Placement in the Curriculum and Prerequisites: 

Year 4, Completion of Core Clerkships

Purpose:

This mandatory two-week course addresses a current curricular gap in laboratory utilization in patient care. In particular, the course will address appropriate and inappropriate use of the laboratory and Pathology consultation in patient care; appropriate laboratory tests to order and interpretation of the results for a given patient scenario; the impact of laboratory utilization on patient care and the health care system as a whole; the basic scientific rationale for various laboratory tests and the clinical and laboratory findings in the patient scenario.

The Laboratory Medicine course is required for all students as part of the Transition Courses block. It is designed as a classroom-based experience to provide case-based practice with feedback in appropriate utilization of the laboratory and Pathology consultation in patient care for students preparing for their intern year of residency.

Competencies:

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Describe appropriate and inappropriate use of the laboratory and Pathology consultation in patient care

• Order appropriate laboratory tests and interpret the results given a patient scenario

• Evaluate the impact of laboratory utilization on patient care and the health care system as a whole

• Explain the basic scientific rationale for various laboratory tests

• Explain the basic scientific rational for clinical and laboratory findings in the patient presented

Instructional Features:

This is a classroom-based course that will utilize team-based learning (TBL) as the primary instructional method.

Major Topics:

• Principles of laboratory medicine

• Diabetes testing

• Molecular testing

• Clinical chemistry – cardiac and renal function testing

• Microbiology – infectious disease testing

• Therapeutic drug monitoring

• Coagulation testing

• Hematology

• Transfusion medicine

• Anatomic pathology – intraoperative consultations

• Anatomic pathology – end of life issues
• Pathologist as consultant
• Laboratory utilization for cost conscious health care delivery

Assessment Methods:

Each of the following items will comprise a portion of the final grade:

• Individual readiness assurance test (IRAT)

• Team readiness assurance test (TRAT)

• Peer evaluation
• Final team presentation
• Final exam (multiple-choice question format)

Students must be present at all sessions, and grades for the course are either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION:

Program Number: CLER 672
Location: UIC
Course Director: Amy Lin, MD
E-Mail: alin@uic.edu
Coordinator: Libra Peray
Email: perayli@uic.edu Phone: 312-996-0206
Duration: 1 Week
Students Accepted: 65 per session; 3 sessions per year
Total Hours/Week: 40

Reporting Instructions:  Students will be emailed in advance of the start date with specific instructions for the first day.