Participanis in ameeting on cooperation betweenNordie and Baltic clinical chemists
sent on request.
Before the last plenary lecture, also a round ta–
ble discussion on post graduate education in labo–
ratory medicine was carried out. During this ses–
sion the outcome of theTempus project was sum–
marized and many new aspects on future and mo–
dernized education aired.
Diagnosis and monitoring of thyroid diseases
was presented in the last plenary by Dr Toomas
Podar from Tartu. Dr Podar is working in the de–
partment of endocrinology in Tartu and illumina–
ted much of the biochemistry and measurements
that had been previously discussed in one of the
industrial workshops from the viewpoint of a cli–
nician.
Laboratory medicine is irreversibly connected
toquality assessment, assurance and improvement.
Consequently, a session focussed onmany aspects
of this subject with special emphasis on the trans–
ferability of results and reference values in parti–
cular.
The final session was devoted to the diagnosis
and monitoring of leukernia, highlighting morpho–
logy, genetics and practical diagnosis of the di-
Klinisk Kemi
i
Norden 1-2, !999
sease.All speakers in this sessionwere fromTartu.
Iwould like tomention the generous support of
the manufacturers not only in terms ofmonetary
support but also intellectual support in the form of
workshops.Thus,Behring, DPC,Abbott andBayer
genemusly invited reputable scientist to share their
experience and knowledge with the audience.
The posters illustrated the wide interest and
competence among the participating authors.
The next congress will be arranged in Vilnius
in 2000.
Like in the Nordie countries an 'umbrella' or–
ganisation of the Baltic countries is considered.
We have been trained to talk about the Baltic
countries as if it were an entity but the countries
have very different traditions and languages. Ne–
ver the less representatives of the national societi–
es met inTartu and started towork on formulating
the tasks and statutes ofsuch anorganisation.This
organisation, tentative!ycalled the 'BalticAssoci–
ation of Laboratory Medicine', BALM, will ho–
pefully be founded in the spring of 1999. Already
on its agenda are items of education, congresses,
publications andcoordinationofscientific projects.
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