About Our Medical Technologist School in Queensland

As a medical lab scientist, you need a comprehensive knowledge of the key subjects in medical research, a mastery of lab procedures, and the ability to cooperate effectively with teams of technicians, pathologists, scientists, and doctors.

Theoretical studies are the foundation to everything you do in your degree course and in your career as a medical lab scientist. Studying in small classes and under lecturers committed to student success, you'll gain the knowledge you need to succeed. You'll master many important subjects, including microbiology, chemistry, physiology, and haematology.

Microbiology

As a medical scientist, you need a clear understanding of the most basic forms of life on our planet. Your studies at JCU will help you identify these forms of life and their nutritional and environmental requirements, from parasites to fungi and bacteria to viruses. You'll learn about their application to medical discoveries including recombinant DNA technologies and be able to anticipate their behaviours, all while growing your skills in safe laboratory protocols.

As you move beyond the basics, you'll develop confidence in diagnosing microorganisms wherever you find them. You'll be able to isolate and identify microbes and use various media to conduct tests, appreciating the need for safety along the way. You will learn how to use this information in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.

Chemistry

Chemistry is foundational to your career, so your studies will include an emphasis on chemistry as a key discipline. You will learn the basics of bonding, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry as well as how chemistry applies to all other sciences.

As you advance, you'll learn to apply chemical principles in a wider context and master the lab techniques necessary for the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease using techniques to ensure tour and others safety. Understanding chemistry is the underlying basis of drug and biomarker discovery, who knows where the next medical breakthrough will occur? Put yourself in the front seat, with these skills.

Physiology

To effectively diagnose and treat disease in humans and animals, you must understand how bodies function. In biochemistry, you'll learn about the basic energy pathways of living cells and the structure of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids within the body.

Courses in medical physiology will help you better understand the cells and tissues and various bodily systems that work together to produce normal human functioning. Use your theoretical knowledge and practical skills to identify diagnose and treat disease but also be at the forefront of new discoveries for understanding, diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Haematology

Through your studies in haematology, you'll learn about the structure and function of blood cells as well as red cell and white cell pathology and clotting. With practice, you will be able to evaluate the results of studies and blood tests and apply these to pathophysiology to find the correct diagnoses.

As a medical scientist, you'll build on the work of the past. Through reviewing clinical case studies, you will strengthen your skill at interpreting data and making accurate judgments. As you move from case studies to practical clinical sessions, you'll apply these skills to draw data-based conclusions that help the whole team make the right decisions for the best health outcomes.

Experience has no substitute, and you want to graduate with the skills necessary to move quickly into the job market. Throughout your studies at JCU, you'll take part in real-world research and diagnostic laboratories, that matters, spending time in labs and professional placements to apply what you learn in the classroom.

Laboratory Safety

Safety and quality is key to a successful and effective medical lab scientist career, and throughout your theoretical studies, you'll learn and practice safe lab techniques and quality control practices. You'll also learn specifically how to test your equipment and use it safely in various operational modes. You will know why medical testing around the world is highly regulated through International Standards (ISO15189),developed in Australia and now adopted world wide to ensure patient, staff and public safety.

In any situation, you'll have the skills you need to make the safest decision and still reach the correct conclusions.

Professional Practice and Research

Professional practice and research are key skills for anyone working in medical science. Your subjects all include lessons that can be applied in both professional practice and research this will give you practical experience in collecting, analysing, and applying data, particularly in designing a research methodology. As you learn how bias and design can change the validity of your results, you will become skilled at gathering useful information and synthesising it effectively.

Medical laboratory scientists work as part of a team. Within the team, it's important to understand how data may be relevant to the different disciplines that are represented . Your studies will include practice cooperating in a multidiscipline team and finding ways to use data together to address health research issues.

Regional Emphasis

Australia is unlike any other part of the world. One of the advantages of studying at JCU's medical technologist school is the opportunity to focus on the unique intersection of environments and populations in Northern Australia with a strong emphasis on biomedicine in the tropics.

You'll gain a practical understanding of the health care system in Australia and how it is affected by ethnic, socio-economic, and other differences in the population. You'll learn how epidemiological patterns of disease spread among the Australian population and the unique challenges facing rural and remote communities.

Professional Placements

Graduate ready to enter the workforce through the experience you gain in professional clinical placements. In these placements, you'll spend time in the workplace, practising your proficiency in medical lab science, making presentations, and interpreting data.

Through your placements, you'll grow your network of professional connections. Working under leaders in your field and important minds in related disciplines, you'll make connections you'll use throughout your career even as you practice the cooperative communication skills you need to be a successful part of a medical research team.

As a medical laboratory scientist, you'll make a difference in the world through a career that truly matters. A strong foundation is the way to be ready for the jobs of tomorrow, so contact JCU today to find out your next step towards building that foundation and enjoying a fulfilling medical research career.