Laboratory Medicine, which is referred to as clinical pathology in some countries is a specialty in which pathologists tests the samples of patients (generally urine or blood) in several areas. An example of test performed in a clinical lab is the determination of the level of glucose or blood sugar level in the blood of a patient.

When a blood test is conducted in a patient, the blood is normally sent to the hematology, where blood cells are studied and diseases like anemia are deducted. When a blood donation takes place, transfusion service and blood bank is where the blood is collected, tested and separated into different components like platelets and red blood cells and is then sent out for transfusion in to patients who are in need of blood. Ph. D in Lab Medicine course is offered by a single government institution in the nation and it is:

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

About the department of lab medicine in AIIMS:

Lab medicine department of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences was established by bringing together three independent hospital service labs of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences namely clinical biochemistry, clinical hematology and clinical pathology. To these three departments, clinical microbiology department was also added for establishment of a new department for lab medicine in the year 1988.

Education offered by lab medicine department:

When it comes to educational services offered by the lab medicine department, the department offers three-year residency program leading to MD degree. In addition, it also runs Ph. D Program and MBBS students are offered with summer training by the institution and even B. Sc (hons.) nursing students are also taught here. In addition, the department also offers training to doctors and technical staff visiting from other universities in India and abroad.

About Ph. D in Lab Medicine course:

For getting into the Ph. D in lab medicine course offered by AIIMS, candidates will have to qualify in the theory of Ph. D entrance examination held six months once by the AIIMS’s examination section and then they will also have to qualify in the Viva-Voce examination held by the department. In the process of admission to Ph. D in lab medicine, which extends from three to five years, preference will be given to candidates with their own fellowship. The institute advises that the candidates will have to consult the respective faculty before applying to the Ph. D course. The number of students to be admitted for this course would be decided as per rules of the institute.