Clinical biochemistry is the study of the chemistry of the body and its application to disease diagnosis, management, and research. It is also an academic area with subtopics such as enzyme kinetics, immunochemistry, and toxicology. Certification is required in the US, while the UK has a career path within the NHS.
Clinical biochemistry is the area of biochemistry focused on the chemistry of the body. It is also known by many other names, including medical biochemistry, chemical pathology, clinical chemistry, and pure blood chemistry. The term clinical biochemistry is preferred in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The terms clinical chemistry and chemical pathology are used more widely in the United States. Clinical biochemistry refers to the application of biochemical techniques to the diagnosis, management, and study of disease.
Clinical biochemistry is an area of pathology. Pathology subspecialties include blood banks and transfusion medicine; chemical pathology, cytopathology, dermatopathology, forensic pathology, hematology, medical microbiology, molecular genetic pathology, neuropathology and pediatric pathology.
In a hospital, pathology chemistry services may be configured differently than subspecialties, but in one way or another clinical biochemistry will be among them. Pathology service sectors at John Hopkins University, for example, are blood disorders and specialty coagulation, clinical chemistry, cytokines, HIV specialty services, immunology, medical microbiology, molecular pathology, and cytogenetics, neoplastic hematopathology and flow cytometry and transfusion medicine. Hospital clinical biochemistry services are provided by a team of individuals.
Clinical biochemistry is also an academic area that one can study as a major or minor. for your bachelor’s or graduate degree. Standard subtopics include biochemical pathologies; enzyme kinetics; immunochemistry; lipid, protein and carbohydrate tests; toxicology and drug testing; and tumor marking.
To practice clinical chemistry in the United States, certification from the American Board of Clinical Chemistry is required. Requirements include general qualifications, educational requirements, professional experience requirements, an exam and application, and payment of a fee. One is required to be “of good moral character and of a high professional and ethical standing,” as well as having a doctorate or MD from an accredited university or college. If required, also degree courses. Five years of full-time experience and two years of full-time Accreditation Commission-approved postdoctoral education in Clinical Chemistry are also required, and a comprehensive written exam must be taken. Clinical biochemists in the UK, for example, have a marked career path within the NHS, starting as a trainee and ending with the principal biochemist (band 8a).
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