Education and Training
There is a great emphasis on the education and training for internship students, residents, fellows, SCDP, summer students, and volunteers by experienced staff in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. In addition, the Department strongly supports and participants in the CME of the technologists and pathologists.
Internship for Medical Technology Students:
The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, in affiliation with the Clinical Laboratory Science program of the King Saud University, College of Allied Health Sciences and the Ministry of health, Health Sciences College, actively engages in providing intensive training for internship students.
This has proven to be quite successful in selecting high caliber medical technologists for the Department. Fifteen to twenty students per year are trained from the College of Allied Health Sciences and these students rotate throughout the various disciplines of the Department, for a period of forty-eight weeks.
Saudi Career Development Program (SCDP):
The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine is actively participating in the Saudi Career Development Program (SCDP). This program is designed to intensively train Saudi individuals for one year in a particular discipline in the Department and upon successful completion of training; the trainee is employed in the department. This program has proven to be a very essential component for the progressive Saudization of the Department.
The Department also has started an SCDP Phlebotomy Training Program.
Post Baccalaureate Certification Program Overall (PBCP):
This is a four semester program to enable the College of Science graduates to work as Medical Technologists in medical laboratories. It has started in 2006 with Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Pathology.
Phlebotomy Training Program:
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine started Phlebotomy training for College of Science graduates in 2007. It is an extensive training for 6 months in collaboration with Training and Development.
School of Cytotechnology:
This is the only Cytotechnology program in the entire Middle East. Graduates of Appilied Medical Sciences enrolled in this program to become certified Cyto Screener.
Blood Bank Technician Training Program:
This is a Saudi Career Development Program (SCDP) designed for graduates of College of Science (Biology, Microbiology or Biochemistry) and/or associate degree/diploma graduates in Laboratory Sciences. To graduate competent Blood Bank technicians capable of performing in the different disciplines of the blood services by conveying the necessary knowledge and skills to the program participants. The program duration will be one year divided into two parts (introductory and practical.
Residency Training Program:
The Department is actively participating in the training of Pathology Residents enrolled in King Saud University Fellowship in the Pathology Program and other programs, such as RCPA and RCPUK. The Department also offers scholarships for outstanding Pathology Residents to study abroad. These Pathologists would join the department faculty after the completion of specialty and subspecialty training.
Continuing Medical Education (CME):
Continuing education programs are offered in all sections of the Department and include in-service sessions, lectures, seminars, and conferences, both within and outside King Fahad National Guard Hospital. Several professionals societies and clubs organize these scientific activities and staff is encouraged to attend and participate so as to meet the set continuing education requirements. The Department has initiated and implemented several short courses such as Molecular Biology Techniques, Flow Cytometry Analysis of Lymphoma & Leukemia Workshop (under Specialized training program), Mini-workshop in Cytopathology (under the Visiting Pathologist Program), Mini-workshop in WHO Classification of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (under the Visiting Professor Program) and Renal Pathology Course (under Anatomic Pathologists subspecialized in Renal Transplant Pathology).
A Medical Technology Forum was also initiated in April 2003 and this is a continuous educational activity targeted for medical technologists.