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. 2016 Oct 5:3:2374289516667746.
doi: 10.1177/2374289516667746. eCollection 2016 Jan-Dec.

Evolution of the Pathology Residency Curriculum: Preparing for a Positive Future

Wesley Y Naritoku  1 , Suzanne Z Powell  2 , W Stephen Black-Schaffer  3
Affiliations

Evolution of the Pathology Residency Curriculum: Preparing for a Positive Future

Wesley Y Naritoku et al. Acad Pathol. .

Abstract

The required medical knowledge and skill set for the pathologist of 2020 are different than in 2005. Pathology residency training curriculum must accordingly change to fulfill the needs of these ever-changing requirements. In order to make rational curricular adjustments, it is important for us to know the current trajectory of resident training in pathology-where we have been, what our actual current training curriculum is now-to understand how that might change in anticipation of meeting the needs of a changing patient and provider population and to fit within the evolving future biomedical and socioeconomic health-care setting. In 2013, there were 143 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited pathology residency training programs in the United States, with approximately 2400 residents. There is diversity among residency training programs not only with respect to the number of residents but also in training venue(s). To characterize this diversity among pathology residency training programs, a curriculum survey was conducted of pathology residency program directors in 2013 and compared with a similar survey taken almost 9 years previously in 2005 to identify trends in pathology residency curriculum. Clinical pathology has not changed significantly in the number of rotations over 9 years; however, anatomic pathology has changed dramatically, with an increase in the number of surgical pathology rotations coupled with a decline in stand-alone autopsy rotations. With ever-expanding medical knowledge that the graduating pathology resident must know, it is necessary to (1) reflect upon what are the critical need subjects, (2) identify areas that have become of lesser importance, and then (3) prioritize training accordingly.

Keywords: changes; curriculum; future needs; pathology; pathology residency programs.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Comparison of modal distribution of anatomic pathology (AP), clinical pathology (CP), AP/CP, and elective rotations, 2005 versus 2013.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Comparison of modal distribution of anatomic pathology rotations, 2005 versus 2013.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Comparison of modal distribution of clinical pathology rotations, 2005 versus 2013.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Comparison of modal distribution of anatomic and clinical pathology rotations, 2005 versus 2013.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Number of weeks of molecular pathology by program size.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Distribution of subspecialty teaching by program size from the 2013 Survey.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. ACGME Program Requirements for Pathology. Web site http://www.acgme.org/Portals/0/PFAssets/ProgramRequirements/300_patholog.... Accessed August 8, 2016.
    1. Rebecca L, Johnson MD. 2015 Annual APC/PRODS Meeting, PRODS Plenary Session I, American Board of Pathology Update. 2015. San Diego, CA.

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