Young Scholar Session One

Clinical Biochemistry and Urinology

Lecturers: Cecelia Landin, Ed.D, MT(ASCP)

Lecture topics: Carbohydrate metabolism, Diabetes mellitus, Spectrophotometry

Laboratory exercises: Basis of photometric measurements, Blood glucose determination, Urinalysis

The Young Scholar Program begins by orienting you to the clinical laboratory and the logical approach to medical diagnostics. The three sessions revolve around a single disease case study, exploring how the different disciplines in the laboratory work together to aid in the diagnosis and management of the disease.

In the first session of the Young Scholar Program, students will review carbohydrate (glucose) metabolism and learn about one of the most common diseases in the Western Hemisphere, Diabetes mellitus.

Because the most serious effects of Diabetes do not become evident until after the initial diagnosis, early detection and diligent monitoring of Diabetics is crucial. As part of the laboratory experience, students will learn about the most common component of chemistry analyzers, the spectrophotometer. The afternoon sessions will focus more specifically on the pathophysiology of Diabetes and how specific laboratory tests are used in monitoring affected individuals, including blood glucose measurements and urinalysis. Lecture topics include the etiology, basic biochemical aspects, disease implications and modes of treatment for Diabetes. The essential aspects of the lecture sessions will be integrated with hands-on laboratory exercises to provide the student with an appreciation of the critical role the clinical laboratory plays as part of the health care team.