Are We Where We Want to Be in Undergraduate Pathology Education?

OBJECTIVE: This review which aims to examine the recent and current status of pathology education in medical schools, and covers the publications related to undergraduate pathology education published between 2010 January and June 2023. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A search was performed through PubMed, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, and Ulakbim search engines for the Science Citation Index, Science Citation Index Expanded, Emerging Sources Citation Index, Directory of Open Access Journals, Scopus, PubMed as well as TR Dizin indexed articles. The findings are categorized into two periods as 2010 January - 2020 April (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) and May 2020 - 2023 June. A total of 24 reviews/editorials/letters to the editor and 63 research articles in the pre-pandemic period and 11 reviews/ editorials/ letters to the editor and 35 research articles between 2020 May and 2023 June are included in the analysis. RESULTS: Currently, medical education generally depends on core education programs with defined learning objectives and outcomes. Moreover, problem-based, case-based, and team-based interactive learning are being used along with traditional didactic courses. Additionally, digital/ web-based/remote education methods have gained prominence after the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual or augmented reality and 3D drawing applications are offered as a solution for the autopsy and macroscopy courses. A scarce number of publications are found on measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of learning. CONCLUSION: Artificial intelligence in pathology education is a topic that looks likely to become important in the near future. National and international comprehensive standardization is a necessity. A joint effort and collective intelligence are needed to achieve the desired goals in undergraduate pathology education.

[Further training to become a specialist in pathology in the GDR]. / Weiterbildung zum Facharzt für Pathologie in der DDR.

Pathology in the GDR was firmly rooted in the tradition of German pathology. Further training imparted sound morphological knowledge. Until the late 1970s, it was primarily autopsy pathology. Scientific relations with the West-with centers where the discipline was developing dynamically-were severely hampered for political reasons; normal conference attendance was reserved for a few selected cadres. The inefficiency of the planned economy led to increasing material bottlenecks. GDR pathology had become a relic by the end of the GDR regime.

Authentic Pathology Specimen Reception: A Valuable Resource for Developing Biomedical Science Student Competencies and Employability.

Background/Introduction: The pathology specimen reception is fundamental to the services provided by Biomedical Science laboratories worldwide. To ensure patient safety and that samples are of adequate quality to send for analysis, prospective Biomedical Scientists should have a robust knowledge of the processes involved and the acceptance criteria of the pathology specimen reception. This knowledge has been highlighted by employers as a current gap in Biomedical Science graduates and therefore needs to be addressed within higher education settings. To do this, this study aimed to 1) design a practical session to simulate the key processes of the pathology specimen reception and 2) to understand Biomedical Science students' opinions on these activities and the development of transferable skills required for post-graduate employment. Methods: The practical session was designed based on industrial requirements and academic knowledge of student skill sets to ensure suitability. Qualitative information regarding participant demographics and career interests was acquired through open-answer or multiple-choice questions. Quantitative student feedback was acquired via questionnaires utilising a 5-point Likert scale (n = 77). Results: The scenario-based practical session provided students with a positive learning experience with 98.7% of participants enjoying the session, with 87.0% stating they learned a lot by completing the session. It was also identified that participants preferred this style of learning to that of conventional higher education teaching modalities with 97.4% stating they would prefer simulated employment focussed scenarios embedded into the curriculum more often. The majority of participants also thought this session was helpful for the development of their key transferrable skills including teamworking, communication, and confidence. When stratified based on demographic data, there was minimal difference between cohorts and in the majority of cases, those participants from non-traditional university entry backgrounds had a more positive experience and better transferable skill development following the completion of this style of learning experience. Conclusion: This study highlights simulation-based learning as a tool to develop core Biomedical Science knowledge, build student graduate capital, and ensure the preparedness of students for post-graduation employment.

Dermatopathology - Current status and development in German-speaking dermatology.

Dermatopathology has been an integral part of dermatology for more than 100 years and is essential for high quality patient care. In German-speaking countries, dermatologists can acquire an additional qualification in dermatopathology after appropriate further training. For many years, dermatopathological diagnostics has advanced far beyond morphology. Immunohistochemistry and molecular pathology are nowadays an essential part and a prerequisite for the preservation of our discipline. Due to the increasing implementation of digitalization and artificial intelligence, dermatopathology is forward-looking and offers an attractive working environment for young colleagues. Dermatopathology is also indispensable for research, and this fact should also be taken into account by creating academic positions and professorships in the future.

Teaching Infectious Disease Pathology and Taking it To Africa.

With the advent of increasing emerging infectious diseases, rising antibiotic resistance, and the growing number of immunocompromised patients, there is increasing demand for infectious disease (ID) pathology expertise and microbiology testing. Currently, ID pathology training and emerging molecular microbiology techniques (eg, metagenomic next-generation sequencing and whole genome sequencing) are not included in the most American Council of Graduate Medical Education medical microbiology fellowship curricula, and not surprisingly, many institutions lack anatomical pathologists with expertise in ID pathology and advanced molecular diagnostics. In this article, we describe the curriculum and structure of the Franz von Lichtenberg Fellowship in Infectious Disease and Molecular Microbiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. We emphasize the value of a training model that strives to integrate anatomical pathology, clinical pathology, and molecular pathology by providing examples in a case-based format and presenting selected metrics of the potential effect of such integrative ID pathology service and briefly describing opportunities and challenges of our global health efforts in Rwanda.

Recursos educativos digitales como herramientas de apoyo para la enseñanza de patología general en cursos de pregrado del área de la salud / Digital educational resources as support tools for teaching general pathology in undergraduate health courses

Los recursos educativos digitales se han transformado en un importante material de apoyo al proceso de enseñanza- aprendizaje, especialmente durante la pandemia por COVID-19. Estos corresponden a recursos de autoaprendizaje, generalmente en línea y de dominio público cuya disponibilidad inmediata a todo tipo de dispositivos electrónicos permite una rápida interacción del estudiante con materiales didácticos programados. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el grado de satisfacción de cinco recursos educativos digitales, desarrollados como herramientas de apoyo para la enseñanza de la patología general, en estudiantes de carreras de pregrado del área de la salud de la Universidad Austral de Chile. Estudio descriptivo y exploratorio. Se desarrollaron cinco recursos educativos digitales donde se visualizan imágenes microscópicas correspondientes a procesos patológicos ocurridos en diferentes tejidos. Estos recursos fueron alojados en repositorios de la universidad y se encuentran actualmente disponibles en el canal de YouTube. Para conocer el grado de satisfacción, en sus aspectos pedagógicos y técnicos, se realizó una encuesta digital, anónima y voluntaria a estudiantes que cursaron asignaturas de patología, la que contempló cuatro dominios con sus respectivas preguntas: forma; control de usuario; contenido educativo y valoración global. El 94 % de los estudiantes calificaron el recurso de excelente o muy bueno y todos los dominios obtuvieron sobre el 80 % de satisfacción. Los contenidos representan lo que el recurso dice ofrecer, ayuda a resolver dudas y facilita la comprensión de la materia. El tamaño y color del texto es el adecuado y las imágenes presentan una excelente calidad y resolución. Los recursos cumplen con una alta calidad técnica y pedagógica, que asegura un gran potencial de uso para la enseñanza de la patología general, guiar el trabajo autónomo del estudiante y las actividades prácticas con el microscopio.

SUMMARY: Digital educational resources have become an important material to support the teaching-learning process, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. These correspond to self-learning resources, generally online and the public domain, whose immediate availability to all types of electronic devices allows for rapid learner interaction with programmed didactic materials. The public domain and its immediate availability to all types of electronic devices allows a quick interaction of the student with self-explanatory didactic materials. The objective of this study was to evaluate the degree of satisfaction of five digital educational resources, developed as support tools for the teaching of general pathology, in undergraduate students of the health area of the Universidad Austral de Chile. Descriptive and exploratory study. Five digital educational resources have been developed where microscopic images corresponding to pathological processes occurring in different tissues are visualized these resources were hosted in university repositories and uploaded to the YouTube channel. To determine the degree of satisfaction, in their pedagogical and technical aspects, an anonymous and voluntary digital survey was carried out among students taking pathology courses, which included four domains with their respective questions: form; user control; educational content and overall assessment. The 94 % of the students evaluated the resource as excellent or very good and all domains obtained over 80 % satisfaction. The contents represent what the resource says it offers, helps to resolve doubts and facilitates the understanding of the subject. The size and color of the text is adequate, and the images present excellent quality and resolution. The resources developed offer a high technical and pedagogical quality, which guarantees a great potential for use in the teaching of general pathology, guiding the student's autonomous work and practical activities with the microscope.

Visual-spatial dimension integration in digital pathology education enhances anatomical pathology learning.

Literature review demonstrated a surprising lack of publications on digital e-learning pathology resources for senior medical undergraduates and interns. An interactive Digital Pathology Repository (iDPR) integrating two- and three-dimensional (2D, 3D) high-resolution anatomical pathology images with correlated digital histopathology was developed. The novel iDPR was rigorously evaluated using mixed methods to assess pathology knowledge gains (pre- and post-tests), quality impact analysis (questionnaire), user feedback (focus group discussions) and user visual behaviour (eye gaze tracking analysis of 2D/ 3D images).Exposure to iDPR appeared to improve user pathology knowledge, as observed by significantly increased test scores on topic-related quizzes (n = 69, p < 0.001). In addition, most users were highly satisfied with the key design elements of the iDPR tool. Focus group discussion revealed the iDPR was regarded as a relevant online learning resource, although some minor technical issues were also noted. Interestingly, visual behaviour trends indicated that specific diagnostic pathological lesions could be correctly identified faster in 3D images, when compared to 2D images.The iDPR offers promise and potential in pathology education for senior clinical students and interns, gauging from both qualitative and quantitative positive user feedback. With incorporation of image annotations and interactive functionality, and with further technology development, this would prove a useful tool for diagnostic pathology and telepathology. As images with added visual-spatial dimension can provide enhanced detail and aid more rapid diagnosis, future applications of the iDPR could include virtual reality or holographic images of anatomical pathology specimens.

Anatomía Patológica para el estudiante de Medicina: videotutoriales con integración de Patología digital como una valiosa herramienta para hacer la asignatura más práctica y atractiva / Undergraduate Pathology: Video tutorials including digital pathology make teaching more practical and the subject more attractive

Introducción y objetivo: La asignatura de Anatomía Patológica es fundamental en la formación del estudiante de Medicina. Sin embargo, para muchos estudiantes la asignatura presenta un excesivo contenido teórico, poco trasladable a la práctica clínica. Presentamos los resultados de un proyecto de innovación docente dirigido a facilitar la transmisión del conocimiento a distancia y hacer de la Anatomía Patológica una asignatura más práctica y atractiva para el estudiante de Medicina. Materiales y métodos: Elaboramos material didáctico integrando imágenes de enfermedad digital con videotutoriales para la exposición de casos clínicos donde los alumnos debían llegar al diagnóstico final. Creamos un vídeo explicativo donde exponemos como se procesan las biopsias y utilizamos redes sociales (Twitter) para mantener una comunicación más fluida con los estudiantes. Finalmente, valoramos la percepción del estudiante sobre las actividades realizadas a través de una encuesta. Resultados: Al final de la actividad todos los alumnos resolvieron los casos clínicos y llegaron al diagnóstico correcto de manera exitosa. El 89% de los alumnos mostró un alto nivel de satisfacción con la actividad. Para la mayoría de los participantes la actividad resultó interesante y didáctica, mejorando su experiencia de aprendizaje, por lo que recomendaban mantenerla en el futuro. Conclusiones: Nuestros resultados soportan la integración de la enfermedad digital en combinación con video tutoriales como una herramienta exitosa en el aprendizaje de la Anatomía Patológica. Este modelo podría mantenerse en el futuro como un recurso útil en combinación con el aprendizaje presencial.(AU)

Introduction and objectives: Although pathology is one of the cornerstone subjects of the medical curriculum, for many students it can prove too theoretical and remote from clinical relevance. We present the results of a new distance learning project designed to make the teaching of pathology more practical and render the subject more attractive to the medical student. Materials and methods: We developed a teaching programme which included digital pathology images and video tutorials of clinical cases; the students were required to arrive at a final diagnosis. An explanatory video of how biopsies are processed was also included. Twitter was used for rapid interaction with the students. A questionnaire was then completed by the participants evaluating the various aspects of the project. Results: All the students reached a correct diagnosis for the clinical cases. 89% of the participants were extremely satisfied with the project. The majority agreed that the different activities were interesting and useful for improving their understanding of pathology and thus recommended that they should be continued.Conclusions: Our results support the inclusion of digital pathology into the curriculum together with video tutorials to enhance undergraduate pathology teaching. In the future, such distance learning could prove a useful resource in combination with conventional face-to-face lectures and tutorials.(AU)

Implementation of flipped classroom combined with case-based learning: A promising and effective teaching modality in undergraduate pathology education.

ABSTRACT: The popularity of flipped classroom (FC) is growing in medical education. However, the application of FC in pathology teaching has not been well explored. This study assessed the efficacy of FC combined with case-based learning (CBL) in undergraduate pathology education via comparison with a traditional lecture-based classroom (LBC).A total of 117 third-year students were enrolled and assigned to the FC group (n = 59) or LBC group (n = 58) with demographic matches. Two sections in the pathology textbook (cardiovascular and respiratory system diseases) were chosen for the teaching content. Students in the FC group were required to study the preprovided course materials pre-class, followed by clinical case-based interactive group discussion in-class. Students in the LBC group were encouraged to preview and attended a didactic lecture in class. Post-class quizzes and Likert questionnaires were performed to investigate the efficacy and possible advantages of CBL-based FC over LBC.The scores of the 2 groups in the mid-term examination of pathology before interventions were comparable. However, students in the FC group gained significantly higher scores in the post-quizzes than those in the LBC group, especially the scores regarding the questions of clinical case analysis. In the questionnaires, more students considered CBL-based FC to be beneficial to learning motivation, knowledge comprehension, critical thinking, patient management and teamwork than LBC. In addition, more students agreed that the FC model increased pre-class burden than LBC, rather than in-class pressure.CBL-based FC modality has promising effects on undergraduate pathology education and may be a better choice than traditional LBC. Further optimizations are needed to implement this novel approach in pathology and other medicine curricula.

Voices from the past: results of the ESP history of pathology working group survey on pathology museums.

While keeping their original purpose of training medical students, pathology museums hold great biological value, offering unique specimens for scientific research through modern radiological, pathological and biomolecular techniques. Moreover, the artefacts, models and drawings displayed in these museums are a precious cultural and artistic heritage. Preservation of the anatomical samples and maintenance of the facilities are neither easy nor inexpensive and call for patronage. The development of a European Pathology Museum Network would undoubtedly facilitate study, access and divulgation of antique pathology collections. Data from a survey conducted by the European Society of Pathology (ESP) History of Pathology Working Group have allowed creation of a comprehensive, multifaceted portrait of European university museums, reflecting their history, diversity, geography, institutional status, stakeholders, projects, professionals, audiences, policies and best practices.

Financial and educational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in an academic hospital-based tertiary cytopathology practice.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic shift in volumes and practice patterns for hospitals around the globe. We analyzed its effect on the cytopathology subspecialty practice and resident education at our institution. DESIGN: Specimen volumes were analyzed for the cytology practice for 2019 and 2020. Patient registration and elective and scheduled surgery volumes were also included in the analysis for 2020. The impact of innovative concepts, such as virtual teaching, on resident teaching was evaluated using a survey consisting of 5 multiple choice questions with 4 possible responses each. RESULTS: The total number of specimens decreased by 28% in March 2020 (P < 0.00001), with a continuing decline in April (66% decrease year-over-year, P < 0.00001), followed by recovery in May and return to baseline within June 2020. Specimen volumes continued to show an upward trend thereafter. Improved specimen volumes correlated with patient registration and surgical volumes. The majority of residents considered virtual teaching conferences (75%) and self-study sets (58%) as beneficial and did not view absence of one-on-one microscope learning (58%) as significantly affecting their education. CONCLUSION: The recovery curve for our cytopathology service was V-shaped, essentially the most ideal response to an economic downturn. The majority of residents viewed virtual teaching conferences and self-study sets favorably and did not regard absence of one-on-one microscope learning as adversely affecting their education.

Remote Pathology teaching under the COVID-19 pandemic: Medical students' perceptions.

CONTEXT: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced traditional teaching to be re-structured and delivered online. OBJECTIVE: To analyse medical students' perceptions about the benefits and difficulties of the remote teaching of Pathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was performed with an online survey applied to students from the third and fourth year of medical graduation, who attended the remote teaching of Pathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online teaching methods consisted of synchronous activities with live interactive lectures, case-based discussions and asynchronous activities with recorded lectures, tutorials and texts available on the online teaching platform. Students' perceptions about the remote teaching of Pathology were assessed through online survey. RESULTS: Ninety students (47.4%) of 190 participants completed the questionnaire, 45 were male and 52 in the third year of medical graduation. Perceived conditions that facilitated Pathology learning included the use of the online teaching platform and time flexibility for study. Students regarded live interactive lectures as superior to traditional face-to-face lectures. Perceived conditions that hindered the implementation of the online teaching included difficulty separating study from home activities, lack of motivation and worsening of quality of life due to physical distancing from colleagues and the faculty. Overall, the remote teaching of Pathology was positively valued by 80% of the students. CONCLUSION: Online tools allowed the content of Pathology to be successfully delivered to the students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience may be a model for future teaching activities of Pathology in health science education.

Helping medical students to learn pathology more effectively.

CONTEXT: Teaching methods in pathology for undergraduate medical students are not effective. AIMS: To document measures that can be adopted by individual teachers that can excite the interest, participation of the students and help them learn pathology in a clinical reasoning context. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Medical students in a large international medical school with class sizes of 700-900 were taught the pathology course in a period of sixteen weeks for two cohorts of students each year over a period of twenty years. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Specific learning objectives were devised to achieve higher levels of cognitive domain including interpretation, analysis and problem solving of clinical data of patients related to the objectives. The teaching sessions were modified to provide for maximum active participation by students with effective feedback at multiple points. Additional learning tools like concept maps, clickers, modified essay questions, flipped classrooms, clinicopathological conferences, directed self-learning activities were included. Learning objectives and assessment tools for professional behavior and communication skills were included. RESULTS: The students actively participated in all the learning activities with enthusiasm and achieved the objectives as reflected in the performance in the in-house examinations and the USMLE step one examination which tests clinical vignette-based problem-solving principles of which around 70% are related to pathology. CONCLUSIONS: The teaching sessions in pathology were useful and effective with adaptation to interactive, clinical reasoning platforms for teaching and assessment.