[Clinical laboratory physicians and postgraduate training for laboratory technologists].

The number of clinical laboratory physicians is currently about 400, and is estimated to reach, at most, 1,500 after 20 years, even if we train 50 young clinical laboratory physicians every year. This is too few to display their abilities and to prove themselves as necessary specialists in the Japanese medical world. However, the number of laboratory technologists in Japanese hospitals and clinics is currently about 50,000. If we train excellent technologists to take part in the work of clinical laboratory physicians, we will be able to prove ourselves as necessary specialists in about 20 years. Postgraduate training for laboratory technologists is necessary to increasing their abilities and increasing the number of specialists in laboratory medicine. We consider this is the most effective method of developing Japanese laboratory medicine in the 21st century.