Laboratory Skills Enhancement

Laboratory Skills Enhancement – focused training on particular mycology lab skills

Laboratory Skills Enhancement is an AFWG-sponsored 1-month course to promote high-quality mycology laboratory services throughout Asia. This course will focus on providing trainees with the opportunity to learn new laboratory skills or to refresh and enhance existing techniques to be used in their own laboratory.

The AFWG welcomes submissions from qualified applicants dedicated to improving the standard of medical mycology in their country. Applications from all countries in Asia are accepted, but currently Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam will be given priority. A limited number of individuals will be selected to attend the 1-month refresher course, and their attendance will be supported by the AFWG.

Who is eligible to apply for the course?

The AFWG is looking for applicants who are committed to learn new laboratory skills or to refresh and enhance their existing techniques. The main eligibility criteria are:

• Currently leads or has the potential to lead a laboratory
• Passionate about educating and leading others in mycology skills development
• Recommended for the course by hospital superintendent/director or an AFWG member
• Comfortable with English as a language of communication
• Holds an existing relevant qualification (certificate to be provided with your application)

If you fit these criteria, submit an application form to attend the Laboratory Skills Enhancement.

What commitment does attending the course entail?

For the course’s duration, the selected trainee will temporarily reside in the country assigned to his/her particular course. He or she will undergo onsite training at a working AFWG mycology laboratory. This is a full-time training course and trainees must commit and attend to the designated hours of work of the training laboratory.

What will I learn during the training course?

There is no fixed curriculum for the 1-month Laboratory Skills Enhancement course. The trainee will have the opportunity to indicate which particular area/technique he or she would like to learn or review during the training.

Trainees can select from any of the following areas, or indicate a particular technique or area of expertise not included in the list below:

• Preparing media, reagents and stains required in the laboratory
• Processing of samples, performing standard laboratory procedures, microscopy and interpretation of results
• Identifying medically important common yeasts, dimorphic and mycelial fungi
• Performing serodiagnostic tests and antifungal susceptibility testing
• Performing limited molecular techniques for outbreak investigation
• Interpreting mycology laboratory reports and guiding clinicians in diagnosis and management of fungal diseases
• Maintaining quality control in the laboratory in pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical stages

Registration is now closed.