Feedback on final-year medical laboratory students' internship in Haematology and Microbiology, Bamenda

Background Graduates of medical laboratory programs are experts responsible for conducting clinical laboratory procedures. Currently, the training and education in medical laboratory science (MLS) in Cameroon is unstructured, lacking standardized curricula and assessments among different educational institutions. Objective This study aimed to assess the internship experiences of final-year MLS students enrolled in various training institutions in Bamenda. Methods The students were recruited into the study using a non-probability sampling technique. Data collection was conducted over a three-month period, from March to May 2023. A well-structured questionnaire was developed to collect comprehensive data regarding the students' internship experiences. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the non-parametric statistical test (the Mann-Whitney test) and, the unpaired t-test. Result Averagely 50.71% of interns reported that instructions on activities were clear to some extent. The microscope was the most frequently operated instrument in both the microbiology (95.71%) and the hematology (91.43%) sections. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed in 36 out of 50 laboratory techniques (72%), comparing the number of interns who only observed to those who both observed and performed the techniques. Conclusion Hence curricula should be updated to include ongoing clinical skills training, thereby increasing student engagement during final-year internships.