Topics From the Milestones Working Group, the American Board of Pathology and Association of Pathology Chairs (APC), and the Program Directors of Pathology Section of APC Working Groups in Genomics and Laboratory Management

Abstract

The special section entitled “The Future of Pathology Training and Training Programs” will appear in 2 parts: part 1 in this issue of the Archives and part 2 in the April 2014 issue. The special section is comprised of 9 articles written by many distinguished individuals around the United States who are leaders in pathology education, including members of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Milestones Working Group, who authored the cornerstone article entitled “The Pathology Milestones and the Next Accreditation System.”In addition to “The Pathology Milestones and the Next Accreditation System,” this issue contains articles that focus on the transition from medical school to residency—a national curriculum for pathology undergraduate medical education, “boot camps” in anatomic and clinical pathology, and an example rotation in autopsy pathology that integrates clinical and anatomic pathology results.The Pathology Milestones are an extension and outgrowth of the Outcomes Project at ACGME. The phase I group of programs began the Milestones implementation on July 1, 2013; pathology residency programs are included in phase II, and will implement the changes on July 1, 2014. The authors of “The Pathology Milestones and the Next Accreditation System” include all members of the Milestones Working Group, assembled for the first time in November of 2011, but with groundwork done initially at the July 2011 Association of Pathology Chairs (APC)/Program Directors (PRODS) annual meeting. The Milestones product owes a substantial amount of credit to all of the pathology educators around the country who provided comment, input and suggestions during these past 3 years, but especially to Steven P. Nestler, PhD, executive director of the Pathology Residency Review Committee for 25 years. Of course, many others at ACGME have been part of this process and are collectively recognized for their dedication to graduate medical education. This lead article elucidates the Milestones for Pathology and includes ideas to facilitate implementation effective July 2014.Also in this issue, there are 3 articles that focus on improvement in the continuum of undergraduate to graduate medical education. “Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Boot Camps: Filling Pathology-Specific Gaps in Undergraduate Medical Education” focuses on possible ways to assist in the transition from medical school to pathology residency. An article entitled “A Team-Based Approach to Autopsy Education: Integrating Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at the Rotation Level” illustrates possible ways to integrate the laboratory and anatomic pathology findings from the premortem status and the postmortem status to enhance clinical care. The article “National Standards in Pathology Education: Developing Competencies for Integrated Medical School Curricula” expounds on developing national standards for competencies in pathology education in the integrated medical school curriculum.In the April 2014 issue of the Archives, we will present 5 additional articles.“Progress Toward Improved Leadership and Management Training in Pathology” provides an update on resident education in management stemming from the Laboratory Management PRODS working group, and “Progress and Potential: Training in Genomic Pathology” covers resident education in genomics stemming from the PRODS Training Residents in Genomics Working Group. The article “Pathology Training in Informatics—Evolving to Meet a Growing Need” reviews the current state of informatics education, the upcoming American Board of Pathology certification examination, and the beginning of the development of program requirements for accredited training in informatics by the ACGME.This special section is rounded out by “The American Board of Pathology's Maintenance of Certification Program Update,” and a review of those subspecialty programs that do not currently require board certification—the so-called selective pathology programs—that includes data on funding support and placement of graduates, entitled “Selective Pathology Fellowships: Diverse, Innovative, and Valuable Subspecialty Training.”I thank Mark Sobel, MD, PhD, and Priscilla Markwood, who have not only managed the annual APC/PRODS meetings for many years, but also managed and monitored the APC and APC Council and PRODS and PRODS Council e-mail listserves. Finally, I thank Philip Cagle, MD, Editor in Chief, and the staff of the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine for their support.