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Abstract

Performing call duties is an integral practical component of a clinical microbiology residency training program. However, data regarding the clinical microbiology resident�s call structure and volume is missing from published literature. This observational study was conducted in the setting of ProvLab, Alberta, Canada-a reference clinical microbiology laboratory serving one of the largest provincial tertiary hospital groups, which includes University of Alberta Hospital, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and Stollery Children�s Hospital. In this study, we analyzed volume and context of the medical microbiology resident�s call during 4 separate call weeks through the period of spring to fall, 2015. Analysis of call volume revealed a total of 395 unique call events during this period. Mean call volume was 99 individual entries per each week of 7 days of call. Blood cultures, virology issues, anaerobic cultures and specimen receiving comprised our major areas of call. Surprisingly, specimen receiving represented a considerable part of the overall call volume, constituting the third most important area in the call structure after blood culture and virology call entries. These findings may serve as a guide for residency training programs when preparing trainees for call duties. Additionally, our data provide estimates of the number of call entries per major area of medical microbiology, thus creating a useful practical tool for competency assessment. Finally, our results allow real time assessment of laboratory utilization, as well as, practical use and distribution of human resources.

Biography

Andrei Musaji has completed his MD in 1999 from State Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Republic of Moldova. He has also obtained his PhD from Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium in 2004. After a number of Post-doctoral Fellowships at the University of Manitoba and at the University of Alberta, he joined Medical Microbiology Residency Training at the University of Alberta and is currently in his final year of Clinical Residency Training. His main interests are clinical virology and molecular microbiology.

Email: musaji@ualberta.ca