Undergraduate Education in Computational Pathology Through Global Health Inspired Projects

Recent technological advancements are revolutionizing the field of pathology as the practice adopts digital workflows and computational tools to augment the analysis of tissue and enhance its role in patient care. These advancements are poised to make a particularly significant impact in low-income and middle-income countries, which are disproportionately affected by worsening pathology service shortages and rising cancer rates. Courses targeted towards undergraduate students interested in this emergent field of computational pathology (CPATH) are required to prepare the next generation of innovators and leaders in this space. However, such training courses have mostly been lacking and their design presents with several challenges. CPATH exists at the intersection of multiple complex specialties and so, following a traditional bottom-up curriculum, courses are often limited to the graduate level. In addition, standard didactic courses struggle to keep with the rapid pace of advancements driving the field, build the essential multidisciplinary teamwork skills, train the technical skillsets required for success, or emphasize innovation. Structured experiential learning (EL) has a long track record of success in addressing these issues and presents as a natural modality for early CPATH education. We have designed and piloted a project based EL course targeted towards undergraduates to address these limitations in CPATH education. At the core of the course experience, students work together to conceptualize, design, and implement innovative solutions to leverage CPATH towards addressing global health inequity. Here we present our design of the course, review insights from our first two years of piloting this course and share plans for course improvement drawn from these insights.Clinical relevance- CPATH is making a significant impact on the practice of pathology and is poised to play a major role in addressing global health inequities. This course is designed to prepare undergraduate and graduate students to innovate in this rapidly growing and developing field as members of multidisciplinary teams through structured project based EL. While open to students at the undergraduate and master's level from all backgrounds, it is directed at undergraduate biomedical engineering, computer science, and pre medicine students who are interested in future careers in this field.