Every year, a select group of medical laboratory science and technology students walk through the doors of the Uganda SRL/NTRL and walk out fundamentally changed.

What happens in between is not just an internship. It is an immersion into one of East Africa’s most respected diagnostic institutions, guided by some of the most experienced TB laboratory professionals on the continent.

Hands-On from Day One

From the very first day, interns at Uganda SRL/NTRL are placed at the bench – not watching, but doing. Under close supervision from NTRL’s proffesionals, students get direct hands-on experience in techniques that define modern TB diagnostics:

• Sputum smear preparation and Ziehl-Neelsen staining for TB microscopy
• GeneXpert MTB/RIF cartridge-based molecular testing
• Liquid and solid culture techniques using MGIT and Löwenstein-Jensen media
• Drug susceptibility testing (DST) for first and second-line TB drugs
• External quality assessment panel preparation and evaluation
• Laboratory quality management systems and documentation
• etc

These are not simulations. These are real diagnostic procedures on real patient samples carried out under the watchful eye of experienced mentors who have spent decades in TB laboratory science.

Learning from the Best

What sets the NTRL internship apart is the calibre of the people teaching. NTRL’s trainers are not only practitioners, they are IACET-accredited educators who have trained laboratory professionals from over 30+ countries across Africa. Interns benefit from one-on-one mentorship, structured competency assessments, and daily feedback sessions that accelerate learning in ways a classroom never could.

The knowledge transfer goes both ways. Trainers bring decades of experience. Interns bring fresh eyes, energy, and the latest academic grounding. Together, they create a learning environment that is dynamic, rigorous, and deeply rewarding.

Knowledge That Stays

By the end of their placement, NTRL interns leave with more than a certificate. They leave with:

• Demonstrable competency in TB diagnostic techniques
• A deep understanding of laboratory quality systems and ISO standards
• Exposure to a WHO-designated Supranational Reference Laboratory environment
• Professional networks that extend across the East African laboratory community
• Confidence – the kind that only comes from doing real work in a real laboratory

Many former NTRL interns now hold key positions in national TB programmes, district health laboratories, and international health organisations across Uganda and the region. The foundation they built at NTRL has followed them throughout their careers.

A Message to Future Interns

If you are a medical laboratory science student looking for a placement that will define your career — NTRL is that place. The equipment is world-class. The trainers are exceptional. And the work you do here genuinely matters for Uganda’s fight against tuberculosis.

Applications for the next internship cohort are open. Contact us at training@ntrl.or.ug / info@ntrl.or.ug or call our toll-free line 0800-100-066 to find out how to apply.