title: Laboratory Medicine Education at U.S. Medical Schools: A 2014 Status Report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the current state of laboratory medicine education at U.S. medical schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2013 to 2014, the authors surveyed the appropriate dean, department chair, or undergraduate education director at each U.S. medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education about the state of laboratory medicine education, curriculum and competency assessment, and barriers to education at his or her institution. The authors used descriptive statistics to analyze the results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors received 98 (75%) responses. Eighty-two schools (84%) offered course work in laboratory medicine; 76 (78%) required it. The median number of hours of required course work was 12.5, with 8.0 devoted to lectures and 4.5 to small-group, problem-based learning and/or laboratory sessions. Only 8 schools required training in a clinical setting. Fewer than half reported regular, formal review of the laboratory medicine curriculum. The assessment of students' competency in laboratory medicine was rare (8 schools), and only half of respondents were aware of published curriculum guidelines. Barriers to teaching laboratory medicine included lack of sufficient time in the preclinical curriculum (86; 88%) or clinical curriculum (84; 86%), lack of knowledge of best laboratory practices by residents (70; 72%), lack of student interest (62; 63%), and lack of knowledge by attending physicians (58; 59%). Half of respondents were likely to use a national standardized examination to assess competency in laboratory medicine, if one was available.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant opportunities exist to improve laboratory medicine education, including in the proper use and interpretation of clinical laboratory testing.
authors.affiliation: B.R. Smith is professor and chair, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. M. Kamoun is professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. J. Hickner is head, Department of Family Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Malek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamoun
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hickner
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000193:education*; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States