Evaluation of Clinical Competence in Hematology Training Programs

on directors of hematology training programs to establish systems to evaluate, document, and substantiate those components of overall clinical competence considered essential for certification in the subspecialty Many of these can be assessed only by repeated direct observa-tions. In particular, proficiency is now required in the preparation of blood smears, bone marrow aspiration and A FORMAL PROCESS for voluntary certification of hematologists was introduced by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in 1972. Several years later, the ABIM published guidelines for training hematologists which recognized that individuals could be held to the standard implied by certification only if their training in hematology was of high quality. ’ These guidelines promul-gated by the ABIM became the basis for an explicit mecha