Training for Laboratory Medicine in India
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Abstract
Laboratory medicine education is crucial in India for enhancing accurate diagnoses, improving clinical decision-making, and ensuring quality patient care, especially in the face of a growing demand for skilled professionals to detect complex diseases like cancer and infectious illnesses. It provides hands-on skills for laboratory technologists, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among healthcare providers, and helps bridge the existing gap in diagnostic healthcare services, particularly in rural and underserved areas. This education is vital for making laboratory services accessible, affordable, and reliable, ultimately reducing errors, improving health outcomes, and supporting the overall development of India's healthcare system. This review summarizes the recognized available options, for medical and non-medical professionals, in laboratory medicine, from undergraduate to postgraduate level. Career prospects of the course as well as the major institutions offering the course in India are also summarized.
References –
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1. Godkar PB, Godkar DP. Textbook of Medical Laboratory Technology. 4th ed. Mumbai: Bhalani Publishing House; 2014.
2. Prakash SK. Guide to Laboratory Investigations. 2nd ed. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2016.
3. Mukherjee KL. Medical Laboratory Technology: A Handbook for Laboratory Professionals. 3rd ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing; 2008.
4. Patel D, editor. Medical Technology in India. New Delhi: Scientific Publishers; 2019.
5. Ghosh K. Undergraduate medical education in India: Need for total modification. J Hematol Allied Sci. 2022;2:62-70. https://doi.org/10.25259/jhas_28_2022
6. Agarwal A, Balani K, Venkateswaran S. Medical education in India: A study of supply-side dynamics. CSEP Working Paper 55. 2023.
7. Deswal BS, Singhal VK. Problems of medical education in India. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2016;3(7):1905–9. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394_6040.ijcmph20162063
8. Jacob KS. Medical Council of India's new competency-based curriculum for medical graduates: a critical appraisal. Indian J Psychol Med. 2019;41:203-9.
9. M J, Parmar DM, Harsh S, Gupta R, Desai K, Sojitra D, et al. Navigating perspectives of students and faculty: Language of instruction in Indian medical education. Natl J Physiol Pharm Pharmacol. 2024;14(1):60–5.
10. Indian Medical Association. DMLT syllabus [Internet]. New Delhi: IMA; 2021 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://www.ima-india.org/ima/pdfdata/DMLT-Admission-Criteria-and-Syllabus-13082021.pdf.
11. Shiksha. DMLT syllabus & subjects 2025 [Internet]. New Delhi: Shiksha.com; 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://www.shiksha.com/dmlt-syllabus-chp.
12. Godkar PB, Godkar DF. Textbook of medical laboratory technology. 3rd ed. Mumbai: Bhalani Publishing House; 2018.
13. Mukherjee KL. Medical laboratory technology: a workbook. 1st ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company; 2008.
14. Joshi R, Joshi S. Medical laboratory technology. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2021.
15. Arora DR, Arora B. Textbook of medical laboratory technology. 6th ed. New Delhi: Avichal Publishing Company; 2023.
16. Mondal R, Mondal P. Textbook of clinical pathology. 5th ed. Kolkata: New Central Book Agency; 2023.
17. Dhingra R, Dhingra R. Essentials of clinical pathology. 2nd ed. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2021.
18. Chatterjea MN, Shinde R. Textbook of medical biochemistry. 9th ed. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2022.
19. De Gruchy G. Clinical haematology in medical practice. 5th ed. Boston (MA): Blackwell Scientific Publications; 1989.
20. Dacie JV, Lewis SM. Practical haematology. 12th ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2017.
21. McPherson RA, Pincus MR, editors. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. New Delhi: Elsevier India; 2021.
22. Rifai N, editor. Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia (PA): Saunders; 2022.
23. Goering RV, Dockrell HM, Wakelin D, et al. Mims' Medical Microbiology. 4th ed. Philadelphia (PA): Mosby Elsevier; 2008.
24. Bancroft JD, Gamble M. Theory and Practice of Histological Techniques. 7th ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2013.
25. Lewis SM, Bain D, Bates I, et al. Dacie and Lewis Practical Haematology. 12th ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2016.
26. Chander J. Textbook of Medical Mycology. 4th ed. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2017.
27. Koss LG, Melamed MR. Koss' Diagnostic Cytology and Its Histopathologic Bases. 5th ed. Philadelphia (PA): Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006.
28. Mollison PL, Engelfriet CP, Contreras M. Blood Transfusion in Clinical Medicine. 11th ed. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications; 2005.
29. Kumar V, Abbas AK, Aster JC. Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. 10th ed. Philadelphia (PA): Elsevier; 2020.
30. Mohapatra S, Mishra CP, Rout D, et al. Laboratory Medicine in India: past, present, and future. Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2020;63(4):533-40.
31. Giri A, Sahoo RK, Behera PK, et al. Molecular diagnostics: a paradigm shift in laboratory medicine. J Clin Diagn Res. 2022;16(2):EC01-EC05.
32. Singh S, Kumar N, Gupta P, et al. Trends in antibiotic resistance and hospital-acquired infections: a retrospective analysis from a tertiary care center. Indian J Med Microbiol. 2021;39(3):323-28.
33. Sharma P, Patel A, Desai A, et al. Quality assurance in clinical laboratories: A study on internal and external quality control. J Lab Physicians. 2018;10(2):207-12.
34. National Medical Commission, India. Guidelines for Postgraduate Medical Education Program: MD Laboratory Medicine. New Delhi: NMC; 2021.
35. Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists. IAPM Bye-Laws. 2021 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://www.iapm.org.in/by_law_2021.pdf.
36. Indian Council of Medical Research. ICMR Policy Statement on Ethical Considerations Involved in Research on Human Subjects. New Delhi: ICMR; 2006.
37. National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). NABL 112: Specific Criteria for Medical Laboratories. New Delhi: NABL; 2021.
38. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. Clinical fellowship in laboratory genetics & genomics [Internet]. Kochi: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham; 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://www.amrita.edu/program/clinical-fellowship-in-laboratory-genetics-genomics/.
39. Docthub. Fellowship in laboratory medicine [Internet]. Docthub.com; 2025 Jan 2 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://www.docthub.com/fellowship-in-laboratory-medicine-CT3729.
40. Indian Medical Course. Fellowship in pathology [Internet]. IndianMedicalCourse.com; 2024 Nov 14 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://indianmedicalcourse.com/fellowship-in-pathology/.
41. Dr Lal PathLabs. Welcome to Dr Lal PathLabs MedNxt Program [Internet]. Delhi: Dr Lal PathLabs; 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://www.lalpathlabs.com/mednxt-fellowship-program.
42. Docthub. Fellowships after pathology courses in India [Internet]. Docthub.com; 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://courses.docthub.com/fellowships-after-pathology.
43. DY Patil University. Fellowship in quality assurance in laboratory medicine [Internet]. Navi Mumbai: D.Y. Patil University; 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://dypatil.edu/programs/medical-fellowship-programs/medical-specialities-courses/school-of-medicine/fellowship-in-quality-assurance-in-laboratory-medicine.
44. Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College. Post-doctoral fellowship in molecular haematology [Internet]. Vellore: CMC Haematology; 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://cmchaematology.org/course/post-doctoral-fellowship-in-molecular-haematology/.
45. Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College. Post-doctoral fellowship in clinical haematology [Internet]. Vellore: CMC Haematology; 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://cmchaematology.org/course/post-doctoral-fellowship-in-clinical-haematology/.
46. Tata Memorial Centre. 01 year TMC fellowship (molecular pathology) & HBNI [Internet]. Mumbai: TMC; 2022 Nov 24 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://tmc.gov.in/m_events/events/EventDetail?id=14131&type=3&pg_tp=res.
47. ResearchGate. Medical postgraduate (MD) program in laboratory medicine in India [Internet]. Cambridge: ResearchGate; 2022 May 26 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360857255_Medical_postgraduate_MD_program_in_Laboratory_Medicine_in_India_The_Past_Present_and_Future.
48. Press Trust of India. NMC introduces post-doctoral fellowship courses in medical colleges [Internet]. New Delhi: Press Trust of India; 2025 Jan 5 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://www.ptinews.com/story/national/nmc-introduces-post-doctoral-fellowship-courses-in-medical-colleges/1017238.
49. Times of India. National Medical Commission introduces post-doctoral fellowship courses in medical colleges [Internet]. New Delhi: Times of India; 2024 Jan 5 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/national-medical-commission-introduces-post-doctoral-fellowship-courses-in-medical-colleges/articleshow/106574831.cms.
50. University College London. Vancouver referencing conventions [Internet]. London: UCL Library; 2025 Aug 27 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://library-guides.ucl.ac.uk/referencing-plagiarism/vancouver.
51. International Journal of Management and Research. Author cell | IJMR [Internet]. India: Human Journals; 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 29]. Available from: https://ijmr.humanjournals.com/author-cell/.
52. Website https://www.acbindia.org.in/ (Association of Clinical Biochemists of India)
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| Issue | Vol 4 No 1 (2026): Special Issue: Clinical Laboratory Sciences Education and Training | |
| Section | Review Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| India Training Laboratory Medicine | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Vaidyanathan K, Vasudevan D. Training for Laboratory Medicine in India. ABI. 2026;4(1):26-32.
