Pathology Simulation Workshop Series Enhances Medical Student Understanding of Pathology and Pathologist Roles

Pathology is a core discipline in medical education, comprising half of the material on the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1. However, most medical school curricula lack exposure to the clinical role of pathologists and do not require pathology clerkships prior to graduation. This limited exposure contributes to why pathology has one of the lowest rates of United States allopathic medical graduate representation in residency placement.

To reinforce pathology concepts relevant for examinations and increase student confidence in evaluating pathology as a potential career through immersive learning activities.

Six workshops simulated pathologist roles through interactive patient case scenarios and mock procedures that emphasized Step 1 material. Likert-scale surveys and multiple-choice quizzes administered before and after workshops evaluated learning outcomes.

Surveys showed significant improvement in participants' reported understanding of pathologist roles, and post-workshop quiz scores increased for 90% (27 of 30) of questions, with 40% (12 of 30) achieving significant improvement from the pre-workshop quiz. More than 90% (102-109 of 111) of participants enjoyed the workshops, considered them an effective study tool, and would attend future workshops. In a 15-month follow-up survey, 100% (40 of 40) of participants agreed that the workshops successfully demonstrated how pathologists contribute to patient care.

The Pathology Simulation Workshop Series reinforced high-yield pathology concepts and taught students the diverse roles of pathologists through engaging simulations. Designed as an annual student-led initiative, this workshop series can be implemented at medical schools to complement existing curricula for broad impact across the field of pathology.