PREFIX

PMLS REVIEWER Iso- = same Micro- = small Macro- = large

TERMINOLOGIES
Most medical terms are derived from Greek and Latin
words. Since clinical laboratory personnel are in
constant communication with other health care
personnel, patients, and family members on the daily
basis, they need to be familiar with abbreviations and
meaning of common medical terms.
A medical term has three basic parts– root word, the
prefix, and the suffix.
EXAMPLE:
Colo – Colon Hemat – Blood
Phlebo – Vein Air – Aero
The prefix is found in the beginning of the term and it
shows how meaning is assigned to the word.
EXAMPLE
A-/an – without, absence poly – many
Hyper – meaning increased/above
pre – before
On the other hand, the suffix is found at the terminal
portion or at the end of the term. It also denotes the
meaning to the root word.
Examples:
-megaly – enlargement -emia – blood
-urea – urine -ostomy – to make an
opening or mouth
It is a rule that if the suffix starts with a consonant, a
combining vowel needs to be used (usually the letter ).
The combining vowel does not change the meaning of
the root word and is added in order to make the
pronunciation of the word easier. The combining vowel
is added between the root word and the suffix.
Example:
Hemat + logy - hematology – study of the blood
Phlebo + tomy – the process of cutting into the vein
using a needle
The plural form of medical terms is made by changing
the end of the word and not by simply adding S, which
follows the rule for irregular nouns.
Intra- = inside/within Pseudo- = false Mono- = one
Nano- = billionth Hypo- = decreased
Anaero- = without oxygen Homo- = same, like
Cyro- = cold Neo- = new
ABBREVIATIONS
Commonly encountered abbreviations in health care practice
that MT students should know:
DOH - Department of Health
CHED - Commission on Higher Education
VDRL - Venereal Disease Research Laboratory
AIDS - Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
AIDs - Autoimmune disorders/disease
AMI - Acute Myocardial Infarction
BUN - Blood Urea Nitrogen
2PPBS - 2 hours Postprandial Blood Sugar
AFS - Acid Fast Stain
PCQACL - Philippine Council for Quality Assurance in the
clinical laboratories
FBS - Fasting Blood Sugar
IV - Intravenous
HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus
IU - International Unit
ICU - Intensive Care Unit
K - Potassium
NA – Sodium
NPO - Nothing Per Orem
BAP - Blood Agar plate
The Medical Technologist Licensure Examination is
Conducted in order to identify graduates who possess the
basic qualifications or the minimum conceptual skills and
technical competencies to perform the task with minimum
errors.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is the
government agency, under the Office of the President of the
Philippines, tasked to administer licensure examinations to
different professionals. Meanwhile, the Professional
Regulatory Board (PRB) for Medical Technology/Medical
Laboratory Science, under the PRC, is tasked to prepare and
administer the written licensure examinations for graduates
qualified to take the examination. PRB is composed of a
chairperson, who must be a duly licensed pathologist, and
two members, who should be both registered medical
technologists. All members of the PRB are required to be
holders of PRC licenses. At present, the Medical Technologist
Licensure Examination is given twice a year, on the months of
March and August.
Listed below are some of the provisions included in
Republic Act 5527, “The Medical Technology Act of 1969,” in
relation to the licensure examination:

ROOT WORDS
Cardio = heart Myo = muscle Arterio = artery
Cyto = cell Arthro = joint Heap/Hepato = liver
Pyo = pus Cranio = skull Thrombo = clot
Pyro = fever Nephro = kidney Osteo = bone
1. The courses included in the licensure examination and
their corresponding weights are as follows:
Clinical Chemistry 20%
Microbiology and Parasitology 20%
Hematology 20%
Blood Banking and Immunology and Serology 20%
Clinical Microscopy 10%
Histopathologic Techniques 10%
(MTLaws and bioethics and Laboratory Management – not
written in R.A. 5527, but are now included in the board exam)
2. To pass the exam, an examine must:
• receive a general weighted average of 75%,
• have no rating below 50% in any major courses, and
• pass in at least 60% of the courses computed according to
their relative weights.
3. If an examinee passed the examination and is 21 years old
and above. He or she will be issued a certificate of
registration and a PRC card as a licensed medical
technologist.
If an examinee is younger than 21 years old, he or she will
register as a professional after his or her 21st birthday.
4. If an examinee failed to pass the licensure examination
three times, he or she needs to enroll in a refresher course
before retaking the examination.
5. If an examinee failed to pass the examination but garnered
a general weighted average of 70%-74%, he or she may apply
for certification as a medical laboratory technician.
Curriculum comes from the Latin word currere which means
to run.
According to the Glossary of Educational Reforms, curriculum
refers to the knowledge and skills students are expected to
learn, which include learning standards or learning objectives
they expected to meet;
Curriculum refers to the means and materials with which
students interact for the purpose of achieving identified
educational outcomes.
According to John Dewey, curriculum is the “continuous
reconstruction, moving from the child’s present experience
out into that represented by the organized bodies of truth
that we call studies… the various studies… are themselves
experience-they are that of the race.”
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) was established
on May 18, 1994 through the passage of Republic Act No.
7722, the Higher Education Act of 1992. CHED is the
government agency under the Office of the President of the
Philippines that covers institutions of higher education both
public and private.
Under CHED is the Technical Committee for Medical
Technology Education (TCMTE) which is composed of leading
academicians and practitioners responsible for assisting the
Commission in setting standards among institutions offering
Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology/Medical
Laboratory Science program and in monitoring and
evaluating such institutions.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) was established
on May 18, 1994 through the passage of Republic Act No.
7722, the Higher Education Act of 1992. CHED is the
government agency under the Office of the President of the
Philippines that covers institutions of higher education both
public and private.
Under CHED is the Technical Committee for Medical
Technology Education (TCMTE) which is composed of leading
academicians and practitioners responsible for assisting the
Commission in setting standards among institutions offering
Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology/Medical
Laboratory Science program and in monitoring and
evaluating such institutions.
•4 year program
•consists of general education and professional courses -
students are expected to complete within the first 3 years -
4th year is dedicated to internship training
•in CHED accredited training laboratories affiliated with their
college - CHED issued guidelines for institutions offering
BSMT/BSMLS
•CHED Memorandum Order No. 13 series of 2017 - contains
goals, program outcomes, performance indicators and the
minimum course offerings - compliant with the K-12
curriculum.
General Education (GE) course offerings cut across different
programs. GE courses aim to develop humane individuals
that have a deeper sense of self and acceptance of others.
The general courses included in the new CMO are
1. Understanding the Self
2. Readings in Philippine History
3. The Contemporary World
4. Mathematics in the Modern World
5. Purposive Communication
6. The Life and Works of Rizal
7. Science, Technology, and Society
8. Art Appreciation
9. Ethics
Professional courses are taken for learners to develop the
knowledge, technical competence, professional attitude, and
values necessary to practice and meet demands of the
profession. Some of the professional courses are
1. Principles of Medical Laboratory Science 1: Introduction to
Medical Laboratory Science, Laboratory Safety, and Waste
Management
This course deals with the basic concepts and
principles related to the Medical Technology/Medical
Laboratory Science profession. Its emphasis is on the
curriculum, practice of the profession, clinical laboratories,
continuing professional education, biosafety practices, and
waste management.
2. Principles of Medical Laboratory Science 2: Clinical
Laboratory Assistance and Phlebotomy
Clinical Laboratory Assistance encompasses the
concepts and principles of the different assays performed in
the clinical laboratory. Phlebotomy deals with the basic
concepts, Principles, and application of the standard
procedures in the blood collection, transport, and processing.
3. Community and Public Heath for MT/MLS
This course involves the study of the foundation of
community health that include human ecology, demography,
and epidemiology. It emphasize the promotion of
community, public, and environmental health and the
immersion and interaction of students with people in the
community.
4. Cytogenetics
This course is focused on the study of the concepts
and principles of heredity and inheritance which include
genetic phenomena, sex determination, and genetic defects
rooted in inheritance, among others. It also discusses the
abnormalities and genetic disorders involving the
chromosomes and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). Emphasis is
given to the analysis of nucleic acids and their application to
medical science.
5. Human Histology
This course deals with the study of the fundamentals
of cells, tissues, and organs with emphasis on microscopic
structures, characteristics, differences, and functions.
4. Cytogenetics
This course is focused on the study of the concepts
and principles of heredity and inheritance which include
genetic phenomena, sex determination, and genetic defects
rooted in inheritance, among others. It also discusses the
abnormalities and genetic disorders involving the
chromosomes and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). Emphasis is
given to the analysis of nucleic acids and their application to
medical science.
5. Human Histology
This course deals with the study of the fundamentals
of cells, tissues, and organs with emphasis on microscopic
structures, characteristics, differences, and functions.
7. Clinical Bacteriology
This course deals with the study of the
physiology and morphology of bacteria and their role in
infection and immunity. It’s emphasis is on the
collection of specimen and the isolation and
identification of bacteria.
Some of the procedures and tests that students
perform for the laboratory component of the course in
a school-based laboratory are
 Preparation of culture media
 Collection of specimen
 Preparation of bacterial smear
 Staining of smear
 Inoculation of specimen on culture media
 Characterization of colonies of bacteria growing in
culture media
8. Clinical Parasitology
This course is concerned with the study of
animal parasites in humans and their medical
significance in the country. Its emphasis is on the
pathophysiology, epidemiology, life cycle, prevention
and control, and the identification of ova and/or adult
worms and other forms seen in specimens submitted
for diagnostic purposes.
9. Immunohematology and Blood Bank
This course tackles the concept of inheritance,
characterization, and laboratory identification of red
cells antigens and their corresponding antibodies.
Some of the procedures and tests that studentsperform
for the laboratory component of the course in a school-
based laboratory are
 Compatibility testing
 Transfusion reaction work-up
 Blood donation process
10. Mycology and Virology
This course deals with the study of fungi and
viruses as agents of diseases with emphasis on
epidemiology, laboratory identification and
characterization, and prevention and control.
11. Laboratory Management
This course looks into the concepts of
laboratory management which are planning, organizing,
staffing, directing, and controlling as applied in clinical
laboratory setting.
12. Medical Technology Laws and Bioethics
This course encompasses various laws,
administrative orders, and other approved legal
documents related to the practice of Medical
Technology/Medical Laboratory Science in the
Philippines.
Bioethics looks into the study of ethics as
applied to health and health care delivery and to
human life in general.
13. Hematology 1
This course deals with the study of the concepts
of blood as a tissue. Formation metabolism of cells,
laboratory assays, correlation with pathologic
conditions, special hematology evaluation are given
emphasis.
14. Hematology 2
This course deals with the concepts and
principles of hemostasis, and abnormalities involving
red blood cells (RBC). While white blood cells (WBC),
and platelets. Laboratory identification of blood cell
abnormalities, quantitative measurement of
coagulation factors, and disease correlation are
emphasized.
15. Clinical Microscopy
This course focuses on the study of urine and
other body fluids (excluding blood). It includes the
discussion of their formation, laboratory analyses,
disease processes, and clinical correlation of laboratory
results.
16. Clinical Chemistry 1
This course encompasses the concepts and
principles of physiologically active soluble substances
and waste materials present in body fluids, particularly
in the blood. The study includes formation, laboratory
analyses, reference values and clinical correlation with
pathologic conditions.
17. Clinical Chemistry 2
This course is a continuation of Clinical
Chemistry 1 and deals with the concepts and principles
of physiologically active soluble substances and waste
materials present in body fluids, particularly in the
blood. It also covers the study of endocrine glands and
hormones and their formation, laboratory analyses and
clinical correlation.
Research 2: Research Paper Writing and Presentation
It covers the methodology of the research,
writing the research paper in the format prescribed by
the institution and international research agencies for
possible publication, and presentation of the finished
and completed research in a formal forum.
CLINICAL INTERNSHIP TRAINING
This intensive training aims to apply the theoretical
aspects of the profession into practice. Students are
assigned to CHED-accredited clinical laboratories
affiliated with their academic institution on a 6-month
or one-year rotation. This rotation ensures that all
students experience to work in the different sections of
a clinical laboratory, namely clinical chemistry,
hematology, blood banking, clinical microscopy,
parasitology, microbiology, immunology and serology,
cytology and other emergent technologies.
The intern is required to render 32 hours of duty per
week not exceeding a total of 1,664 hours in one year.
This is broken down per section as follows (based on
CMO 13 s. 2017):
Clinical chemistry 300 hours
Clinical microscopy and Parasitology 200 hours
Microbiology 250 hours
Hematology 300 hours
Blood banking 200 hours
Histopathologic techniques and Cytology 100 hours
Immunology and Serology 220 hours
Laboratory Management 40 hours
Phlebotomy 54 hours
TOTAL 1,664 hours

18. Seminars 1 and 2

This course is taken during the student’s fourth
year in the program together with the internship
training. It deals with current laboratory analyses used
in the practice of medical technology.

19. Molecular Biology and Diagnostics

Molecular Biology deals with the nucleic acid
and protein molecule interaction within the cell to
promote proper growth, cell division, and development.
It covers protein synthesis, and gene regulation.
This course is focused on the concepts,
principles, and application of molecular techniques as
tools in the diagnosis of diseases.

RESEARCH COURSES
Research 1: Introduction to Laboratory Science
Research
It deals with the basic concepts and principles
of research as applied in Medical Technology/Clinical
Laboratory Science.