Entrustable professional activities for cytopathology fellowship

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pathology
• Competency-Based Medical Education

Background:

• Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are foundational to competency-based medical education.
• EPAs are emerging as a novel educational tool in pathology.
• Limited research exists on EPA utilization in cytopathology fellowship training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current literature on EPAs in cytopathology fellowship training.
• To describe the implementation of an EPA for fine needle aspirations (FNAs) and rapid on-site evaluations (ROSE) at an institution.
• To identify potential barriers to EPA adoption in cytopathology.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of EPAs in pathology and medical education.
• Retrospective analysis of institutional experience implementing an EPA for FNA and ROSE procedures.
• Qualitative assessment of documentation requirements and perceived barriers.

Main Results:

• Few studies address EPAs in pathology, with none specifically on cytopathology fellowships.
• Successful implementation of an EPA for FNA and ROSE was achieved.
• Significant documentation burden associated with EPAs may hinder widespread adoption.

Conclusions:

• EPAs offer a valuable framework for assessing cytopathology fellow competence in FNA and ROSE.
• The current documentation load for EPAs may impede their integration into routine cytopathology training.
• Further refinement of EPA implementation is needed to overcome adoption barriers.