Program Overview

In this course, you will learn about the pathology of disease – its origin, nature and course – and diagnosis. In your first year, you’ll study interprofessional course units with students from other disciplines. In your second year, you’ll learn the cellular and tissue aspects of pathology and the various disciplines of laboratory medicine.

In your third and fourth years, you’ll focus on three of these disciplines: anatomical pathology, haematology and transfusion science, clinical biochemistry, immunology, medical microbiology.

You’ll also gain extensive practical experience in Curtin’s purpose-built Physical Containment Level 2 Laboratory. Here, you’ll process and analyse clinical samples, identify microbes and report results as done by a professional laboratory.

You’ll further develop your practical skills during a 24-week placement in a diagnostic pathology laboratory.

What you'll learn

• Apply general and discipline specified knowledge to the performance of laboratory medicine
• The application of knowledge critically and ethically in the laboratory medicine setting
• Obtain and critically appraise information from a range of resources applicable to the practice of medical science
• Communicate effectively specialised knowledge relevant to laboratory medicine
• The selection and effective use of appropriate technologies to generate valid data
• Recognition of the need for on-going learning in the Medical Science profession
• An awareness of global differences in disease patterns and diagnostic medicine
• Recognition of cultural difference and its impact on Medical Science
• Recognition of the necessity for probity and ethical behaviour and a professional approach to medical science