Medical biochemistry in Macedonia: a profession for physicians and natural scientists

Medical biochemistry or clinical chemistry in its roots is an interdisciplinary science between natural sciences and medicine. The largest part of medical biochemistry is natural science (chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physics, mathematics), which is very well integrated in deduction of medical problems. Medical biochemistry throughout the world, including Macedonia, should be a professional field open to both physicians and natural scientists, according to its historical development, theoretical characteristics and applied practice. Physicians and natural scientists follow the same route in clinical chemistry during the postgraduate training of specialization in medical biochemistry/clinical chemistry. However, in Macedonia the specialization in medical biochemistry/clinical chemistry is today regulated by law only for physicians and pharmacists. The study of clinical chemistry in Europe has shown its interdisciplinary character. In most European countries different professions, such as physicians, chemists/biochemists, pharmacists, biologists and others could specialize in clinical chemistry. The question for the next generation of specialists in Macedonia is whether to accept the present conditions or to attempt to change the law to include chemists/biochemists and biologists as well. The latter used to be a practice in Macedonia 20 years ago, and still is in many European countries. Such change in law would also result in changes in the postgraduate educational program in medical biochemistry in Macedonia. The new postgraduate program has to follow the European Syllabus, recommended by EC4. To obtain sufficient knowledge in clinical chemistry, the duration of vocational training (undergraduate and postgraduate) for all trainees (physicians, pharmaceutics, chemists/biochemists and biologists) should be 8 years.