The Secret Life of Junior Pathologists

Abstract

Context.— Transition from pathology trainee to independent pathologist is stressful. No study has examined junior pathologists’ challenges and concerns during this transition. Objective.— To identify challenges and concerns of junior pathologists. Design.— Junior pathologists were defined as those who had been practicing independently for up to 5 years after completion of residency/fellowship. An institutional review board–approved electronic survey was created and distributed to recent pathology graduates of MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas) and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (Washington, District of Columbia). The survey was open from October 13, 2022, to January 31, 2023. The survey included 16 multiple-choice and free-text questions. Results.— Responses were received from 39 junior pathologists. Participants working in academic settings indicated independence, work-life balance, and professional identity formation as challenges; those in nonacademic settings indicated pathology reporting, efficiency, and administration as challenges. Areas where participants wished they received more guidance differed by practice setting: participants in academic settings more often chose effective time management and importance of turnaround time (35% [7 of 20] versus 0% [0 of 14], P = .03) and tumor board conference presentation skills (25% [5 of 20] versus 0% [0 of 14], P = .06), while those in nonacademic settings more often chose current procedural terminology (CPT) coding, billing, and cost-effective patient care (79% [11 of 14] versus (35% [7 of 20]; P = .02). More female than male participants indicated that they wished they had received more guidance in leadership and soft skills (79% [11 of 14] versus 28% [5 of 18]; P = .01). Conclusions.— This study identified challenges experienced by junior pathologists. Collective efforts from training programs, experienced pathologists, and professional organizations can explore ways to improve the transition experience.