One might not think of an exam review book as a valuable classroom resource for a biology or microbiology instructor, but SUCCESS! in Clinical Laboratory Science may have broken the mold.
This is the new, newly formatted, and re-named fourth edition of the popular Question and Answer Review of Medical Technology/Clinical Laboratory Science. The book has always been a valuable resource for students preparing for their national certification exams in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) (previously called “Clinical Laboratory Science” or “Medical Technology”), but the expanded edition has valuable information for a variety of classroom teachers.
In addition to thousands of multiple-choice review questions, the fourth edition contains an outline and summary of material for each content area: Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Hemostasis (coagulation), Immunology and Serology, Immunohematology (“blood bank”), Bacteriology, Mycology, Parasitology, Virology, Molecular Diagnostics, and Urinalysis. In addition, there are smaller, more general information sections such as Laboratory Calculations, Quality Assessment, Safety, Education, Research Principles, Laboratory Management, and Laboratory Information Systems. These content sections are a very good overview of the body of knowledge for a Medical Laboratory Scientist. The content itself would be of use to biology, microbiology or chemistry instructors, but is of particular interest to anyone who is involved in student advising. Because so many biology majors have little idea of a career path, this book would give them a fascinating glance at a career in Medical Laboratory Science (i.e., what they will actually DO if they choose to pursue it as a career).
The answer keys to the review question sections are exceptional. Rather than simply noting the correct answer, there is a paragraph of in-depth explanation for each question – and the answer section pages are plainly marked with a contrasting color on the page edging.
In writing this review, comments were sought from a previous student who recently took the MLS exam given by the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology. Her comments included:
“In reviewing each section, I didn’t see any material that was not covered in our classes. The outlines for each subject provided definitions for some terms, which was helpful. I thought the questions in all sections ran the gamut, from very simple to somewhat complicated, very similar to what I remember from the exam. One very nice feature about this book was that after taking the multiple-choice test, not only were answers provided, but a very helpful “rationale” section that explained the correct and incorrect answers. This was especially nice on the case study questions. On some of those, when I chose the wrong answer, it was because I had interpreted the question in a manner other than the author had apparently intended.
The color photographs and plates were nice. The index in the back was very useful for finding specific subjects. There were only two things I wanted to find and couldn’t, and they were pretty obscure (dysplasia and crossing threshold). Finally, the lab math section was very good, especially because, again, explanations for correct answers were given along with the answers.
If I were a student preparing for the certification exam, I would consider this book a worthy guide. In fact, now that I have passed the test, I still think I should get a copy of this guide just to refresh my memory in areas, and also as a quick reference when questions come up in our labs.”
Input was also gathered from MLS faculty members. Most of the comments were in line with the student’s, but there was some feeling that the questions in Bacteriology and Mycology favored some of the more difficult and unusual organisms over some of the more routine.
Lastly, the book includes an access code to an online version of the exam that is set up similarly to the actual certification exams. This is an especially valuable resource for anxious students!
In summary, SUCCESS! in Clinical Laboratory Science is an excellent resource for MLS students, and a surprisingly strong addition to the library of any biology or microbiology instructor.