Education and Training in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Abstract

In this issue of the Journal , we begin a series of articles that address a wide variety of issues in education and training in pathology and laboratory medicine.1 The issues of education and training are complex and become increasingly so each year. Because of this, the editors believe that publishing this series in early 2014 will provide a reference point for future assessments of efforts to teach and train in the many disciplines that comprise our branch of health care. A common question in the context of this series is, “What is the difference between education and training?” Certainly the two terms are often used interchangeably (or without any consistency), and, although distinct, do overlap in some important ways. Broadly speaking, education is the teaching of students: those who have yet to receive academic degrees. In contrast, training is what graduates receive in preparation for a job or professional activity. In some areas of the world, residents (or registrars, as they are called in most countries) are students earning a degree as well as trainees earning a certificate. Even in the United States, this is common for residents in fields such as dentistry, in which “degree programs” are in contrast with the “certificate programs” that most medical residents undertake. Another difference is that students generally pay for education, whereas trainees generally receive payment for their training. Last, education usually occurs in a college, university, or recognized …