
Year 2 Sem 2, Medical Bacteriology – Year 3 Sem 1, Medical
Mycology – Year 3 Sem 2, and Medical Virology – Year 4 Sem 1)
v. Since in this curriculum the practicum of the original document are
compromised, they have increased the Laboratory internship from 12 to 16
EtCTS, i.e. there will be 6 EtCTS at 4th year 1st semester and 10 EtCTS at
4th year 2nd semester. As a result the total EtCTS will be increased from
275 to 279. Also, semester Et CTS load is partly altered to fit within 39
maximum.
Accordingly, the following course catalogue has been suggested by the School of Medical
Laboratory Sciences, Jimma University.

Year/ Module Name Module Module Module Contact Contact hr. Clinical
Semester Code Type EtCTS Period for theory Practice
(Theory+ and S.
SkillLab) Lab/Wk.
Yr. 1/S1

Yr.1/S2

Yr.2/S1 Determinants of health (SPH 1) SPH-M2172 Supportive 3 3hrs 45'

Health informatics Hinf-M2181 General 5
Chemistry Chem-M2192 Supportive 10 9hrs 50'
Biomedical science Biom-M2202 Supportive 20 13hrs
Total 38
Yr. 2/S2 Basic to Medical Laboratory Science* MeLS-M2213 Core 12 9hrs 2wks
 Medical Parasitology and Vector biology* MeLS-M3253 Core 17 19hrs 30' 3wks
Health promotion and disease prevention (SPH 3) Supportive 3 4hrs 15'
SPH-M3272
Measurement of health and disease (SPH 2) SPH-M2232 Supportive 3 4hrs 15'
Histopathology* MeLS-M23283 Core 3 1wks
Total 38
Yr3./S1 Hematology and Immunohematology* MeLS-M3263 Core 19 3wks
Medical Bacteriology* MeLS-M3293 Core 17 18hrs 15‘ 3wk
Health service management and policy (SPH 4) SPH-M3322 Supportive 3 4hrs 10'
Total EtCTS 39
Yr. 3/S2 Medical Mycology* MeLS-M3313 Core 5 4hrs 50' 1wk
Clinical chemistry and toxin analysis* Core 17 19hrs 35' 3wks
MeLS-M4343
Urine and Body analysis* MeLS-M4353 Core 7 10hrs 30' 1wk
Immunology and Serology* MeLS-M2243 Core 10 10hrs 15' 2 wks
Total EtCTS 39
Yr.4/S1 Community based training program (CBTP) ComH-M3332 Supportive 5
4wks
Medical Virology* MeLS-M3303 Core 5 5hrs 50' 1wk
Molecular biology and applied genetics* Core 8 1wks
MeLS-M2223
Research Methodology (SPH 5) SPH-M4362 Supportive 3 12 hrs
Health Laboratory management and quality Core 6 14hrs
assurance MeLS-M4373 1wk
Student Research proposal MeLS-M4383 Core 2
Advanced and Research MeLS-M4393 Core 3 3wks
laboratory attachment
Laboratory internship MeLS-M4403 Core 6 6wks
Total EtCTS 38
Yr.4/S2 Laboratory internship MeLS-M4403 Core 10 8wks
Student Research project MeLS-M4413 Core 3
Team training program (TTP) ComH-M4422 Supportive 7 8wks
Comprehensive examination MeLS-M4433 Core P/F 2wks
Total EtCTS 20
Total EtCTS 279
*Modules with hospital laboratory practicum

NB: First year common courses will be communicated by MoSHE

2. Comments from Professor Zeleke Mekonnen as External asssesser

Professor Zeleke Mekonnen is a senior staff from Jimma University School of Medical
Laboratory Sciences.

Prof. Zeleke appreciated the effort made by the department of Medical Laboratory Sciences
(Hawassa University) to bring the curriculum to the attention of the expertise and different
Universities after the first draft has been made by FMoH in collaboration with MoSHE.

He had general and specific comments on the course catalogue:

General comments:

• ‘Medical Laboratory Sciences’’ by its nature cannot be best handled through

‘modularization’ rather it would have been best if delivered through semester based to
produce competent and skilled professional that saves life of millions.
• Moreover, from current curriculum, it appears the first year is almost exclusively
occupied by other basic/supportive courses which practically implies student will have
only 3 years to deal with their specific laboratory profession skill exercises).
• Therefore, he suggested students to start appreciating their profession and introduce early
to the lab profession at least ‘’Introduction to laboratory’’ to come in to Year 1 Semester
2 while taking one of the basic course from Year 1 Semester 1 to Year 2 Semester 1!.
• The concept of modularization by targeting few students’ failure at the expense of the
majority and the profession as a whole is an ill-driven concept. As laboratory science is
all about practice now and then, they have to take related courses now and then (e.g.
Parasitology I in one semester and the subsequent Parasitology 2 on the next semester).
This will not change the time allocation but it simply enable the students know how to
handle and integrate different subjects, which is the bases for their future career when
they ought to serve the community in any health institutions/centers after their
graduation.

Specific Comments:

• The former catalog had a total of EtCTS of 281 is reduced to 275 the surplus (6 EtCTS) being
reduced from Chemistry and Histopathology. He reasonably accepted this for the following reasons:
o Although understandable that chemistry is so important and critical subject, the current
credit hours still allocated will suffice to equip and prepare laboratory students for further
different subjects within their profession)
o This will also reduce the burden on the students in their early university life being not
overload with hard sciences.
Course rearrangement made

✓ Basic to Medical Laboratory (Year 2 Semester 2 to Year 1 Semester 2) while taking one of
the basic courses from Year 1 Semester 2 to Year 2 Semester 2. This mainly helpful that
students start early to appreciate their profession and get used basic knowledge about
overall what laboratory sciences is about and encouraged to explore more by themselves.
✓ If the above is not possible, at least, bring Basic to Medical laboratory to Year 2 Semester 1
while taking one of the basic courses from Year 1 Semester 2 to Year 2 Semester 2
o Rearrangement is recommended for Year 3 Semester 1, Year 3 Semester 2 & Year
4 Semester 1 mainly for the major course like Parasitology, Hematology,
Bacteriology and Clinical chemistry. I.e. those courses shall not be confined in one
semester! for instance, parasitology should not be confined to one modular time
rather distributed over different semester (as parasitology I and parasitology II) to
have ample time to exercise the skills, plus difficult to handle all students to
exercise all the lab practice at once (one due to lack of infrastructure, and also
repetitive attachment is mandatory over different semesters/years) to enhance their
competence; to enable students to link and think the previous skill/theories. The
same is true for hematology, clinical chemistry & microbiology e.t.c.

Courses code rearrangement

✓ This can be made at later stage after consulting all stakeholders/departments offering the
different courses (specially the basic course and some of the supportive courses) outside the
core ones.
3. Comments from Bahir Dar University
• Minor comment from Bahirdar University was also
4. Comments from Baye Gelaw from Gondar University

Minor comment given specially about year 1 courses its name and importance.
Final discussion in our School:
• Our school appreciated the comments forwarded by all the different Universities and the
experts. Thorough discussion was made to bring a good course catalogue which can be
applied all over.
• One of the concerns raised was the possibility of touching the first year of the curriculum
to make rearrangements but it was not possible as the courses/modules are to be given all
over the different departments (it is locked up). The possibility of bringing some courses
to the second year and earlier than this is not possible as it is not a semester-based course.
For example, we couldn’t bring Basic to Medical Laboratory Science to 1st year 2nd
semester. Taking such basic course may be good to the students to introduce them about
the department from the very beginning, but taking such big module (12 EtCTS) to 1st
year will affect the other general courses which is given across different departments.
• Based on the previous direction by MoSHE and FMoH, it is not possible to break courses
to parts (such as Medical Parasitology to Medical Parasitology I and II as we used to
practice)
• Concerning rearrangement of different courses which are found in the 3rd year was not
also possible due to the nature of the modular courses and there is no space to shift
modular to semester-based courses.
• The issue of internship which was suggested by Jimma University was valuable and we
have agreed on it with minor modification (EtCTS rearrangement).
o Laboratory internship (Year 4 Semester 1) – 6 EtCTS
o Laboratory internship (Year 4 Semester 2) – 10 EtCTS
• Based on the valuable reason given by Professor Zeleke, we have also agreed on moving
Health Laboratory management and quality assurance (6 EtCTS) from Year 4 Semester 1
to Year 2 Semester 2. This will bring the total EtCTS from 33 to 39 which is within the
predicted EtCTS range.
With this modification on the course catalogue we have produced the following course
breakdown.
 Medical Laboratory Sciences Module Breakdown Final Version (8 Semesters or 4 years)
Year/ Module Name Module Code Module Module Contact Contact hr. Clini
Semester Type EtCTS Period for theory cal
(Theory+ and S. Prac
SkillLab) Lab/Wk. tice
Yr. 1/S1 Critical Thinking -1012 General 3 20 weeks
Economics -1022 General 5
Global Trends -1032 General 3
Communicative English skill 1 -1042 General 5
Geography of Ethiopia -1052 General 5
Math’s for Natural -1062 General 5
General psychology -1072 General 5
Physical Fitness -1082 General P/F 2hrs/week
Total 31
Yr.1/S2 Introduction to Emergency Technologies -1092 General 5 20wks
Anthropology -1102 General 5
Entrepreneurship -1112 General 5
History of Ethiopia and the horn -1122 General 5
Communicative English skill 2 -1132 General 5
Moral and Ethics -1142 General 3
Inclusiveness -1152 General 3
SRH/HIV and life skill BSHL-M1161 General 5
36
Yr.2/S1 Determinants of health (SPH 1) SPH-M2172 Supportive 3 3hrs 45'
Health informatics Hinf-M2181 General 5
Chemistry Chem-M2192 Supportive 10 9hrs 50'
Biomedical science Biom-M2202 Supportive 20 13hrs
Total 38
Yr. 2/S2 Basic to Medical Laboratory Science* MeLS-M2213 Core 12 9hrs 2wks
Molecular biology and applied genetics* MeLS-M2223 Core 8 1wks
Measurement of health and disease (SPH 2) SPH-M2232 Supportive 3 4hrs 15'
Immunology and Serology* MeLS-M2243 Core 10 10hrs 15' 2 wks
Health Laboratory management and quality assurance MeLS-M4373 Core 6 14hrs 1wk
Total 39
Yr3./S1 Medical Parasitology and Vector biology* MeLS-M3253 Core 17 19hrs 30' 3wks
Hematology and Immunohematology* MeLS-M3263 Core 19 3wks
Health promotion and disease prevention (SPH 3) SPH-M3272 Supportive 3 4hrs 15'
Total EtCTS 39
Yr. 3/S2 Histopathology* MeLS-23283 Core 3 1wks
Medical Bacteriology* MeLS-M3293 Core 17 18hrs 15‘ 3wk
Medical Virology* MeLS-M3303 Core 5 5hrs 50' 1wk
Medical Mycology* MeLS-M3313 Core 5 4hrs 50' 1wk
Health service management and policy (SPH 4) SPH-M3322 Supportive 3 4hrs 10'
Community based training program (CBTP) ComH-M3332 Supportive 5 4wks
Total EtCTS 38
Yr.4/S1 Clinical chemistry and toxin analysis* MeLS-M4343 Core 17 19hrs 35' 3wks
Urine and Body analysis* MeLS-M4353 Core 7 10hrs 30' 1wk
Research Methodology (SPH 5) SPH-M4362 Supportive 3 12 hrs
Student Research proposal MeLS-M4383 Core 2
Advanced and Research laboratory attachment MeLS-M4393 Core 3 3wks
 Laboratory internship MeLS-M4403 Core 6 4wks
Total EtCTS 38
Yr.4/S2 Laboratory internship MeLS-M4403 Core 10 8wks
Student Research project MeLS-M4413 Core 3
Team training program (TTP) ComH-M4422 Supportive 7 8wks
Comprehensive examination MeLS-M4433 Core P/F 2wks
Total EtCTS 20
Total EtCTS 279
*Modules with hospital laboratory practicum