Clinical Laboratory
Duration: One month
Rotation Director(s): Fred Lucas, MD
Description of Rotation
The UH clinical laboratory rotation provides an opportunity to observe the practice of laboratory medicine at an academic medical center. It provides exposure to all laboratory medicine disciplines. During the rotation, the resident has opportunities to observe and interpret laboratory analyses that require a pathologist’s interpretive skills. The rotation also provides formal, graduated responsibility. Depending on performance and interest, a resident may serve as an assistant to the director, handling procedural and personnel issues, CAP surveys and budgetary concerns.
Rotation Objective
- Develop working familiarity with a multi-parameter (hematology, chemistry, coagulation etc.) Approach to diagnosis, and observe the role of the clinical pathologist in the operation of the clinical laboratory.
- Develop basic PBS, BF, ABG, urine sediment microscopy, chemistry profile interpretative skills.
- Identify the clinico-pathologic correlates of some of the more common disorders encountered in the clinical laboratory.
- Analyze and discuss laboratory data pertinent to specific patients and diseases, the use of various screening procedures and special procedures and their interpretation.
- Understand the role of quality control, quality assurance and procedure validation in laboratory operations.
- Evaluate cost effectively the operations of the clinical laboratory.
- Develop a working familiarity with issues pertinent to point-of-care testing.
- Learn to cooperate with caregivers and laboratory personnel using/operating in the clinical laboratory.
Overall Responsibilities
The resident will:
- successfully complete CAP inspector certification
- develop and complete at least one project/study relevant to lab operations
- review and interpret clinical QC and QA
- monitor laboratory utilization on behalf of select patients
- evaluate technical procedures
- formulate/write articles for publication in Lab Medicine Updates
- attend all departmental conferences, seminars and lectures
- read relevant clinical and lab medicine literature
- review PBS and BF samples ahead of the attending pathologist
Daily Responsibilities
The workday begins promptly at 9:15 a.m. (following the “protected” first hour resident didactic session) and ends no earlier than 5 p.m. The resident is expected to remain within the confines of the laboratory as much as possible during the workday (space will be provided) and, in any case, be accessible throughout the day to the Medical Director and the Laboratory Director.