"A paradigm shift is required, and it must begin in medical schools and residencies." #pathologists

Adam Booth and Timothy Craig Allen (2018) Talking to Myself. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine: June 2018, Vol. 142, No. 6, pp. 682-683.

EDITORIALS

Talking to Myself

Adam Booth, MD; Timothy Craig Allen, MD, JD

From the Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston (Dr Booth); and the Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson (Dr Allen).

The authors have no relevant financial interest in the products or companies described in this article.

Corresponding author: Timothy Craig Allen, MD, JD, Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N State St, Jackson, MS 39216 (email: tcallen@umc.edu).

"There is an immediacy in pathologists' reaching out to their patients. Newly minted physicians graduate medical school having spent 4 years learning not only the science of medicine but also to cultivate communication skills as applied to patient care. After graduation, most of these young doctors go into specialties where they continue to practice and hone their dialogue with patients. However, pathology residents abruptly stop communicating with patients just when they are getting good at it and, with few exceptions, typically never interact routinely with patients again. Moreover, this expectation of no or very limited patient interaction is traditional, and pathology residents, therefore, presume it will continue indefinitely, at least throughout their professional careers. A paradigm shift is required, and it must begin in medical schools and residencies. The future of pathology must involve more patient interaction, and training is where those changes must begin, with mentors setting the example and paving the way for the new generation of pathologists. This is perhaps pathologists' greatest challenge today. It is directly related to not only excellence in patient care and the patients' experience but also to professionalism and professional satisfaction, continued recruitment of the best medical students for careers in pathology, and payment. It is, in fact, vital to the future success of the profession."