LABORATORY MEDICINE EDUCATION IN UNITED-STATES MEDICAL-SCHOOLS

The Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists conducted a survey of US medical schools to examine the current status of labor atory medicine education, estimate the amount of teaching time availab le in the curriculum, and identify the most effective teaching practic es. Questionnaires were sent to department heads and course directors at 126 US medical schools. Replies were received from 120 schools (95% ), 83 of which offered a total of 132 courses in laboratory medicine. Only 68 schools (57%) had required courses. Most of the elective cours es (35 of 50; 70%) were in general clinical pathology. Lectures remain ed the most common teaching format, with or without laboratory session s and workshops. Computer-assisted instruction was used in only 10 sch ools. Laboratory medicine courses were offered in all 4 years of medic al school, with the majority (70 of 132; 53%) in the second year, ofte n integrated with general pathology. Opinion was divided over the rela tive importance of laboratory medicine instruction in the preclinical versus clinical years.