Laboratory Medicine/Clinical Pathology
PA 511M.1
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
This clerkship is a month long elective designed to expose medical students to the discipline of laboratory medicine. Regardless of intended specialty, a deeper understanding of laboratory testing will provide a very useful foundation for future patient care. Medical students will spend time in each of the four major clinical laboratories (blood bank, microbiology, chemistry, and hematology). Through discussion with the course directors prior to the start of the rotation, a schedule will be tailored to the medical student's interests and aspirations.
Students, along with technologists, residents, fellows and attendings, will become part of clinical pathology team in each laboratory. They will spend time at the bench observing and/or performing testing (e.g., bacterial culture, antibody identification in the blood bank) and participate in daily laboratory rounds where clinical, methodology, management, and quality assurance issues are discussed. They will also participate in the laboratory specific didactic/tutorial sessions and be given directed readings to help build an adequate knowledge base. In addition, students will attend laboratory specific interdisciplinary conferences where they may present select material (e.g., microbiology plate rounds to the infectious disease fellows and attendings).
Students will be expected to give at least one presentation at our weekly laboratory medicine case conference during the third or fourth week of their rotation. The presentation will be approximately 15 minutes in length and focus on a case that occurred during the rotation with a discussion on management and pertinent laboratory medicine issues. The relevant attending will advise the student on choice of topic and presentation.
Note: Drs. Kerry L. O'Brien and Richard L. Haspel are co-directors for the course.
Not Available for Cross Registration
Open to Domestic Visiting Students
