The use of clinical and management case studies to increase problem solving skills

Clinical laboratory science (CLS) students are presented courses in each of the laboratory disciplines and often are not given the opportunity to correlate data from all areas of the laboratory as it relates to a patient. Management courses are often taught in a classroom setting without an opportunity for real-life problem solving. To address these two deficiencies in our curriculum, a self-directed learning course was developed to give students an opportunity to apply skills and knowledge acquired in the classroom to clinical laboratory science practice and to demonstrate problem solving, communication and presentation skills. After entry into the clinical practicum courses, students are required to gather data and present a clinical case study involving several laboratory disciplines or to identify a laboratory management problem and present solutions. Students are assigned a clinical faculty advisor to assist with identification of the case and data collection and an academic faculty advisor to assist with presentation preparation. Clinical faculty advisors are invited to attend the student presentations and earn continuing education credit. Evaluations of the course by students, clinical and academic faculty are favorable. The course has been offered for three years and will be continued with ongoing changes to improve it each year.