Table 2.

Proposed PBS review consensus statements

Curricular considerations
1	Education across the fellowship should incorporate both slides derived from patients under the care of the fellow as well as slides from formal slide libraries of high yield morphologies
2	Trainees should be well versed in the description of normal and pathologic nuclear and cytoplasmic characteristics
3	Curricula should include education on how PBS review can augment, or potentially eliminate the need for, more advanced testing
4	Discussions of the practical use of PBS review should occur within the context of the medical system as a whole with specific attention devoted to discussions of: (a)Avoiding clinically relevant delays in diagnosis and treatment (b)Providing care in resource limited settings (c)Cost of care and financial toxicity of advanced diagnostic testing
5	Trainees should be aware of and familiar with intracellular parasites (malaria, babesia, ehrlichia/anaplasma) regardless of their geographic location of training
Method of review
1	Trainees should be taught to systematically review a PBS. This includes specific education on identification of the monolayer, use of various magnifications, switching between magnification, and systematic review of each cell line
2	Learners should be competent in the personal use of a compound light microscope, and should receive hands on training throughout fellowship
3	Learners should be made aware of limitations associated with the use of digital and remote microscopy use
Morphology
1	Emphasis should be placed on (a)Disorders where correct and timely diagnosis is paramount to avoiding significant patient morbidity, acute decompensation, or death (b)Commonly encountered diagnoses
2	Trainees should be able to identify features of normal PBSs
3	Specific curricular emphasis should be placed on the morphologic presentation of acute leukemias and hemolytic anemias, including TMA
Disorders of white blood cells
Trainees should be able to:
1	Distinguish reactive leukocytosis from malignant processes
2	Identify blasts and myeloid precursors
3	Recognize evidence of myeloid dysplasia in peripheral blood
4	Identify the following cells on a PBS: atypical (reactive) lymphocytes, large granular lymphocytes, mature lymphocytes, mature myeloid cells, and immature myeloid precursors
5	Identify circulating promyelocytes, specifically in the context of suspected acute promyelocytic leukemia
Disorders of red blood cells
Trainees should be able to:
1	Readily identify peripheral smear evidence of TMA, with specific emphasis on identification of schistocytes
2	Hypothesize the mechanism of hemolytic anemia based upon red blood cell morphology and the presence of poikilocytes
3	Identify sickle cell morphology
4	Identify morphologic findings seen in thalassemias, specifically in the absence of other clinical data such as family history, hemoglobin electrophoresis, and genetic testing
Disorders of platelets
Trainees should be able to:
1	Identify platelet clumping (satellitism)
2	Recognize variation in platelet size
3	Identify relative thrombocytosis or thrombocytopenia
	All statements had unanimous consensus and exceeded the prespecified threshold (>70%) for strong consensus.