Flow Cytometry Psychomotor Exercise in Medical Laboratory Science Curriculum Facilitates Correct Interpretation of Lymphocyte Subset Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To effectively include flow cytometry psychomotor objectives in medical laboratory science curriculum as recommended in the entry-level curriculum for MLS published by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science. Until fall 2018, our university-based MLS program’s coursework included one to two lectures by the FC operator from the local hospital, tour of their facility, interpretation of cases using histograms, and occasional observations of analyses during clinical practicum. Hands-on performance by 18 to 20 students annually was not possible. We secured an ASCP Foundation Laboratory Science Program Educational Grant for faculty training in flow cytometry and reached out to flow cytometry core facility on the university campus for permission to use the facility with supervision and at a discounted rate. Methods Each group of three to four students spent 120 to 160 minutes at the facility, including instruction by the manager, hands-on contact running the instrument by each student, and observation of other classmates. The activity included whole-blood antibody staining prior entry to the facility and CD3/CD4/CD8 lymphocyte subset analysis using MACSQuant Analyzer 10 (Miltenyi Biotec) to distinguish normal versus abnormal control and to infer the status of an assigned deidentified patient with prior HIV-1 infection (University Biosafety IBC# 18–021). Following the experience, students completed online homework, including multiple-choice and open-ended questions, which required interpretation of images recorded during the exercise. Results Blackboard test item analysis revealed that median percent of students correctly answering each question was 88 (n = 17). Students received individual feedback on each missed question. On the final Immunology exam, 100% of students provided correct interpretation (active infection or infection under control/normal result). Conclusion The results indicated good comprehension of lymphocyte subset analysis concepts. Additional exercise in immunophenotyping is under way in the Hematology class. We believe that inclusion of the flow cytometry psychomotor objectives in the curriculum will improve the students’ preparation for practice.