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

Authors

Patricia V. Hernandez, From the Hadlock Laboratory, Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington (Hernandez).
Dana Razzano, The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (Razzano).
Nicole D. Riddle, The Department of Pathology, University of South Florida, Tampa (Riddle).
John T. Fallon, The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina (Fallon).
Humayun K. Islam, The Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York (Islam, Pattarkine, Mares, Lento).
Kamran M. Mirza, The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois (Mirza).
Rugved Pattarkine, The Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York (Islam, Pattarkine, Mares, Lento).
Tania Platero, The University of El Salvador School of Medicine, San Salvador, El Salvador (Platero).
Daniela Hermelin, The Department of Pathology, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, St Louis, Missouri (Hermelin).
Patricia V. Adem, The Department of Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (Adem).
Adam L. Booth, The Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (Booth).
Eunice Mbela Nachinga, The Department of Family Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, Seattle, Washington (Nachinga).
Kalpana S. Reddy, The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York (Reddy).
Angelica Mares, The Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York (Islam, Pattarkine, Mares, Lento).
Patrick A. Lento, The Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York (Islam, Pattarkine, Mares, Lento).

Author Type(s)

Faculty

Journal Title

Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

First Page

494

Last Page

500

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2022

Department

Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Abstract

CONTEXT.—: Multiple articles and surveys in the literature suggest that medical students find a career in pathology undesirable and believe it is disproportionately focused primarily on the autopsy. OBJECTIVE.—: To measure the effect of applied interventions on medical student attitudes about the field of pathology. DESIGN.—: This prospective study involving medical students from first through fourth year was conducted as a pilot study in 2 medical schools in the United States. A 2-part anonymous survey regarding interest in pathology as a career and familiarity with the specialty using a 10-point scale was given to first- and second-year medical students before and after they listened to a 10-minute pathology career presentation. The same survey was given to third- and fourth-year medical students before and after a 4-week pathology elective. RESULTS.—: A total of 121 and 83 students responded to the survey before and after the intervention, respectively. Of the 121 students who responded to the survey before the intervention, 106 (87.6%) had not spent significant time in a pathology laboratory before the intervention. The majority of responses in interest in career, job responsibilities, and features of pathologists before and after the intervention demonstrated a statistically significant difference (P < .001). We compared survey scores of presentation versus 4-week rotation groups before and after the intervention. Students who experienced the presentation did not differ from students who experienced the rotation in the majority of questions related to interest in career, job responsibilities, and features of pathologists. CONCLUSIONS.—: Our study suggests that pathology exposure strategies can have a beneficial effect on student perceptions of the field and consideration of a career in pathology. Overall, the presentation intervention seemed to have the greatest effect on the first- and second-year students.

Recommended Citation

Hernandez, P. V., Razzano, D., Riddle, N. D., Fallon, J. T., Islam, H. K., Mirza, K. M., Pattarkine, R., Platero, T., Hermelin, D., Adem, P. V., Booth, A. L., Nachinga, E. M., Reddy, K. S., Mares, A., & Lento, P. A. (2022). Measuring the Efficacy of Pathology Career Recruitment Strategies in US Medical Students. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, 146 (4), 494-500. https://doi.org/10.5858/arpa.2020-0834-OA