Chemistry: 5 months
Chemistry, Special Chemistry, Toxicology, Urinalysis, Referral
The resident performs consults and interprets test results (liver function tests, hepatitis panels, serum, urine and spinal fluid electrophoresis and immunofixation, hemoglobin electrophoresis, and hemoglobin identification by high performance liquid chromatography). The resident reviews urine and synovial fluid microscopics as well as anti-nuclear antibody patterns. Utilization review studies for referral as well as routine testing are also performed. The resident is encouraged to participate in all evaluations of new instruments, tests, or methodologies.

Hematology: 4 months
Hematology, Coagulation, Flow Cytometry, Medical Microscopy
The resident participates in daily Hematopathology (Bone Marrow) sign out conferences where all Hematopathology materials are reviewed (peripheral smears, fluids, bone marrows, lymph nodes, spleen, hematopoietic malignancies of other tissues, flow cytometry, coagulation cases, immunohistochemistry results, as well as cytogenetic and other molecular pathology results as indicated). Residents participate in hematology/oncology rounds and perform bone marrow procedures. Residents attend Hematopathology tumor conferences as well as a biweekly bone marrow transplant conference.

Microbiology: 4 months
Bacteriology, Mycology, Parasitology, Virology
The resident learns to perform all major laboratory procedures. The resident may also participate in Infectious Disease Rounds, Infection Control Committee meetings, Infectious Disease Journal Club, and epidemiologic studies.

Transfusion Services: 4 months
Blood Bank, Transfusion Services, Serology, Histocompatibility
The resident learns to perform all major laboratory procedures as well as how to identify antibodies and discuss their significance. The resident reviews and investigates all transfusion reactions. Residents perform consults and therapeutic apheresis procedures and make recommendations for transfusion therapy. The resident also participates in prospective utilization review as well as retrospective utilization review in the Blood Utilization Review Committee. Residents are encouraged to participate in the biweekly bone marrow transplant conference. Residents also rotate through a regional blood donor facility.

Cytogenetics/Molecular Genetics: 2 months
Residents are exposed to all theoretical and clinical aspects of molecular pathology and cytogenetic studies in hematologic disease, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases, and malignancies. Residents learn to perform cytogenetic and molecular studies, to interpret these studies and to correlate the results with other clinical findings. Residents learn to evaluate new reagents, procedures, techniques, and equipment.

Management: 1 month
The resident receives core lectures in laboratory management including safety, compliance, Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), CAP, budgets, and billing. The residents participate in CAP self-inspections. Residents also inspect other facilities with teams from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC). Residents learn to use the Laboratory Information System. Residents also attend monthly laboratory and departmental administrative meetings at which quality assurance issues, administrative decisions, problems, needs assessments, personnel problems, staffing problems, safety issues, and other administrative issues are discussed.

Electives: 8 months
The resident may elect to perform additional months in any of the Clinical Pathology rotations or may perform more extensive training in selected Clinical Pathology fields: Cytogenetics, Molecular Pathology, Immunology, etc.