Industrial Practical Training

For those who dont know, I am taking Diploma in Microbiology course, and this is my very final semester. For my final semester, I was required to attend a 3 months period of industrial training at any institution related to my course. Since my house is situated in Seri Kembangan, Serdang, I chose Serdang Hospital as my attachment place from 9th July 2008, to 30th September 2008. I was posted to Department of Pathology. After a short brief and some introduction to the department from Tn Haji Hamzah , who incharge the administration of the department, I finally started my 1st day of practical training.

Week 1 (Day 1 and 2)

I was sent to Counter Receiving Area (CRA) for 2 days. This section is as an introduction of how samples are received and registered. Samples can be sent anytime, and they will register the specimen's barcode and group them under their related sections ( hematology, cytology, biochemisty, microbilology..etc etc). I was monitored by En Hisyam who is the Medical Lab Technologist (MLT) who conduct the section. He is very friendly. He gave me a brief explanation about wad the section is mainly.

On that 1st day, I met Usha, who is a practical student like me had been there for around 2 months. She brought me to see around the lab, as well as introduced me to some staff and other student. I can say she is my 1st friend when I was in Serdang Hospital. At the same day, I make friends with Aisha, another student from UMS. She is very very friendly and talks a lot..haha. There is some other student at that time but I didn noe much about them.

Week 1 (day 3-5)

I was transfered to Urine and Blood Gas Section conducted by MLT En Hadi. This section is mainly for urine analysis and blood gas analysis and depends a lot on instrument for analysis. Other than that, UPT (Urine Pregnancy Test) and reducing sugar test also are covered in this section. I was told by other staff, usually they didnt sent a microbiologist student to this section. But since I was told to do so by the Chief of Department..then nvm la. Can learn more new things also wad.. However, it was quite boring as all the things are done by machines.


Week 2

Finaly, I was transfered to the actual lab which is mainly related to my course, Microbiology Lab. I can imagine how I seems very blur and looks like a dumb when I first time enter the lab, waiting for anybody to give me a short brief. Too nervous with the working environment maybe..haha The lab consist of some section. After a short brief from MLT Kalsom (Kak Som), I was assigned to HVS (High Vaginal Swab) Section which is conducted by MLT Cik Nordiana (Kak Diana). I was a bit awkward at first, some more Kak Diana seems to be a strict person during the 1st day. But she became more friendlier after that. She is very nice and never hesitated to teach me. She taught me a lot about the basic things I should know when working in this lab. I started to learn how to culture those specimen sent to the lab and how the diagnosis are performed. After several demo from Kak Diana, I started to cultured those specimens by myself, but of course with the instructor monitoring. It was fun till I can feel time start to flew very fast as there is much things to do there.


Week 3

I was shifted to Wound and Pus Section. Here, I was instructed by MLT Cik Nurazilah (Kak Azie). She is a nice person too, and loves to jokes with other staff. This section is among the busiest section in the lab, and I started to felt it too, as the samples keep coming and sometimes there is a lot of them because other than wound and pus sample, we also culture samples from tissue, eye, ear..etc. But I dun mind being given a loads of work. Why? Because I will feel the time running so fast and without I realized, its already 5PM!! End of office hour and Im off to home..yeah~

Wthin the week, there were 3 new students, Elliya, Prem and Poovan, being attached to the department, but they are different course with me. I started to befriend with Elliya, an incapable student with kidney disease. She became incapable to walk since an accident happened to her few years ago. She using skrechers to move around or wheelchair if she wan to go to far places in the hospital. As a person with kidney problem, she is required to undergo dialysis around 3 times per week. Kinda impressed by her courage and willing to finish her study even with her bad condition. She told me that she will undergo kidney transplant and the donor is her own father. Her leg also will be operated as well. I wish her all the best and hope she will once again live like a normal person.


Week 4 and 5

A multiple section at one go. Blood section and Stool & Body fluid section. Both section are conducted by MLT Mr Muruges. He need to handled both section to replace a staff who off for Maternity Leave. Another interesting section, with "interesting" samples, especially stool. Haha.. Well..it was not that bad, because all stool samples are handled in safety cupboard =x. And I noticed Mr Muru likely will culture the stool samples and let me handle other samples instead =p. At this period, I started to able to finish all the work faster than before and gets Mr Muru compliment..hehe. But it doesn't mean I started to mastered what I've learned. There is a plenty more things I need to know and learn. More things we learned, more things we don't know >.<. Ah..there is one incident happened within the week. I was having my lunch with Usha at the pantry. Suddenly there is this woman came in, and I smiled to her. She ate with us at the same table. (Well..there is only 1 table there..). Three of us were eating quietly..till all of sudden, she asked me who am I. I answered politely, Im a student here. Then she suddenly said with a serious tone voice whether if I am a "sombong" person, and said that I dunno how to acknowledged people. I was like, "huh?" (whats wrong with her?=.=''). After that I just quiet all the way, and before I went out from the pantry, I greeted her..haha. After that I was told by Usha (which is also surprised with the woman's action) that she is actually one of people with high position in the hospital/department with a "title". Oh..well..even you got position, I dont think you should anyhow accused people sombong or whatever. Or maybe because oh my natural-sombong-like face? or because I didnt greet her well when she enter the pantry and maybe for her a smile isnt enough. Haha..nvm, maybe it was my fault either -.-''

Within the week also, 4 new students from Masterskills are attached to the lab..and that means, more new friends; Umi, Wani, Sara and Fazly, all from Penang. They are quite friendly especially Umi and Wani who always make "noise" in the lab using their Penang dialect, haha~.


Week 6

First time work with sputum samples, i actually felt like throwing out escpecially with their "thick texture and rich color". This is a section mainly for respiration tract infection. Conducted by MLT Cik Nurmaliza (Kak Maliz), there is actually not much new things I learned during the week. Kak Maliz is a new staff, so she didnt taught me that much, as she also still in learning process. But it doesn't affect me too much as the procedure is actually not much differ than previous sections.


Week 7

Cerebro Spinal Fluid (CSF) Section, among the section with less work. The ammount of CSF sample I've done can be count by my 10 fingers. Apart from CSF, this section also actually assigned for some of lab materials or organism QC. This section is conducted by MLT Pn Norizaz (Kak Izaz). She is among the staff with most experience in the Microbiology lab, and she is among people who responsible in my evaluation. I can say she is a strict person but if we know her more, she is actually a very nice and caring woman. I remember when I did a mistake when I was supervised under her, and she did sound me about my mistake, which eventually make me cried..haha. But then she said to me softly she only scold people who she care about T.T. During the week, she taught me about all important procedure for ALL section. How nice of her^^. She is among the staff I were closed to. She is so nice, she even got treat me a drink everytime I went luch with her ^^.


Week 8

Last section before I being transfered to Serology Lab. This section is mainly for culturing sample of urine, as well as diagnosis for blood film for malaria parasite. Because of many sample of urine received everyday, I became used for the smell of urine (and believe me there are many "type" of them). Some of them are came with coffee aroma lol. During the week, I was monitored by MLT Pn Nik Farizan (Kak Nik). I learned a lot of new things, especially in diagnosis of Malaria parasite, which is quite interesting for me.


Week 9 & 10

Transfered to Serology lab, which cover 3 sections; Immunology, Virology and Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) stain. 3 MLT- Kak Som, Kak Nik and someone I dun like to mention her name here, enaugh with "M". The most mental suffering weeks for me and I was not that happy in this lab mainly because of M. M, who assume student knows everything about the things conducted in the lab, and refused to teach ANYTHING if we cant answer her question, and I can say I am one of the victim lols. When I said I only learned basic things for Immunology and not too detailes about all those hospital diagnosis stuff, she answered me back with sinical words, and she said for what to teach me if I dunno the theory. Pls la.. I only take a Diploma Microbiology, and those Microbiology subject I learned is more to general Microbiology. And I know all those basic concept of course, not too detail about those diagnosis test, but at least I can understand what those test is all about. Anyway, Im not the only students being treated like that, there are more of them, till one of us make a complaint to the boss. It was really a stressfull week for me Haha.. I remember how silly I am, when I started to cry alone due to the stress and sms someone to comfort me back ><. But never mind, a pass is still a pass, and I'll take it as one of usefull experience at the work place. The week also is a final week for the Masterskills student. A bit sad since after they gone, once again I became the only student in the Microbiology lab..=( Week 11

Actually during this time, I already finished rotate to all sections assigns for my attachement. So during the left over weeks, I decided to stay under Kak Izaz to learn more from her. Somemore it was her last week before she off for Raya holiday, so I must use the time with her wisely. At the same week, I was going to do a presentation to the Science officer for any random topic related to the things I learned during the practical, and this is a part of the evaluation marks. The presentation can be done in English or Malay but since all the subject in UiTM are taught in English, I decided to present in English. I chose the make a presentation about Malaria parasite as suggested by Kak Izaz, as many other interesting topic had already been taken by the other students. And thanks for her guidance, I think I've done a good job for the presentation.
During the last 2 days of the week, Kak Izaz gave me a birthday present!!. I was so happy and a bit surprised actually, haha.. She gave me a cute Pooh mug, and a flowery cloth (baju kurung cloth). The next day, I gave her a small gift to say thanks for all the things she had teach me.


Week 12 (Final week)

Since Kak Izaz already went for Raya Holiday, I decided to stay with Kak Diana, which is another staff who I closed to. Besides helping her doing her work in the lab, I was helping the other staff too. I can say during the whole week, most of the samples received are being cultured by me..=p. The staffs are no longer keep monitoring on me. I think because they started to feel confident with my work, hehe. During the last week also, I asked Kak Diana to teach me about the tests conducted in Immunology section as the actual staff not that willing to teach me. I would like to say thanks to Kak Diana, becuase you are my saver for my Immunology report. Finally I say farewell to the hospital on 26th September.



My special thanks goes to Kak Izaz and Kak Diana for being among the person who teach me the most. Also thanks to Pn Norlin, Kak Azi, Mr Muru, Kak Nik, Kak Maliz, Kak Som, Kak Aini, Kak Fairuz, Abg Hadi and Abg Hisyam who involved in guiding me during the attachment. And never forget, Kak Halida. U never involve in teach me anything as u in different lab but still u are nice to me, even help me to buy things during ur visit to Sabah..haha. And finally I would like to say thanks to all staff who treated me very nicely during my 3 month of practical training. It is like dealing in real job experience which I will never forget.

And thank you for anybody who read this long post about my practical training. I wonder if anyone did..haha