Measuring the Efficacy of Pathology Career Recruitment Strategies in US Medical Students

Medical Students' Perception of Pathology in Saudi Arabia

Pathology is the bridge between basic science and clinical practice. An inadequate perception of pathology leads to an incomplete understanding of diseases, which consequently affects its management. This study aims to identify medical students' perceptions of pathology in medical colleges around Saudi Arabia and use their feedback to improve teaching strategies. A validated online self-structured questionnaire form was distributed to medical students in basic and clinical years, including private and governmental universities in all regions of Saudi Arabia. The study comprised a total of 476 medical students. It revealed that n = 226 (48%) of the participants were not aware of pathologists' roles, and n = 262 (55%) of students reported that the main reason was insufficient exposure to actual pathology practice. A total of n = 209 (44%) students believed the current teaching methods in the basic years were insufficient to provide clear perceptions of pathology. The majority of participants n = 366 (77%) chose practical sessions as the most effective strategy in teaching pathology. Our study demonstrated that medical students require more engagement in laboratories to improve their perception. We suggest that Saudi medical schools need to deliver more comprehensive and practical teaching methods that reflect the actual practice of pathology.

The impact of Pathology Outreach Program (POP) on United States and Canadian high school students

Given recent trends in National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) data, there exists a looming deficit of practicing pathologists. As such, the Pathology Outreach Program (POP) was established in 2018 in the United States, and in 2022 in Canada, to educate high school students about pathology and laboratory medicine to help curb this projected shortage. We present survey data gathered from several educational sessions hosted at high schools in the United States (U.S.) and Canada over a 5-year period comparing participants' perceptions and awareness of pathology both before and after each session. Using this data, we wish to highlight the positive impact of POP on increasing students' awareness and appreciation for careers in pathology or laboratory medicine. This data will also highlight the additional work that must be done to further boost public knowledge of laboratory medicine's contributions to patient care. We hope this project will lay the foundation for further improvements to laboratory visibility and inspire additional outreach efforts to mitigate a future workforce shortage.

How influential are medical school curriculum and other medical school characteristics in students' selecting pathology as a specialty?

There has been a significant decline in the number of United States allopathic medical students matching to pathology residency programs. Data acquired from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) show sustained variation in the medical school production of students who go on to pathology residency. When divided into groups based on the medical school's historical volume of graduates entering pathology, the schools in groups labeled Group 1 and Group 2 produced significantly higher and lower proportions of pathology residents, respectively. This study aimed to identify what medical school curriculum elements and other medical school characteristics might explain the differences observed in the AAMC data. The Dean or another undergraduate medical education contact from the Group 1 and Group 2 schools was invited to participate in an interview. Pathology Program Directors and Pathology Department Chairs were also included in communications. Thirty interviews were completed with equal numbers from each group. Interview questions probed pathology experiences, existence, and structure of a pathology interest group, options for post-sophomore fellowships, recent curriculum changes, and the extent of mentoring programs. Surprisingly, the curriculum does not appear to be a predictor of a medical school's production of students who enter pathology residency. A significantly greater percentage of Group 1 schools are public institutions compared to Group 2 schools. Other factors that may increase the number of students who go into pathology include mentoring, active learning versus observation, and post-sophomore fellowships or other opportunities to work in the capacity of a new pathology resident.

Pathology education project (PEP): A pilot program to spark student understanding in pathology as a career

According to the National Resident Matching Program in 2022, 631 pathology positions were offered. In total, 248 senior applicants from United States (US) allopathic schools filled 36.6% of these positions. To bolster medical student understanding of pathology, a medical school pathology interest group organized a multi-day activity to introduce rising second-year medical students to pathology as a career. Five students completed both pre- and post-activity surveys assessing their knowledge of the specialty. All five students had a BA/BS degree as their highest level of education. Only one student indicated that he or she had previously shadowed a pathologist as a medical laboratory scientist for a duration of four years. Two students indicated that they were interested in internal medicine, one indicated radiology, one forensic pathology or radiology, and one was undecided. During the activity, students biopsied tissue from cadavers in the gross anatomy lab. Thereafter, students participated in the standard tissue processing by shadowing a histotechnologist. Under the guidance of a pathologist, students microscopically examined slides and discussed the clinical findings. Post-activity survey results indicated that participation increased their knowledge of pathology as a career with a median increase of 0.8 points (range: 0.2 to 1.6) on a 5-point Likert scale. Students also indicated that their participation increased their knowledge of pathology skills and techniques-median increase of 1.2 (range: 0.8 to 1.8). This activity can be implemented by medical educators to expose medical students to pathology as a career with the benefit of increasing student knowledge in the specialty.