The pathology residency review process

This report describes the accreditation process and summarizes data on the actions of the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Pathology. Emphasis is placed on the adverse actions, including the most commonly cited deficiencies that lead to the RRC recommending probation and withdrawal of accreditation of anatomic and clinical pathology (APCP) programs, and on the types of hospitals that have requested voluntary withdrawal of accreditation and that have had accreditation withdrawn from their APCP programs. A content analysis was conducted of the RRC's adverse decisions regarding APCP residencies over the past 5 years. The RRC's most commonly cited deficiencies were counted and categorized. Most of the deficiencies were categorized in the areas of anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, and the organizational aspects of residency training. Most voluntary withdrawals of accreditation and RRC decisions to withdraw accreditation of APCP programs occurred in nongovernment, not-for-profit hospitals with an average of four residents.