New specialization for laboratory diagnosticians
- Parasitic infections are an important part of public health, so the opening of a specialization in medical laboratory parasitology assumes particular importance in view of climate change, environmental changes or increasing human mobility, as well as in response to “pseudo-medical” tests appearing on the market - says Agnieszka Pawełczyk, PhD in Biology.
The aim of the specialization is to train a laboratory diagnostician with an extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of medically important parasites and their effects on human health, as well as source of information on diagnostic techniques and methodology for performing laboratory tests, combined with the ability to correctly interpret the results. The training will last 3 years and 6 months.
- Specialization in medical laboratory parasitology has been long awaited by the laboratory diagnostic community. The repeated efforts made over the years have finally come to fruition - adds Agnieszka Pawełczyk, PhD in Biology.
Authors of the program
The training program for the specialization in medical laboratory parasitology aimed at laboratory diagnosticians was created thanks to the multi-center cooperation of Polish specialists who represent different departments of parasitology: helminthology, proto-parasitology, medical acaroentomology and veterinary parasitology.
- Beata Szostakowska, MD, PhD, Department of Tropical Parasitology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk
- Prof. Joanna Matowicka-Karna, MD, PhD; Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok;
- Maria Wesołowska, MD, PhD, Department of Medical Biology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University in Wrocław;
- Dr Agnieszka Pawełczyk, Department of Immunopathology of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw;
- Prof. Tomasz Cencek, MD, PhD, Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute - State Research Institute in Puławy;
- Joanna Hildebrand, MD, PhD, prof. UW, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw;
- Dr Adam Kaczmarek, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw; Department of Parasitology and Vector-Borne Diseases, National Institute of Public Health PZH - National Research Institute;
- Rusłan Sałamatin, MD, PhD, Department of General Biology and Parasitology, Medical University of Warsaw, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine. Collegium Medicum, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw.
and honorably:
- Czesław Głowniak, MA, retired diagnostician, one of the first originators of the creation of a specialization in medical laboratory parasitology in the early 2000s, National Chamber of Laboratory Diagnosticians;
- Prof. Iwona Bil-Lula, MD, PhD, who helped in the creation of the specialization from the organizational side, Department of Medical Analytics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University in Wrocław.
The opening of the new training path for laboratory diagnosticians was supported by Prof. Barbara Dolęgowska, national consultant in laboratory diagnostics. Also involved were: Polish Society of Parasitology, the National Chamber of Laboratory Diagnosticians and the staff of the Department of Postgraduate Education of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Medical University in Wrocław.
PKA accreditation to conduct training in the first edition was obtained by the Medical University in Wrocław. Recruitment of candidates will begin this fall, with training scheduled to start in spring 2025.
Link to the program