Using Digital Resources in Pathology Training: Crossing the Hurdles.

Abstract

To the Editor.—The article “Transition From a Standard to a Hybrid On-Site and Remote Anatomic Pathology Training Model During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic,” published in the January 2021 issue of the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, has done a commendable job in setting an example and providing a guideline that all institutions should ideally adopt at their pathology resident training programs during the present pandemic.1The boom in the use of telepathology has made information easily available. Trainees now have free access to a plethora of educational material on Twitter (Twitter, Inc), Facebook (Facebook, Inc), Whatsapp (Facebook, Inc), YouTube (Google LLC), etc. High-quality whole scanned digital images of a variety of common and rare cases are available on Web sites hosted by the College of American Pathologists, the International Society of Urological Pathology, and the Pulmonary Pathology Society, among others.2Unfortunately, adopting digital resources into routine pathology training is not as easy as it seems, especially in developing countries, where funds are limited. For example, real-time interactive microscopy sessions within a department require a high-speed Internet connection and consumption of large volumes of data per day. Because of these issues, in many institutions, the faculty have reverted to static images for teaching. As a result, trainees are deprived of a panoramic view of the slide.Moreover, most Webinars and video lectures are one-way sermons; they aren't always as effective in stimulating the residents' interest when compared to the pre–COVID-19 (pre–coronavirus disease 2019) conventional method of training, when residents had the privilege of working side-by-side with experienced faculty members while attending sign-outs and reviewing cases.Because the pandemic restrictions are ongoing, the “hybrid on-site and remote learning” set-up is here to stay for the time being. Technologically challenged trainers, as well as trainees, need to work to get ready to incorporate state-of-the-art technology into pathology training within their individual departments. For digital resources to be really effective, active participation by the residents as well as faculty should be ensured. For instance, there are many Facebook groups that were created for sharing interesting cases from across the world. These groups have thousands of members, however, most are passive, noncontributing members.3 So, for such online groups to generate a platform for robust brainstorming discussions, admission into the group should follow stricter rules. Every member should be required to make a contribution, at least once a month, in order to maintain membership. Real-time microscopy sessions and interactive video lecture sessions should be the main educational tools, along with regular polls and quizzes, Q&A (question and answer) sessions, and forums where trainees can post questions. And most importantly, periodic feedback questionnaires/surveys should be conducted, mainly for the residents, so that the standard of education and level of comfort is maintained and improved, and other technical difficulties (related to functioning of online platforms) are regularly addressed.It is high time for pathologists across the world to shed off inertia of 2020, come out of the doldrums, and enter 2021 with renewed zeal and medical knowledge.