The Department of Medical Diagnostics of the KNUST Faculty of Allied Health Sciences has organized a one-day clinical instructors’ workshop under the theme; “Improving laboratory supervision and assessment of the students” for highly experienced biomedical laboratory scientists whom the university has appointed to assist with the teaching and practical training relevant to the field of specialty to help achieve set objectives for the medical laboratory science programme. The workshop which came off at the Boadi Medical Enclave on the 20th of February 2024 gathered over 30 clinical instructors from the clinical institutions affiliated to KNUST within the Ashanti Region.
Professor Alexander Yaw Debrah the Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health welcomed the clinical instructors and appreciated their efforts in training students from the faculty and making themselves available for the workshop which will hugely improve the quality of the training students. Buttressing the remarks of the Dean, Dr. Lillian A. Boateng the head of the medical diagnostics department, highlighted that the workshop will reactivate the requirements of the clinical instructors because they are the representatives of the faculty on the practical field/clinical sites.
The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Benedict Sackey, and Dr Ivy Ofori Boadu who made a presentation on the requirements of a clinical instructor which explained the roles and core mandate geared towards improving the quality of training students. Dr Ernest Adankwah, the Faculty of Allied Health Exams Officer presented the assessment of students and how the clinical instructors should go about them. He urged the clinical instructors to implement the use of attendance and sign-in sheets at their various units which will be used to give fair assessment of students in the practical field.
Dr Adankwah also gave an overview of the Medical Laboratory Science Programme, the course structure, and assessment regulations. Dr Ivy Ofori, a faculty member at the Department of Medical Diagnostics, KNUST presented on how clinical instructors can treat students as potential colleagues and improve instructor-student relationships. She admonished the clinical instructors to make interaction with students cordial to make them highly motivated, and focused, on their tasks and have greater overall learning outcomes.
Climaxing the workshop, there was an open forum where feedback from students, clinical instructors and the way forward to improve the relationship between the KNUST Faculty of Allied Health and the clinical training sites can deepened to achieve the common course of training Medical Laboratory Scientists who will make impact in the world.
