Overview of chemical pathology
Trainees in the specialty will initially develop knowledge of laboratory work, laboratory processes and analytical techniques, together with supervised clinical liaison and validation of results. Direct clinical care remains a key component of the specialty and trainees will gain experience within the following 5 areas;
- Lipids and cardiovascular disease risk management
- Diabetes
- Metabolic bone disease
- Nutrition
- Inborn errors of metabolism
There is close multi-disciplinary working with other specialties and direct clinical care takes place through out-patient clinics, ward rounds and MDTs.
Following completion of the Fellowship Examination of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath) Part 1 examination (typically after 18–24 months of training), they will continue to develop their skills in the laboratory (including assessment of new tests and guideline development) and in direct patient care, with greater responsibility and less direct supervision. After passing the FRCPath Part 2 examination, trainees will continue to develop their skills with support and many look to develop a special clinical interest in addition to equipping themselves with skills to have leadership roles within biochemistry laboratories.
What Prospective Postgraduate Doctors in Training joining the programme could expect
Chemical pathology is the understanding of the biochemistry of the human body in health and disease. This serves as the foundation for appreciating the biochemical investigation, treatment and prevention of disease. Training therefore covers both the scientific principles/techniques of laboratory analytical techniques as well as the practical implementation of how laboratory results directly influence patient care.
Postgraduate Doctors in Training should expect to be involved in laboratory practice and direct care of patients (with appropriate supervision) with metabolic disorders as soon as training commences. Direct clinical care often involves attendance at out-patients, ward work or contributing to multi-disciplinary team meetings.
Almost every clinical speciality has a requirement for biochemical investigation of patients, so trainees should expect to have contact with almost every medical discipline. It is a discipline which has both a requirement for broad as well as very specialised knowledge base.
Close supervision will be provided at the outset but as experience develops this will diminish over time, such that at the end of the 5 year training programme and on appointment to a Consultant post trainees are confident to work independently. There is a lot of freedom to develop a specialist interest, especially in the latter stages of training
Favourable key skills for chemical pathology include an analytical mind-set, effective communication skills, an ability to work in a team as well as a willingness to sometimes work behind the scenes.