How does it feel to be a pathology resident? Results of a survey on experiences and job satisfaction during pathology residency

Abstract

Residents' career choices and professional motivation can be affected from perception of their role and recognition within a medical team as well as their educational and workplace experiences. To evaluate pathology trainees' perceptions of their pathology residency, we conducted a 42-item survey via a web-based link questioning respondents' personal and institutional background, workplace, training conditions, and job satisfaction level. For the 208 residents from different European countries who responded, personal expectations in terms of quality of life (53%) and scientific excitement (52%) were the most common reasons why they chose and enjoy pathology. Sixty-six percent were satisfied about their relationship with other people working in their department, although excessive time spent on gross examination appeared less satisfactory. A set residency training program (core curriculum), a set annual scientific curriculum, and a residency program director existed in the program of 58, 60, and 69% respondents, respectively. Most respondents (76%) considered that pathologists have a direct and high impact on patient management, but only 32% agreed that pathologists cooperate with clinicians/surgeons adequately. Most (95%) found that patients barely know what pathologists do. Only 22% considered pathology and pathologists to be adequately positioned in their country's health care system. Almost 84% were happy to have chosen pathology, describing it as "puzzle solving," "a different fascinating world," and "challenging while being crucial for patient management." More than two thirds (72%) considered pathology and pathologists to face a bright future. However, a noticeable number of respondents commented on the need for better physical working conditions, a better organized training program, more interaction with experienced pathologists, and deeper knowledge on molecular pathology.

How does it feel to be a pathologist in turkey? results of a survey on job satisfaction and perception of pathology

“…Despite the fact that pathology was not the first career choice of the majority and they chose pathology without actually knowing what pathologists do, more than 80% seem to be content with their choice. We have recently shown that flexible working conditions, scientific excitement, and attributed importance of pathology were the main reasons why pathology residents from different European countries chose pathology as a profession (7), and the findings of this study confirm that these are the most liked aspects of being a pathologist as well.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, there are only a few studies on the job satisfaction of surgical pathologists (4)(5)(6), some of which focus on the residency period (7,8). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the job satisfaction levels of pathologists in Turkey and their perspective on pathology.…”

Perception of The Teaching of Pathological Anatomy by Students of The Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Lomé, Togo 

“…One of the major problems with Pathological Anatomy remains its lack of visibility and its ignorance by students. A better knowledge of this probably lies in the development of educational interventions, the reception of students in the laboratory and the organization of Postgraduate Education [12,13]. The future of this specialty also requires better communication and better occupation in the eld, with greater visibility of pathologists in the staff, multidisciplinary consultation meetings [14,15].…”

Resident satisfaction with radiation oncology training

“…Recent publications 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 examined resident well-being, but literature on program satisfaction is limited, 6 , 7 particularly in radiation oncology (RO). 8 , 9 Information on the general work environment, call responsibilities, average workweek, and adequacy of ancillary support 9 , 10 is valuable for medical students who are selecting a residency program 7 and for institutions seeking benchmarks when evaluating their own programs. We sought to examine residency program satisfaction and work environment among U.S. RO trainees.…”