Informed Evaluation of Pathology Residency Programs

Objectives: To identify resources and summarize important issues in anatomic and clinical pathology training and to assist the pathology resident candidate in evaluating potential training programs.

Data Sources: Published guides for medical residency applicants, recent literature discussing pathology education, and World Wide Web sites.

Study Selection: Resources perceived by the author as valuable for the pathology resident candidate.

Data Extraction: Key issues in pathology education are identified.

Data Synthesis: Issues are discussed from the perspective of a pathology resident candidate, and resources for further information are provided.

Conclusions: The pathology residency candidate faces unique challenges in the residency search process because of the breadth of pathology training and the limited exposure to the practice of pathology in medical school. General guides for residency applicants include little discussion of pathology-specific issues. Recent literature discussing pathology education is fragmented but provides invaluable insights for resident candidates. This review seeks to identify a wide variety of issues and resources as a starting point for evaluating potential training programs.