Oral Presentations - Pathology and Laboratory Medicine - University ...

OtherAbstract # 39Serena Siow, Jacalynne Hernandez-LeeBoth authors are students in the MD Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Medicine,University of British ColumbiaSerena Siowpromoting pathology and laboratory medicine tomedical students: the ubc pathology and laboratorymedicine student interest group (PaLM-SIG)Backround/ObjectivesPathology is internationally recognized as an unpopular career choice among medical students. In Canada, only1-3% of graduating medical students select pathological specialties for residency. This is despite a dire shortage ofpathologists, which is projected to lead to declining quality of patient care. We seek to identify barriers to recruitingpathologists by exploring perceptions about pathology amongst medical students. We aim to search for existinginitiatives which promote pathology. We also present an initiative that might help increase interest in pathology andlaboratory medicine as a career choice.MethodsLiterature review and web search for original research, policy papers, and commentaries.ResultsWe identified consistent themes with respect to perceptions about pathology that exist among medical students.These include: insufficient contact with pathologists; delayed exposure to pathology (after residency choice selection);misconceptions about how pathology is practiced; and limited knowledge about the relationship of pathology to othermedical specialties. Current initiatives promoting pathology mostly involve curriculum changes; this approach doesnot address the barriers identified above. An alternative approach to increase recruitment, used by other specialties,is to support student-led interest groups. A limited number of student-driven initiatives in pathology do exist, mostlyin the United States. Of the thirteen English-speaking medical schools in Canada, only one student interest group inpathology currently exists.ConclusionWe establish the UBC Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Student Interest Group (PaLM-SIG) to help address thebarriers identified. The goals of this new student-driven initiative are:1) To expose medical students to pathology as a specialty;2) To promote an appreciation for the importance of pathologists in patient care; and3) To provide resources on shadowing, elective, and research opportunities.We hope that our activities will encourage medical students to consider pathology and laboratory medicine as a career- or at least, to start loving the food analogies!50 2 0 1 0 * P o s t e r P r e s e n t a t i o n s