There are many obstacles to teaching clinical chemistry and lab medicine (1–3). The large scope and non-standardized educational materials, traditional passive teaching methods and unrefined feedback strategies tend to be educational barriers (1). Fortunately, there has been several dedicated efforts to standardize postgraduate education and develop free online and adaptive learning resources (1,4–6). To support the harmonization of postgraduate education of specialists in laboratory medicine, the European Federation of Laboratory Medicine Task group for Syllabus course (TG-ESC) developed a Syllabus consisting of more than 40 modules and over 300 lectures on various topics in lab medicine (6). In addition, the use of expert curated, free educational materials through sites like pathelective.com and Twitter have led to a growth of global participation and awareness of lab medicine and pathology (5,7). Lastly, the creation of the Learning Lab through the partnership of New England Journal of Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Area9 has provided the most advanced adaptive learning resource in lab medicine that is freely available for educators and trainees (1,4) with >110 courses already available.
Educators must commit to learning effective teaching strategies to prepare our learners for career success (1). By doing so we can ultimately build foundational and higher-order thinking skills in a broad, complex and sometimes less emphasized subject matter within medicine. In this live IFCC webinar, we will address current challenges in teaching clinical chemistry and lab medicine, especially with the rise of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic (8,9). Additionally, we will present successful pedagogic frameworks used to teach clinical chemistry and lab medicine with emphasis on learner-centered engagement and feedback, structured curriculum, clear learning goals and, most importantly, committed teachers (1,10).
Learning Objectives:
After this session, participants will be able to:
References:
1. Wiencek JR, Chambliss AB, Bertholf RL, Cotten SW, Ellervik C, Kreuter JD, et al. A Paradigm Shift: Engagement of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Trainees by Innovative Teaching Methods. Clinical Chemistry. 2022;68:619–26.
2. Horowitz RE, Bean SM. Pathology’s Stepchild. Arch Pathol Lab Med. Allen Press; 2017;141:186–9.
3. Haidari M, Yared M, Olano JP, Alexander CB, Powell SZ. Attitudes and Beliefs of Pathology Residents Regarding the Subspecialty of Clinical Chemistry: Results of a Survey. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2017;141:203–8.
4. Rifai N, Rose T, McMahon GT, Saxberg B, Christensen UJ. Learning in the 21st Century: Concepts and Tools. Clinical Chemistry. 2018;64:1423–9.
5. Lilley CM, Arnold CA, Arnold M, Booth AL, Gardner JM, Jiang XS, et al. The Implementation and Effectiveness of PathElective.com. Acad Pathol. 2021;8:23742895211006828.
6. EFLM Academy Site | Syllabus Course [Internet]. [cited 2022 Dec 16]. Available from: https://www.eflm-elearning.eu/site/syllabus-course
7. Mukhopadhyay S, Kanakis C, Golab K, Hermelin D, Crane GM, Mirza KM. The Network That Never Sleeps. Lab Med. 2021;52:e83–103.
8. Mok G, Schouela N, Thurgur L, Ho M, Hall AK, Caudle J, et al. Resident learning during a pandemic: Recommendations for training programs. CJEM. :1–5.
9. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. This is how [Internet]. World Economic Forum. [cited 2022 Dec 16]. Available from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/
10. Singh G, Bollag RJ, Savage NM. Engaging Pathology Residents in Clinical Chemistry: The Essential Ingredient Is a Committed Teacher. J Appl Lab Med. 2021;6:522–31.
