Pathology Residency Curriculum: Time for a Change?

ABSTRACT

The current Anatomical and Clinical Pathology residency curriculum, as outlined by the American Board of Pathology (ABP), emphasizes resident exposure to a wide variety of subjects without in-depth training. This has led to a large number of residents pursuing fellowship training. With the demand for further sub-specialization, there is a necessity for the establishment of an updated curriculum that not only encompasses the basic knowledge of pathology but is also focused on training residents in their desired subspecialty.We herein propose a new comprehensive AP/CP residency syllabus. The new curriculum will be divided into two major categories preliminary and subspecialty training. The curriculum will require residents to undergo basic pathology training within the first two preliminary years, followed by two subspecialty years. In their subspecialty years, each resident will be required to either pick two subjects as majors, each having a duration of one year, or one subject as a major and two subjects as minors, in which case the major will have a one-year duration and the minors will each be six months in length. The proposed curriculum meets the current guidelines of the ABP, reduces the burden of residents to complete multiple fellowships, and allows residents earlier entrance into the workforce.