Selective breast/gynecologic pathology fellowship training in the United States: Experience of program directors

Mohamed Mokhtar Desouki; Ian S Hagemann; Thaer Khoury; Oluwole Fadare; Rohit Bhargava; Jennifer L Clark; Michael T Deavers; Julie M Jorns; Ashraf Khan; Ediz F Cosar; Rouzan G Karabakhtsian; Molly E Klein; Andre Pinto; Muhammad Ali

doi:10.1016/j.acpath.2023.100103

Selective breast/gynecologic pathology fellowship training in the United States: Experience of program directors

Acad Pathol. 2024 Feb 14;11(1):100103. doi: 10.1016/j.acpath.2023.100103. eCollection 2024 Jan-Mar.

Authors

Mohamed Mokhtar Desouki^{1

2

3}, Ian S Hagemann⁴, Thaer Khoury^{1

2

3}, Oluwole Fadare⁵, Rohit Bhargava⁶, Jennifer L Clark⁷, Michael T Deavers⁸, Julie M Jorns⁹, Ashraf Khan¹⁰, Ediz F Cosar¹⁰, Rouzan G Karabakhtsian¹¹, Molly E Klein¹², Andre Pinto¹³, Muhammad Ali^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.
² Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo General Medical Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.
³ Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA.
⁴ Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
⁵ Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA.
⁶ Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Magee-Women's Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
⁷ Department of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
⁸ Department of Pathology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
⁹ Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School-Baystate, Baystate Health, Springfield, MA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Pathology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
¹² Department of Pathology, University of Minnesota, Indianapolis, MN, USA.
¹³ Department of Pathology, University of Miami Health System, Miami, FL, USA.

Abstract

Published data on combined breast and gynecologic [breast/gyn] surgical pathology fellowship training programs are limited. Our study aimed to survey the landscape of such fellowships in the United States (US), including specific information about their characteristics and the educational activities therein. Using web searches, we identified programs offering combined breast/gyn surgical pathology fellowship training. We developed a 26-item questionnaire asking program directors to report on the characteristics of their fellowship training structure. The search revealed 25 academic based programs offering one-year combined breast/gyn fellowship training, predominantly located (40 %) in the Northeast area. The following data was obtained: 44 % of the programs were accredited by the ACGME, 82 % required >19 weeks of breast and gyn service, and 69.6 % accepted the common application, 54.5 % of programs require completion of a research project for graduation. An annual average of 3000 breast and 3000 gyn cases appears to be the usual volume of cases. Interestingly, only 36 % of the program directors are graduates of a combined breast/gyn fellowship program. In conclusion, we present the most comprehensive and up-to-date census of combined breast/gyn pathology fellowships in the US. Our study provides valuable information on the current state of combined breast/gyn pathology fellowship training. The information will be helpful to current and prospective trainees, as well as program leaders.

Keywords: Breast; Fellowship training; Gynecologic; Pathology.