J Pathol Transl Med.  2023 Mar;57(2):95-101. 10.4132/jptm.2023.01.06.

Current state of cytopathology residency training: a Korean national survey of pathologists

• Cho U
• Kim TJ
• Kim WS
• Lee KY
• Yoon HK
• Choi HJ
• The Fellowship Council and Committee of Quality Improvement of the Korean Society for Cytopathology

• KMID: 2540495
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4132/jptm.2023.01.06

Abstract

Background
Although the Korean Society for Cytopathology has developed educational goals as guidelines for cytopathology education in Korea, there is still no systematic approach to cytopathology education status for pathology residents. Furthermore, satisfaction with cytopathology education and with the outcome of the current training/educational program has not been investigated in Korea. This study aimed to obtain comprehensive data on the current state of cytopathology education for residents and evaluate education outcomes.
Methods
An online survey was conducted in December 2020 for the board-certified pathologists and training residents registered as members of the Korean Society for Cytopathology. The questionnaire comprised questions that investigated the current status of cytopathology at each training institution, the degree of satisfaction with the work and education related to cytopathology, outcomes of cytopathology training, and educational accomplishments.
Results
Of the participants surveyed, 12.3% (132/1,075) completed the questionnaire, and 36.8% (32/87) of cytopathology residents participated. The mean overall satisfaction with cytopathology education was 3.1 points (on a 1- to 5-point scale, 5: very satisfied). The most frequent suggestion among the free description format responses was to expand educational opportunities, such as online education opportunities, outside of the individual institutions.
Conclusions
Our results showed that cytopathology training in Korea needs further improvement. We expect that this study will inform systematic training of competent medical personnel armed with broad cytopathology knowledge and strong problem-solving abilities.

Keyword

Cytopathology; Education; Residents; Statistics; Surveys

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Overall satisfaction ratings provided by residents. a31 Responders answered.

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  Fig. 2. Satisfaction with cytopathology training practices and specific training fields. FNA, fine needle aspiration. a31 Responders answered.

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  Fig. 3. Satisfaction with the training environment. a31 Responders answered.

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  Fig. 4. Areas of cytopathology training that should be strengthened. a132 Responders answered.

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  Fig. 5. Performance prediction. a132 Responders answered.

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  Fig. 6. Training transfer. a132 Responders answered.

Reference

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