Lecture, conference and lab. Lectures provide background information concerning a target group of tests and associated pathologic conditions. Students obtain information on principles of test methodologies from laboratory procedure manuals and obtain laboratory results and clinical information from hospital charts and hospital information systems on at least six patients with abnormal results for target test groups. In conference sessions, students submit oral reports on the principles of target test methodology and on clinical correlation of the information obtained for each patient.
Students critique presentations by other students.
This course addresses laboratory analytic considerations and the applications to clinical problem solving of data obtained by clinical chemistry laboratory procedures. Introductory lectures on a variety of topics are followed by the retrieval of laboratory data from hospital information systems and the interpretation and presentation of such data. Seventy percent of the course grade is determined on the basis of presentations. Twenty percent is determined by the instructor's rating of the accuracy and thoughtfulness with which students evaluate other students' presentations, and ten percent by the instructor's impression of knowledge and skills, cooperation, leadership and helpfulness. Numerical scores are assigned to each rated item and the total weighted score corresponds to letter grades.