EDUCATION IN CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY - THE CANADIAN SCENE

The Canadian Health Care System is operated governmentally at the prov incial level although the costs and benefits are similar in every prov ince. Most physicians are remunerated on the 'charge per service' basi s, but laboratory physicians (including medical biochemists) are among the few who are remunerated by salary. The training of medical bioche mists is regulated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada by means of a residency program of 4 years duration, following graduation from medical school and completion of the required internsh ip. The training of clinical biochemists, whose functions overlap many of those attributable to medical biochemists, is regulated by the rec ently created Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemistry through a cert ification process incorporating written and oral examinations approxim ately 1 year apart. Recognized and accredited training programs for cl inical biochemists exist in several medical schools: these courses are of 2 (occasionally 3) years duration and entry to these programs requ ires a Ph.D, and, preferably, some postgraduate research experience, D etails of both medical and clinical biochemistry training programs rev eal a difference in emphasis and duration rather than in course conten t, with medical trainees required to spend at least 1 of their 4 train ing years in clinical disciplines relevant to the practise of biochemi stry.