A Model for Educational Enrichment and Employment Recruitment for Clinical Laboratory Science Students

An educational partnership was initiated between a pharmaceutical company and a university-based clinical laboratory science program to achieve mutually beneficial objectives. This external enrichment site provides a unique educational experience for the learners that cannot be duplicated any where other in the community. The framework for the educational experience was established with a filled day's schedule of visits and presentations guided by dint of a list of twenty learning objectives. Clinical laboratory science scholars interact with laboratory professionals who are busyed by the pharmaceutical company and assigned to a variety of traditional and non-traditional parts During the visit, pharmaceutical company employee notice student interactions in small collection settings and assess the learners' interest in the work environment and specimen testing proces Employee feedback may be applied to subsequent time employment decision making. This article describes in what way employer outreach goals and initiatives and educational enrichment objectives can be met from one side cooperative team work.

ABBREVIATIONS: GLP = useful laboratory practices; RIA = radioimmunoassay.

INDEX TERMS: alternative careers; business recruitment; partnership; pharmaceutical industry; off-site enrichment.

Clin Lab Sci 2006;19(3):169

The constant emphasis upon cost efficiency combined with the shortage of qualified laboratory personnel in today's hospital laboratories at hands a challenge to laboratory science education program administrators in securing adequate clinical education sites. Cearlock and others described a major curriculum revision effort motivated by the agency of the need for additional clinical sites.1 While the greatest in quantity desired clinical education sites are well-equipped hospital laboratories with more [i]or[/i] less diversity in their patient populations, programs often pursue educational opportunities that are outside the routine laboratory testing environment to facilitate and augment pupil learning. External educational sites that fit into this latter category include molecular diagnostics laboratories, newborn screening clinics, public health facilities, sexually transmitted disease clinics, life-blood centers, private diagnostic laboratories, rural community hospitals, contract research organizations, and pharmaceutical research laboratories. Vittetoe summarized learning consequences from rural hospital enrichment sites to include work environments, institutional philosophies, healthcare, and career opportunities.2 Ackall described deployment of clinical laboratory scholars to primary care settings in underserv communities to participate in multidisciplinary healthcare teams. In this setting, pupils enhanced their skills in phlebotomy, interpersonal communication with patients and team members, instrument trouble-shooting, and participation in research projects3 This manuscript describes a type developed as a joint hazard between a pharmaceutical company (Lilly Research Laboratories) and a university-based clinical laboratory science program (Indiana University) to increase in all senses of students to traditional and non-traditional calling opportunities for clinical laboratory scientists.

DISCUSSION

The Clinical Laboratory Science Program at the Indiana University gymnasium of Medicine in cooperation with Eli Lilly Research Laboratories tenders students an inside view of pharmaceutical research and potential vocation opportunities for graduates. Small assemblages of four or five pupils accompanied by a program representative, expend one day at the Lilly Research Laboratories. To prepare for the visit, learners participate in two lectures neared at the program facility by means of a Lilly Veterinary Clinical Pathologist. This individual also subserves as host for the students' visit to the pharmaceutical research laboratories. The discourses are titled Introduction to Toxicology with a Focus upon

Animal Models for medicine Development, and Comparative Veterinary Hematology. Emphasis is placed upon understanding the role of the clinical laboratory scientist in the medicine development process. To avoid regards with advertisement to a captive audience, no Lilly productions are included in any aspect of this program, and advertising for like is not offered. The integrity of the educational proces is maintained from one extremity to the other of the event. The program has been in existence for six years, and a total of 81 scholars have participated in the educational experience.

Student interact with clinical laboratory scientists engrossed in traditional and non-traditional positions within a large pharmaceutical company. While learners do not participate in or work upon actual toxicity studies, they gain valuable knowledge from one side demonstrations, observations, and small assemblage interactions with the various employee of the Departments of Pathology and Non-clinical Safety Assessment within the Toxicology Division.

While the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science does not require written objectives for environments that are clearly identified as enrichment sites,4 the entertainer site personnel developed a list of twenty educational objectives to guide staff presentations for the day's circumstances and to assure consistency among the assemblages Students receive the objectives and schedule prior to the visit. The sum of two units documents provide learners with a preview of the day's incidents as well as the sponsor's expectations. The objectives work for as a guide for the staff to use in discussions with the pupils and focus on content of the like kind as principles of instrument operation, species variation in peripheral vital current smear findings among research animals, and issues related to sample collection and manner development for animal studies. A post-visit quiz was discloseed from these objectives.