Is the Profession of Laboratory Medicine Uniform Across the North Mediterranean Countries?

Harmonization of the postgraduate training of both Clinical Scientists and Physicians, in Laboratory Medicine (LM) has been a goal for many years, for the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) and the Union Européenne de Médecins Spécialistes (UEMS), Section of Laboratory Medicine/Medical Biopathology. This was based on the concept of free movement of people within the European Union. Much has been achieved within the respective European organizations in the development of curricula that will harmonize the postgraduate training at least within the European Union (EU). Advances in the area of diagnostics and the need for particular expertise in distinct areas have led to the emergence of laboratory scientists and physicians specialized in hematology (including transfusion medicine), clinical biochemistry, immunology, and microbiology. However, the training and specialization is varying and practice is of laboratory medicine is polyvalent in some countries and single specialties in others countries. Moreover, these advances have led to the involvement of non-medical scientists in the clinical laboratories. However, the training and the roles of Medical Doctors and Clinical Scientists in a Clinical laboratory, differ from country to country. These differences still remain today throughout Europe and even within the EU.