Clinical Laboratory Sciences in Iran: Historical Evolution and Educational Structures
Abstract
Clinical Laboratory Sciences, also known as Medical Laboratory Sciences, constitute a fundamental component of modern healthcare systems, playing a critical role in patient care by providing vital diagnostic information derived from the analysis of clinical specimens. This article presents a historical review of the development of Clinical Laboratory Sciences education in Iran, tracing its origins from the mid-nineteenth century to the present educational framework. Drawing upon primary historical sources, archival documents, and official curriculum records from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, the article examines the key milestones that have shaped the profession over more than a century. This trajectory began with the establishment of Darolfonoon in the 1850s and the contributions of European physicians who founded the first chemistry and biochemistry laboratories in Iran. The evolution of laboratory sciences education progressed significantly with the founding of the Pasteur Institute of Iran (1918) and the Razi Institute (1924), followed by the establishment of the Central Laboratory of the Ministry of Health (1936) and the laboratories of the Tehran Faculty of Medicine (1939). Subsequent development included a one-year postgraduate course for laboratory directors (1952), the specialist in laboratory sciences program (1958), bachelor's degrees in Medical Laboratory Science (1968), the doctoral program in Clinical Laboratory Science (1984), and, most recently, the Fellowship in Clinical Laboratory Science (FCLS) in 2017. The current educational structure comprises Bachelor of Laboratory Science (BSc) program, postgraduate degrees (MSc and PhD) in specialized disciplines such as Clinical Biochemistry, Hematology, Immunology, etc., residency program in pathology and the FCLS program. In addition, this article reviews the current structure of clinical laboratories in Iran, which includes more than 8,200 laboratories across hospital-based, private, and public laboratories.
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| Issue | Vol 4 No 1 (2026): Special Issue: Clinical Laboratory Sciences Education and Training | |
| Section | Review Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Iran Clinical Laboratory Science Education History | ||
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