By Adam Berls

college of new caledonia

New dry lab at CNC provides more space for students

Aug 31, 2023 | 2:34 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — The College of New Caledonia (CNC) has created a new dry lab at its Prince George campus to provide more space for students in the growing medical laboratory technology sciences program.

A dry lab is a space where students can carry on program activities that don’t require some of the stringent biohazard conditions that they have in their main laboratory.

Medical laboratory technologists are key members of health care teams. They work closely with patients to retrieve blood and other samples needed for testing, and complete lab tests that inform treatment decisions for patients. However, medical laboratory techs do more than just taking blood samples.

“We are intricately involved in everything that happens in health care … our students are learning about blood and hematology. They’re learning about bacteria and infectious diseases in microbiology. They’re learning about all kinds of chemical tests in biochemistry. They’re cutting tissues and processing tissues from surgeries in histology, and they’re cross matching blood so that when a patient comes in and requires a blood transfusion, that the blood that they are getting is compatible for them. So there’s a lot involved in this program.

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Sheldon Bailey, Associate Dean of Health Sciences, says that this program trains students for the real world, and the new dry lab will be crucial in providing that experience. The program also takes a multidisciplinary approach, allowing students to be well rounded in a variety of disciplines. Funding from the Ministry of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills paid for the dry lab renovation.

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Twitter: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com