MEDICAL BIO CHEM
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DEFINITION:Medical
Biochemistry is that branch of medicine concerned with the study and
measurement of biochemical abnormalities in human disease. The medical
biochemist is trained in the operation and management of hospital
biochemistry laboratories, and acts as a consultant in all aspects of
their use. As an academic specialist, the medical biochemist develops
and integrates a basic research program with clinical practice in a
field of biochemical interest, and maintains an active role as a teacher
of clinically applied biochemistry. GENERAL
OBJECTIVES:In all specialties of medicine, but especially
in those that are technology driven such as medical biochemistry, it is
not sufficient to have a broad awareness of the field at the time of
completion of formal training. Major changes during the ensuing years of
practice are inevitable and the residency period is the time to acquire
skills for life-long learning. Role learning, although effective for a
resident to reach baseline knowledge, must be supplemented by skills in
self-directed learning. The techniques of problem solving, formulation
of hypotheses, directed information searching, and critical appraisal of
data are essential for maintaining currency and are indispensable for
the pursuit of original investigation. Residents must
demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes relating to gender,
culture and ethnicity pertinent to Medical Biochemistry. In addition,
all residents must demonstrate an ability to incorporate gender,
cultural and ethnic perspectives in research methodology, data
presentation and analysis.
SPECIFIC
OBJECTIVES:On completion of the educational program, the
graduate physician will be competent to function as a consultant in
Medical Biochemistry. The resident will have acquired the following
competencies and will function effectively as: Medical
Expert/Clinical Decision-Maker General
Requirements
Specific
Requirements Pathophysiology Acquire
a thorough knowledge of normal and abnormal biochemistry and physiology
and to apply this knowledge to the understanding of human disease. This
objective includes an understanding of nutritional principles, genetics,
and pharmacokinetics. Consultation Integrate
history and physical findings with the laboratory investigation and plan
further investigations to aid in differential diagnosis and management,
and to incorporate these into a formal written medical biochemistry
consultation report. Interpretation of Results Understand
the principles and limitations of biochemical analyses and apply these
concepts to the interpretation of test results. The resident must
demonstrate a thorough knowledge of statistics, methods of estimating
reference values, concepts or normality and drug and other interferences
with test results. Analytical Methods Knowledge
of general and special technical analyses currently used in clinical
biochemistry laboratories to be able to supervise their performance.
This will include knowledge of their principles and an understanding of
the limitations of the procedures. Instrumentation Understand
the operating principles of manual and automated analytical instruments,
to establish the precision, accuracy, and linearity of response of
instruments and to understand the limitations of their use and their
maintenance requirements. Communicator
Collaborator
Manager
General
Requirements
Specific
Requirements Quality Control Understand
the principles of quality control, and be able to develop an effective
quality control program, to interpret quality control data and to
recommend appropriate corrective action. Management of a Laboratory Understand
the administrative, legal, and physical requirements for the operation
of a hospital biochemistry laboratory; understand the functional
organization of a hospital biochemistry laboratory and be able to
establish protocols for specimen collection, result reporting, quality
assurance and laboratory safety. This will include an understanding of
laboratory information systems. Health Advocate
Scholar
General
Requirements
Specific
Requirements Research
Teaching Professional General
Requirements
CONTENT
AND ORGANIZATION OF THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM:
There must be an organized
program of rotations and other educational experiences, both mandatory
and elective, designed to provide each resident with the opportunity to
fulfill the educational requirements and achieve competence in the
specialty. The content and organization of each accredited program in
medical biochemistry must be consistent with the specialty training
requirements. Residents must be
provided with individual professional responsibility, under appropriate
supervision, according to their level of training, ability and
experience in the interpretive and technical skills that relate to the
specialty, as well as in the provision of consultations to clinical
colleagues, and the management of a biochemistry laboratory. RESOURCES:There
must be sufficient resources including teaching faculty, the number and
variety of patients, physical and technical resources, as well as the
supporting facilities and services necessary to provide the opportunity
for all residents in the program to achieve the educational objectives
and receive full training as defined by the specialty training
requirements in medical biochemistry.
In those cases
where a university has sufficient resources to provide most of the
training in medical biochemistry but lacks one or more essential
elements, the program may still be accredited provided that formal
arrangements have been made to send residents to another accredited
residency program for periods of appropriate prescribed training.
There
must be a sufficient number of qualified teaching staff to supervise
residents at all levels and in all aspects of the specialty, and provide
teaching in the basic and clinical sciences related to the specialty.
The teaching staff should have an appropriate nucleus of full-time
teachers.
Laboratory
training must be based on adequate resources to ensure full training in
all areas of medical biochemistry. The description of the program should
specify how the responsibility for each of the components of the program
is shared by the participating institutions. The resources of the
program, including volume and variety of specimens; laboratory space and
equipment; and medical, non-medical professional, and technical staff,
must be deemed satisfactory by the Specialty Committee of the Royal
College in relation to each of the following components:
In
addition, the resident must develop the ability to give sound advice to
clinical colleagues on the selection and interpretation of appropriate
biochemical tests, provide competent formal written consultation when
requested, and undertake the education of physicians and other members
of the hospital staff in all matters pertaining to medical biochemistry.
There
must be appropriate liaison with teaching services in general surgery
and in obstetrics and gynecology. In fulfillment of the training
requirements, there must be definite mechanisms within the faculty to
ensure that training provided in internal medicine or pediatrics, meets
the needs of residents in medical biochemistry. During the whole period
of training, residents should be in regular contact with their clinical
colleagues, whom they should assist in the selection and interpretation
of tests for the diagnosis and management of patients. ACADEMIC
AND SCHOLARLY ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM
The academic and scholarly
aspects of the program must be commensurate with the concept of a
university postgraduate education. The quality of scholarship in the
program will in part, be demonstrated by a spirit of enquiry during
clinical discussions, rounds, and conferences. Scholarship implies an
in-depth understanding of basic mechanisms of normal and abnormal states
and the application of current knowledge to practice.
Organized
scholarly activities such as journal clubs, research conferences and
seminars must be a regular part of the program.
The
program must include organized teaching in the basic sciences and
laboratory aspects of medical biochemistry and the advanced scientific
and clinical knowledge essential to the practice of the specialty. The
program may include lectures and seminars, which may be
interdisciplinary in nature, teaching rounds, special conferences,
technical demonstrations, and journal clubs. The program should include
teaching aids such as reading lists and audiovisual materials. Continuation
of basic science training during the early years of the program, with
completion of requirements for a Master of Sciences or Doctorate in
Biochemistry, is encouraged.
The
academic program must provide opportunities for residents to gain an
understanding of the basic principles of biomedical ethics as it relates
to medical biochemistry.
There
must be opportunities for residents to learn effective communication
skills for interacting with patients and their families, colleagues,
allied health professionals, and students. Clearly defined educational
objectives for teaching these skills and mechanisms of formal assessment
should be in place.
Residents
must be given opportunities to develop effective teaching skills by
teaching junior colleagues and students, as well as through conference
presentations, clinical and scientific reports, and patient education.
The
program must provide residents with opportunities to gain an
understanding of the principles and practice of quality
assurance/improvement. Opportunities should be provided for residents to
participate actively in such programs in their hospital departments.
The
academic program must provide the opportunity for residents to learn
biostatistics and the critical appraisal of research methodology and
medical literature. The program should have the capacity to provide a
year of supervised research acceptable to the program director in an
approved hospital laboratory or university department.
A
satisfactory level of research and scholarly activity must be maintained
among the faculty identified with the program.
The
program should provide opportunities for residents to attend conferences
outside their own university. SPECIALTY REQUIREMENTS: Approved residency training period includes:
1. Basic clinical training including rotations in medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and surgery. 2. Training in medical biochemistry preferably
spent in one university centre. |
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PROGRAMS (WITH TRAINING REQUIREMENTS): Master
of Philosophy(M.Phil Medical Biochemistry):
Thirty
six months of approved training. Doctor
of Philosophy(Ph.D Medical Biochemistry):
Forty
eight months(four years)of approved training. |