Clinical Pathology / Laboratory Medicine

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Department
Pathology
Course Number
PATH 321
Course Title Clinical Pathology / Laboratory Medicine
Course Director
Tapan Bhavsar, MD
Length (Weeks)

2, 4
When Offered

All year except weeks 36-39
Prerequisites

None
Availability Notes
Contact Name
Gerel Grandison
Contact Phone
202-677-6615
Contact Fax
202-677-6601
Contact Email
ggrandison@mfa.gwu.edu
Other Contacts

Pathology department chair Dr. Sepulveda (asepulveda@mfa.gwu.edu)
Location
Limit
2
Report

2300 M Street NW, 7th Floor - Suite 715, Washington, DC 20037. Students will be contacted prior to rotation by course coordinator.
Evaluation

Uniform Clinical Evaluation
Description

The clinical pathology / laboratory medicine (PATH 321) elective is a mini residency in which the medical student, under supervision, participates in all activities conducted by pathology residents. This elective will expose 3rd and 4th year George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences (GWU SMHS) medical students to the field of clinical pathology and laboratory medicine at The George Washington University Hospital (GWUH). The medical student will rotate through Blood Bank, Clinical Chemistry, Hematology and Flow Cytometry, Lab Administration (if applicable), Microbiology and Immunology, and Molecular Diagnostic sections. The course emphasizes basic principles of laboratory technology applied to the diagnosis and management of clinical disorders, with special focus on the appropriate interpretation of laboratory data. The medical student will be supervised by the residents and faculty on service. Activities can include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Blood Bank activities
  • Chemistry activities
  • Hematopathology / Flow Cytometry activities
  • Lab Administration activities
  • Microbiology / Immunology activities
  • Molecular Diagnostics activities

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. Identify through wide exposure the clinical role of clinical pathologists and how they contribute to patient care.
  2. Recognize the principles, practice and interpretations of the various tests such as cross-matching/blood typing/antibody identification in blood bank, serum/urine electrophoresis in clinical chemistry, staining/culture and interpretation in microbiology and immunology and the basic principles and interpretation of molecular diagnostic technology.
  3. Develop the skills needed to interpret and formulate a differential diagnosis of the more commonly occurring disorders seen in peripheral blood, lymph node and bone marrow in hematology and hematopathology.
Additional Notes