Evaluation of Two Years of a Medical Student Clinical Laboratory Experience

Abstract

Laboratory results drive 60% to 70% of patient care decisions. Educating medical students in laboratory medicine is largely done by physicians ordering tests with minimal input from laboratory professionals who are responsible for implementing and maintaining them. As a result, we designed and implemented a medical student clinical laboratory experience (MSCLE) for fourth-year medical students in their last month of training. This 1-day experience included laboratory tours, case studies focusing on fundamentals published by The Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists, and student presentations highlighting salient points of the experience. The same 10-question quiz was administered at the beginning and end of MSCLE. In 2011, 84 students completed both quizzes, while in 2012, there were 81 students. In 2011, a score of more than 6 was obtained by 16 students (19%) on the initial quiz, while in 2012, there were 6 (7%) students with the same score. On the final quiz, 34 (40%) students scored more than 6 in 2011, while that score was attained by 18 (22%) students in 2012. A survey showed that the laboratory tours were the highlight of the MSCLE. Although the assessment can only measure a small amount of knowledge obtained by the medical students, it is clear that at the start of residency training, the medical students would have possessed very limited knowledge of laboratory medicine. Immediate improvement assessed by the quiz after a 1-day MSCLE was present but limited. We believe the combination of laboratory tours and cases with questions regarding laboratory principles gives medical students a better understanding of general laboratory services, showcases the requirements and regulatory aspects of laboratory medicine, and encourages consultation with laboratory professionals. Pathologists and clinical scientists should advocate for additional training in laboratory medicine, particularly as more medical decisions are based on laboratory testing and appropriate laboratory utilization.