131 - Implementing and Evaluating a Histology Course for Residents in Pathology

Poster Board Number: 131
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Abstract Body : Objectives: First year pathology residents beginning their programs vary in their knowledge of normal histology and those lacking a solid background may experience increased stress and decreased self-confidence leading to poor performance and higher burnout rate. Therefore, residents at UT Health San Antonio were enrolled in a fully online histology course that covered major organ systems.
Methods: Beginning first-year residents completed an entry quiz and a survey before they began the course as well as an exit quiz and another survey after completing the course. The course required the students to complete a PowerPoint-based portfolio by acquiring images captured from a virtual microscope; additional text-based questions were also included. Residents were provided with an electronic version of the textbook “Diagnostic Pathology: Normal Histology” by Lindberg and Lamps as a reference. Quizzes and comprehensive exams were used to test knowledge.
Results: Resident performance in the exit quiz increased by 28% as compared to the entry quiz. Likert scale-based surveys showed that the residents found the course was well-organized, of high quality, helped them identify normal structures at low and high magnifications, enhanced their learning experience, and was worth the time spent. Overall, they felt the course helped them prepare for residency.
Conclusions: These data suggest that the inclusion of a short histology course would be of great benefit to incoming pathology residents.