An introductory orientation to clinical pathology core and on-call responsibilities

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Pathology
• Laboratory Medicine

Background:

• Clinical pathology residency requires extensive on-call duties.
• Effective training is crucial for resident competence in handling consultations and patient management.
• Existing orientation programs may lack comprehensive evaluation of on-call performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate a 4-week introductory orientation for clinical pathology residents.
• To assess the effectiveness of the orientation in preparing residents for on-call duties.
• To analyze the nature and outcomes of resident-handled calls during the orientation period.

Main Methods:

• A 4-week orientation program with 221 hours of lectures, conferences, and laboratories.
• Systematic evaluation of 80 resident-handled on-call consultations.
• Categorization of calls by source, discipline, type (consultative/supervisory), resolution, patient outcome, and required pathologist interaction.

Main Results:

• Residents handled 99% of calls appropriately.
• Consultative calls (60%) significantly impacted patient outcomes (67%) and required more pathologist interaction (71%).
• Supervisory calls (40%) had less impact on patient outcomes (9%) and required less interaction (16%).

Conclusions:

• The integrated orientation system effectively builds resident confidence in handling calls, consultations, and patient management.
• The described orientation and on-call system provide a relevant and dynamic educational experience.
• This structured approach enhances resident preparedness for clinical pathology practice.