The Gram stain is a simple yet commonly used laboratory technique that differentially classifies bacteria by the structure of its cell wall into two large groups: Gram positive and negative. This technique is a useful model to teach laboratory medicine, since it is a standard bacteriology method that pre-clinical students will learn and sometimes perform during their clinical rotations. Hence, we designed a randomly controlled study to determine whether hands-on Gram stain experience increases a student’s ability to interpret the results of this procedure. When comparing a cohort of students taking a hands-on laboratory workshop, a typical pre-clinical lecture, or a small focus group discussion, we hypothesized that the group of students who were immersed in a hands-on setting will achieve higher competence after taking an assessment quiz on the Gram stain procedure compared to the other educational methods. This proof of principle study suggests that practical training of laboratory medical techniques assists in the basic understanding of diagnostic testing by pre-clinical students and may facilitate the integration of the cognitive and psychomotor components for their learning.