SAN
ANTONIO, Sept. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The
HemePath Hub at CorePath Laboratories (CorePath) is training the
next generation of pathologists to address the widening global
supply-demand gap.
Filling this industry gap comes with challenges. The pathology
shortage can be attributed to a number of factors, including an
aging demographic and overall growing population (increasing the
demand for pathology testing), the increasing complexity of lab
tests (requiring more of pathologists' time to run the necessary
assays for diagnosis and patient management), inadequate healthcare
system funding (where backing and budgeting improvements are needed
to train a greater number of pathologists), and retiring
pathologists (now quickly outnumbering those entering the
workforce).
With a typical requirement in the
United States of 4 years of anatomic and clinical pathology
training, only an estimated 2% of any medical school class
(US-based or international medical graduates) enter the field of
pathology (Source: NRMP). Of the 2%, approximately 60-70% of
medical school graduates join private practices after residency
with an estimated 20-30% self-identifying as international medical
graduates that are working in academia or private settings (Source:
AAMC). Even with the advent and benefits of artificial intelligence
(AI) and digital pathology, the need for pathologists is expected
to continue rising, especially among those who can leverage the
mentioned skills.
The HemePath Hub: A Lifeline to the Future of
Pathology
As a private reference laboratory, CorePath has developed a
free-of-charge education model offering various internship
opportunities. The initiative is particularly attractive to
international medical graduates (IMGs) who have difficulty gaining
access to US academic centers due to numerous obstacles and offers
electives for US medical students seeking to explore pathology as a
career. The HemePath Hub at CorePath offers unique learning
opportunities in a five-track structure across multiple levels of
education and experience (see flyer for detailed program overview).
A medical directorship track and bone marrow pathology program have
been designed to fill a void in traditional pathology programs and
spearhead medical education innovation efforts.
- Track A: Hematopathology Fellows & Pathology Residents
- Track B: Pathology Business/Medical Director Elective
- Track C: Practicing Pathologists
- Track D: Hematology-Oncology Fellows
- Track E: International Residents, Fellows &
Pathologists
Stories of Success
To date, over 60 students from national and international origin
have completed a rotation in one of the CorePath HemePath Hub
tracks. Students have represented 10 states (Texas, Arizona, California, Minnesota, New
York, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, and New
Jersey) and 17 countries (Canada, Pakistan, Fiji, Nigeria, South
Korea, India, China, Bangladesh, Iran, Guyana,
Nepal, Poland, Cuba,
Qatar, Turkey, Brazil and the United Kingdom). The program has also proven
to be a robust example of gender diversity and influence with 72%
of students self-reporting as female and over 75% of all accepted
US medical students adopting pathology as a career. A substantial
number of self-reporting IMGs have also cited success in matching
with prestigious medical schools and pathology residency
programs.
Dr. Shanyan Chen, an IMG from China who enrolled in HemePath Hub in the
summer of 2023, an aspiring neuropathologist, matched into the
Pathology Residency Program (Anatomic Pathology/Neuropathology
combined track) at Vanderbilt
University. Upon matching, Dr. Chen noted, "The mentorship,
recommendations, and encouragement from the program were
instrumental in deepening my passion for pathology. My experiences
in the program not only prepared me for my residency but have also
instilled in me the values of perseverance, empathy, and excellence
in pathology."
The subsequent success of the HemePath Hub at CorePath has
resulted in agreements with a number of teaching institutions such
as the UT Health San Antonio, UT Southwestern, and MD Anderson
Cancer Center, that have recognized the growing need for academic
centers to lower barriers to pathology internships and encourage
academic-and-private collaborations as an integral part of
supporting the future of the pathology profession.
"When CorePath was first established, one of my goals was to
grow the concept of a hybrid medical business model: A combined
academic and private enterprise. The different aspects of both of
these practice models have so much good to offer," says
Dr. Aamir Ehsan, CEO and Medical Director of CorePath
Laboratories and board-certified hematopathologist and molecular
geneticist.
About CorePath & How to Apply to the HemePath Hub
CorePath Laboratories is a leader in cancer diagnostics and one
of the few US-based laboratories with the ability to offer
immunohistochemistry, cytogenetics, FISH, PCR, multicolor flow
cytometry, and next generation sequencing at one location. CorePath
is comprised of academically trained board-certified pathologists
and clinical lab scientists helping providers care for their
patients worldwide through expertise, innovation, collaboration and
integration. CorePath is a Clinical Laboratory Improvement
Amendments (CLIA) and College of American Pathologists (CAP)
accredited laboratory headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.
For more information about the HemePath Hub at CorePath and to
apply to the program, visit www.corepath.us or contact us at
hemepathhub@corepath.us.
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SOURCE CorePath Laboratories