Goals: To help students understand the operation of a clinical diagnostic laboratory and
thereby promote effective utilization.
Objectives: At the end of the rotation, the student should be able to:
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- Understand the role of laboratory testing and clinical pathologists in optimal patient
care, including the clinical pathologist's roles as a clinical consultant, researcher,
educator, and medical director.
- Properly collect common specimens for chemistry, hematology, transfusion medicine,
and microbiology testing, understanding pre-analytical error.
- Describe the basic methods used for commonly ordered tests and the expected turnaround
times, and understanding analytical error.
- Interpret common laboratory tests and integrate the results into the patient's diagnostic
or treatment paths, understanding post-analytical error.
- Discuss the limitations of commonly ordered tests.
Activities: The student is expected to devote ~30 hours a week to:
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- Participate in section conferences and meetings, as applicable.
- Bench observation with technologists
- Weekly or more frequent meetings and/or sign-out with faculty.
- Chart review and/or interface with clinicians for patients with complex results.
- Independent study.
- In general, the learner will spend on e week in chemistry (under Dr. Singh), transfusion
medicine (under Drs. Shikle and Bollag), microbiology (under Dr. Samra), and hematology/hematopathology
(under Dr. Savage).
Lab Hours: 15 weekly
Small Group: 2 weekly
Seminar Hours: 2 weekly
Other: Independent study 11 weekly
Assessment:
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- Clinical performance evaluation by faculty to assess interpretative and integrative
skills.
- Clinical performance evaluation by technologists to assess understanding of basic
testing requirements and methodology.
- Clinical performance evaluation by pathology residents to assess participation in
group learning activities.
This elective is by arrangement only. Please contact Amanda Walker at 706-721-2923
or amawalker@augusta.edu