MT POST study plan
MT POST · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Medical Terminology and Basic Sciences
Build a personal glossary of at least 120 medical word roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and write one original example term for each entry
Decode and define 40 unfamiliar clinical terms by breaking them into component parts without using a dictionary
Map the major body systems to their core anatomy and physiology vocabulary, listing at least 8 key terms per system
Explain in writing how directional, positional, and plane terminology is used in specimen and result descriptions
Your checkpoint
A 120+ entry original glossary plus a 40-term decoding worksheet scored at 90% or better on self-check
Medical Terminology and Basic Sciences & Clinical Laboratory Testing and Analysis
Summarize the pathophysiology of at least 10 high-yield conditions (for example diabetes, anemia, renal failure, hepatic disease) and state how each alters laboratory results
Connect basic chemistry and biology concepts (osmosis, pH and buffers, enzyme kinetics, cell metabolism) to specific laboratory measurements
Predict which analytes shift up or down in each condition you summarized and justify each prediction
Write 25 practice items that require linking a basic science concept to an interpretation decision
Your checkpoint
A one-page-per-condition pathophysiology-to-lab-findings reference for 10 conditions, plus 25 self-written linkage items with answer rationales
Laboratory Operations and Specimen Handling
Sequence the full specimen journey from collection order through report release, naming the failure point at each step
Differentiate collection tube types, additive modes of action, order of draw, and fill-volume requirements, and justify each rule
Classify at least 15 preanalytical error scenarios by cause and state the corrective action for each
Describe handling, stability, and rejection criteria for at least 8 specimen categories including blood, urine, stool, CSF, and swabs
Your checkpoint
An original preanalytical error decision table covering 15 scenarios with cause, detection point, and corrective action
Laboratory Operations and Specimen Handling & Clinical Laboratory Testing and Analysis
Walk through the analytical phase: instrument principles, calibration, reagent handling, and result verification for at least 6 common assay types
Calculate and interpret basic laboratory math including dilution, unit conversion, creatinine clearance, and corrected results
Compare analytical methods (for example spectrophotometry, immunoassay, ion-selective electrodes, microscopy) by principle, interference, and best-fit use
Identify the most common analytical interferences and state a mitigation for each
Your checkpoint
A 20-question original calculations and method-selection problem set solved with work shown, achieving 85% or better
Clinical Laboratory Testing and Analysis
Interpret abnormal results across hematology, chemistry, urinalysis, and microbiology panels, writing a differential for each case
Distinguish reference interval changes from clinically significant changes and state when repeat or reflex testing is warranted
Apply critical value logic to 10 result scenarios and draft the notification wording for each
Build a case bank of 15 short clinical vignettes with the most likely interpretation and next step
Your checkpoint
A 15-case interpretation portfolio with differential, next step, and critical value determination for each case
Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance
Design a quality control plan that specifies control material selection, run rules, and out-of-control investigation steps
Calculate and interpret mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and Levey-Jennings rule violations from provided data
Outline a corrective and preventive action process from event detection through effectiveness check
Summarize accreditation and regulatory expectations for proficiency testing, document control, and competency assessment
Your checkpoint
A written QC plan for one assay including run rules, out-of-control flowchart, and a worked statistical example
Safety and Infection Control & Professional Ethics and Communication
Apply standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, and proper personal protective equipment sequencing to 10 exposure scenarios
Classify biological, chemical, and sharps hazards and state the required response for spills, exposures, and needlestick events
Demonstrate ethical decision-making on confidentiality, competency limits, error disclosure, and conflict of interest using 8 short scenarios
Draft clear, plain-language communication for a result inquiry, a specimen rejection, and a critical value notification
Your checkpoint
A two-part portfolio: 10-scenario safety response sheet plus 8-scenario ethics and communication script set
Medical Terminology and Basic Sciences & Laboratory Operations and Specimen Handling & Clinical Laboratory Testing and Analysis & Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance & Safety and Infection Control & Professional Ethics and Communication
Consolidate weak areas by reviewing every missed item from weeks 1 through 7 and re-testing each concept
Complete two full-length timed practice exams under test-day conditions and record domain-level accuracy
Refine a one-page formula and terminology sheet limited to items you actually missed
Rehearse a test-day plan covering pacing, flagged-item strategy, and time allocation per domain weight
Your checkpoint
Two scored practice exams with a domain accuracy report and a final one-page high-yield review sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Score 85% or better on a self-made 50-item quiz drawn from weeks 1 and 2 glossary and pathophysiology notes, with every missed item corrected in writing
Week 4: Complete the 20-question calculations and method-selection set at 85% or better and correctly classify 14 of 15 preanalytical error scenarios
Week 6: Produce a QC plan that correctly applies at least three Westgard-style run rules to a worked data set and identifies the out-of-control action for each violation
Week 8: Average 80% or better across two timed full-length practice exams, with no single domain below 70% and a written remediation note for every domain under 80%