Institutional Training Opportunities for PhD Students in Laboratory Medicine: An Unmet Career Development Need?. (27th February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Colby, Jennifer M; Wheeler, Ferrin C; Petrie, Kimberly A; Gould, Kathleen L; Schmitz, Jonathan E
• Is Part Of: Journal of applied laboratory medicine. Volume 5:Number 2(2020)
• Page Start: 412
• Page End: 416
• Publication Date: 2020-02-27
• Subjects: laboratory medicine -- clinical pathology -- career development -- medical director -- PhD/graduate training -- mentorship; Clinical chemistry -- Periodicals; Diagnosis, Laboratory -- Periodicals; 616.0756
• DOI: 10.1093/jalm/jfz028
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2576-9456

Abstract

Abstract: In the United States, the credentialing of PhD-scientists as medical directors of clinical laboratories is driven by formal postdoctoral training programs. Prior to acceptance in one these accredited fellowships, however, a trainee's exposure to the field can be far less standardized, with significant ramifications for their awareness and competitiveness. In the current article, we describe our recent experiences in developing local, institution-based immersion opportunities for PhD experiences in the subdisciplines of laboratory medicine (clinical microbiology, clinical chemistry, and molecular genetics/genomics). It is our hope that this article—and a corresponding online survey—can prompt reflection and discussion on the status of early career training opportunities in these key clinical areas.