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Teaching concept

Laboratory medicine is a central cross-sectional subject in clinical medicine. The focus is  on finding or confirming diagnoses through the use of laboratory tests. Today, well over 3,000 laboratory parameters are available for analysis. It is therefore, the central task of the practical course

  • to impart an understanding of the origin and development of disease (pathophysiology and pathobiochemistry)
  • to teach the use of laboratory tests that can be used to detect aberrant (ODER misguided) regulatory processes in the organism
  • to teach strategies used in rational and efficient step-by-step programmes for differential diagnosis and
  • to address specialised test procedures that go beyond initial step-by-step diagnosis.

This endeavour can only succeed if students are given an understanding of pathophysiology and pathobiochemistry on the one hand, but on the other hand also build up a knowledge base that systematically introduces them to the clinic of disease processes. Furthermore, the course is intended to sharpen the diagnostic view towards a differential diagnosis already at the beginning of the clinical career. The development of a differential diagnosis is the domain of laboratory medicine.
In addition, laboratory medical tests are also used in the field of prevention and therapy monitoring.
Therefore, the spectrum of laboratory medical tests covers a wide range of areas, which include in particular:

  • clinical chemistry
  • haematology
  • haemostaseology
  • immunology
  • autoimmune diagnostics
  • allergology
  • toxicology
  • therapeutic drug monitoring
  • metabolic diagnostics
  • endocrinology
  • infection diagnostics
  • Molecular diagnostics
  • Other

From this it is clear that laboratory medicine is closely integrated with pathobiochemistry and pathophysiology, as well as the transfer of clinical knowledge in diagnosis and therapy.

I am at your disposal at any time for questions, comments, suggestions for improvements etc.

Appointments can be arranged via my secretariat (Tel.: 06421/58-66235) or by e-mail (renzh@med.uni-marburg.de).

Sincerely Prof. Dr. med. Harald Renz