Next-generation pathology

Genomic oncology education: an urgent need, a new approach

Genomic testing has entered oncology practice. With reduced cost and faster turnaround times, clinical applications for next-generation sequencing-based assays will only continue to increase. As such, there is an urgent need for health professional education to allow implementation of these new diagnostic tools. However, current medical school, residency, and fellowship training has had limited success in educating physicians in the fundamentals of single-gene testing, let alone genomic methods. In this review, we describe the novel approach the pathology community has taken in genomic education and the potential for application to oncology trainees.

The current state of resident training in genomic pathology: a comprehensive analysis using the resident in-service examination

OBJECTIVES

To determine the current state of pathology resident training in genomic and molecular pathology.

METHODS

The Training Residents in Genomics (TRIG) Working Group developed survey and knowledge questions for the 2013 pathology Resident In-Service Examination (RISE). Sixteen demographic questions related to amount of training, current and predicted future use, and perceived ability in molecular pathology vs genomic medicine were included, along with five genomic pathology and 19 molecular pathology knowledge questions.

RESULTS

A total of 2,506 pathology residents took the 2013 RISE, with approximately 600 individuals per postgraduate year (PGY). For genomic medicine, 42% of PGY-4 respondents stated they had no training, compared with 7% for molecular pathology (P < .001). PGY-4 residents' perceived ability, comfort in discussing results, and predicted future use as a practicing pathologist were reported to be less in genomic medicine than in molecular pathology (P < .001). Based on PGY, knowledge question scores showed a greater increase in molecular pathology than in genomic pathology.

CONCLUSIONS

The RISE is a powerful tool for assessing the state of resident training in genomic pathology and current results suggest a significant deficit. The results also provide a baseline to assess future initiatives to improve genomics education for pathology residents such as those developed by the TRIG Working Group.

Progress and potential: training in genomic pathology

CONTEXT

Genomic medicine is revolutionizing patient care. Physicians in areas as diverse as oncology, obstetrics, and infectious disease have begun using next-generation sequencing assays as standard diagnostic tools.

OBJECTIVE

To review the role of pathologists in genomic testing as well as current educational programs and future training needs in genomic pathology.

DATA SOURCES

Published literature as well as personal experience based on committee membership and genomic pathology curricular design.

CONCLUSIONS

Pathologists, as the directors of the clinical laboratories, must be prepared to integrate genomic testing into their practice. The pathology community has made significant progress in genomics-related education. A continued coordinated and proactive effort will ensure a future vital role for pathologists in the evolving health care system and also the best possible patient care.

Integrating molecular diagnostics into histopathology training: the Belfast model

Molecular medicine is transforming modern clinical practice, from diagnostics to therapeutics. Discoveries in research are being incorporated into the clinical setting with increasing rapidity. This transformation is also deeply changing the way we practise pathology. The great advances in cell and molecular biology which have accelerated our understanding of the pathogenesis of solid tumours have been embraced with variable degrees of enthusiasm by diverse medical professional specialties. While histopathologists have not been prompt to adopt molecular diagnostics to date, the need to incorporate molecular pathology into the training of future histopathologists is imperative. Our goal is to create, within an existing 5-year histopathology training curriculum, the structure for formal substantial teaching of molecular diagnostics. This specialist training has two main goals: (1) to equip future practising histopathologists with basic knowledge of molecular diagnostics and (2) to create the option for those interested in a subspecialty experience in tissue molecular diagnostics to pursue this training. It is our belief that this training will help to maintain in future the role of the pathologist at the centre of patient care as the integrator of clinical, morphological and molecular information.

Teaching residents genomic pathology: a novel approach for new technology

Genomics-based diagnostics have become part of patient care. As pathologists have the expertise in clinical laboratory testing as well as access to patient samples, all genomic medicine is genomic pathology. This article will review the evidence that there is a critical need for pathology resident training in genomics. Several individual program curricula are described as well as the progress of the Training Residents in Genomics Working Group. This group has made significant advances toward developing, implementing, and evaluating a national curriculum in genomics for pathology residents. The novel approach of the Training Residents in Genomics Working Group can be used as a model for training pathology professionals in any new technology.

TRIG on TRACK: educating pathology residents in genomic medicine

Genomic technologies are dramatically changing the practice of medicine. Next-generation sequencing has allowed prognostic stratification of cancer patients, personalized drug therapy and the identification of genetic risk factors for a multitude of diseases. As the physicians who oversee tissue- and laboratory-based diagnostic testing, pathologists must understand and utilize this new technology for the benefit of patients; however, only a minority of pathology residency programs currently provide training in genomics. In response to this urgent need, the Training Residents in Genomics (TRIG) Working Group has made significant progress towards creating, implementing, evaluating and disseminating a national curriculum in genomic pathology. Although presented in the context of pathology training, the approach described in this review can serve as model for education in genomic medicine of students, trainees or professionals in other areas of healthcare.