I discuss issues pertaining to the practice of neuropathology -- including nervous system tumors, neuroanatomy, neurodegenerative disease, muscle and nerve disorders, ophthalmologic pathology, neuro trivia, neuropathology gossip, job listings and anything else that might be of interest to a blue-collar neuropathologist.
Showing posts with label education and training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education and training. Show all posts
This chart released by the American Board of Pathology reveals that neuropathology (NP) fellows taking their subspecialty board examination should not be too worried about passing. In 2015, 28 out of 29 first-time takers passed. That's a lot better than those taking the statistically hardest board exam, blood banking/transfusion medicine (BB/TM), which had a 85% first-time pass rate.
The next neuropathology board examination is September 14, 2016.
On rare occasion, I stray from this blog's focus on clinical neuropathology to inform readers about new innovations in education. After all, we neuropathologists, almost by definition, are educators. I would therefore like to introduce a new direction in higher education that may indeed change the world. I am talking about edX, a joint venture between Harvard and MIT that will offer online learning to millions of people around the world for free. Anyone with an internet connection, whether you are a shopkeeper in Bangalore or a teenager in Modesto, will soon be able to take graded courses at MIT and Harvard while engaging with other online students and interacting with professors. MIT launched the prototype for this new innovation this spring with a course called "Circuits and Electronics". About 120,000 individuals worldwide registered for this single course -- a number approaching the total number of living MIT alumni! Anant Agarwal, MIT’s Director of the Computer Science and
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and new President of edX, had this to say about this new venture: “Online
education for students around the world will be the next big thing in
education. This is the single biggest change in education since the printing
press.”
At this point, no degrees will be granted, but students will receive certificates verifying completion of a course.
At the press conference announcing the launch of edX, Harvard Provost Alan Garber said: “We believe in not only producing educational courses
online, but using this as literally an unprecedented opportunity to examine
fundamental questions about how we learn. This is not only about how to design
the best online courses. This is about learning how to use the classroom more
effectively… It’s enabling us to ask very different questions than we’ve typically
asked before. For example, we need not only ask how will our students do on an
exam, we can begin to ask questions about how well they acquire and apply the
information months after the course has ended… This is a platform that will
enable us to do research that simply hasn’t been possible before.”
There no doubt that this new endeavor will change the face of education, democratizing and radically diffusing knowledge and intellectual discourse. EdX is the beginning of a new way of teaching and a new way of learning, and the change will extend to medical education, including neuropathology education. This should be interesting.....
Today I feature a guest post from the illustrious Dr. Mike Lawlor.
Hi Everyone,
I'd just like to tell everyone about a program
that the NIH offers, which may be of great interest to Neuropathology Fellows,
Research Fellows, and Junior Faculty. It's called the NIH Loan Repayment
Program (LRP), and it's designed to encourage people with an interest in
research to remain in the academic research environment. From what I've
heard, the NIH created this program so that people with lots of student loans
(mostly medical doctors) with an interest in research would not give up their
research careers due to their loan debt.
I just got an email from the LRP people, and
they now have a webinar available to help people apply. The link for the
webinar is:http://bit.ly/nihlrptutorial
Michael W. Lawlor, MD, PhD
The award offers up to $35,000 per year for up to two
years, and you're able to apply for renewals whenever it runs out. This
counts as income, but the NIH also pays the federal income tax on this grant
for you. I ended up owing about $2000 in state tax every year for
having the award, but that doesn't seem like much as you watch your student
loans disappear.
Here's what you'll need:
1) The grant application, which can be found this site. The forms aren't too labor-intensive, and you need to
propose a 2-year research program and be able to guarantee a 50% effort
commitment to the research.
2) A bunch of info on your student loans,
most/all of which can be found on your monthly statements. Your student
loan burden needs to exceed a certain amount before you qualify, and the amount
you need is dependent on your income. Given the non-stellar income of
most neuropath fellows and research fellows, it's actually pretty easy to
qualify on financial grounds. You may continue to apply for renewals as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
3) Someone to vouch for you. Your research adviser will need to reply to an email that confirms that you are devoting 50%
effort to your research every quarter. After that confirmation is made,
and you confirm that the prior payment made it to the right account, they apply
a payment to your educational loans.
Anyway, I've been in this program for the past 2
years, had it renewed for another year, and am in the process of writing
another renewal. It really is a fantastic program with excellent support.
The next deadline is November 15th, so there's definitely time for you
guys to put something together. Once you submit the application, you'll
hear nothing for about 6 months, and then they'll ask you for some updated
student loan information if you've made it through their scientific review
process. The application cycle is once per year.
I hope that this helps some of you, and good
luck!
The next in our "Best of the Month" series is from April 6, 2011:
For those of you who are scrambling to get neuropathology Self-Assessment Module (SAM) continuing medical education credits, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) now has an answer. If you attained your neuropathology board certification after 2006, every two years you must submit to the American Board of Pathology proof that you have obtained 20 SAM-eligible continuing medical education credits. If you subscribe to the CAP Neuropathology Education product, which provides you with two 5-credit SAM modules per year, you've got your requirement covered. This is a particularly attractive option since there are so few neuropathology SAM modules on the market. (For example, the American Association of Neuropathologists currently only offers a single 1-credit SAM module.) I just completed the first 2011 CAP Neuropathology CD-ROM installment. It is outstanding. Each edition features a theme, or "minisymposium". The current edition's "minisymposium" focuses on tumor predisposition syndromes. (Pictured is a coronal brain section, taken from the current edition of the CD-ROM, of a brain with classic features of a classic tumor predisposition syndrome.) To just get CME credit, you only have to submit to the CAP answers to the questions posed on the CD-ROM itself. But if you want those crucial SAM-designated credits, you must additionally pass a 20-question online post-test.
The CD-ROM product is created by the CAP Neuropathology Committee, whose chair is Dr. Bette DeMasters. She recently informed me that the second 2011 CD-ROM edition will feature the first of a two-part discussion of vascular diseases of the CNS, with University of Florida's Dr. Tony Yachnis as author of the minisymposium introduction. For 2012, Dr. DeMasters tells me that the first edition will feature papillary tumors of the CNS, both primary and metastatic; and the second edition will feature the second part of the vascular disease discussion.
I've always been a big fan of the CAP Neuropathology CD-ROM product, but now it is more than just a quality product. It is now absolutely essential to the young neuropathologist who wants to stay on the good side of the American Board of Pathology. Thank you, CAP!!!
Update: Since this post's original publication, the second of the 2011 CAP neuropathology education products has arrived in my mailbox.
For those of you who are scrambling to get neuropathology Self-Assessment Module (SAM) continuing medical education credits, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) now has an answer. If you attained your neuropathology board certification after 2006, every two years you must submit to the American Board of Pathology proof that you have obtained 20 SAM-eligible continuing medical education credits. If you subscribe to the CAP Neuropathology Education product, which provides you with two 5-credit SAM modules per year, you've got your requirement covered. This is a particularly attractive option since there are so few neuropathology SAM modules on the market. (For example, the American Association of Neuropathologists currently only offers a single 1-credit SAM module.) I just completed the first 2011 CAP Neuropathology CD-ROM installment. It is outstanding. Each edition features a theme, or "minisymposium". The current edition's "minisymposium" focuses on tumor predisposition syndromes. (Pictured is a coronal brain section, taken from the current edition of the CD-ROM, of a brain with classic features of a classic tumor predisposition syndrome.) To just get CME credit, you only have to submit to the CAP answers to the questions posed on the CD-ROM itself. But if you want those crucial SAM-designated credits, you must additionally pass a 20-question online post-test.
The CD-ROM product is created by the CAP Neuropathology Committee, whose chair is Dr. Bette DeMasters. She recently informed me that the second 2011 CD-ROM edition will feature the first of a two-part discussion of vascular diseases of the CNS, with University of Florida's Dr. Tony Yachnis as author of the minisymposium introduction. For 2012, Dr. DeMasters tells me that the first edition will feature papillary tumors of the CNS, both primary and metastatic; and the second edition will feature the second part of the vascular disease discussion.
I've always been a big fan of the CAP Neuropathology CD-ROM product, but now it is more than just a quality product. It is now absolutely essential to the young neuropathologist who wants to stay on the good side of the American Board of Pathology. Thank you, CAP!!!
This guest post, the next in our "Best of the Month" series, is from September 1, 2010 and was authored by Dr. John E. Donahue, neuropathologist at Brown University School of Medicine. Dr. Donahue (pictured) is responding to a question raised by a neurology resident who considering doing a neuropathology fellowship. I would argue that, despite the potential professional hurdles such cross-training might present to the trainee, neurologists who practice neuropathology bring a fresh insight which dynamizes the subspecialty. Here are Dr. Donahue's thoughts :
I am a neurology-trained neuropathologist. Many years ago, that was the norm; almost all neuropathology was done by neurologists. They saw patients, cut brains, looked at slides, and taught. Mass. General Hospital had neurology, neuropathology, and psychiatry as a single department until the late 1950's.
Nowadays, the neurologist-neuropathologist is going the way of the dinosaur, and I may be one of the last of my kind. Neuropathology has been taken over by pathology in most places, and almost all neuropathologists are now pathology-trained. For those that are still in medical school and contemplating neuropathology, as much as it breaks my heart to say this, I'd strongly consider going the pathology route from a pragmatic perspective. In the 21st century, it's much easier to find a job this way. For those that are already in a neurology residency and have their heart set on neuropathology, there are four distinct job possibilities that come to mind. A certain amount of teaching, either to medical students, residents, fellows, or all of the above, is a requirement for most jobs in all of these categories.
1) Neuropathology (NP) only. This is what I thought I was signing up for when I signed up for NP because the neuropathologist where I did my neurology residency did NP only. However, come to find out, these jobs are extremely rare. It would require being in an academic setting with a big enough neurosurgical volume to justify the expense of an NP-only person. This is not a realistic possibility for most jobs.
2) NP/neurology. Very few places have neurology and NP in the same department. The New Jersey Neuroscience Institute in Edison, NJ comes to mind as one. However, in the vast majority of institutions, NP is under the domain of pathology. Thus, in order to pull off the NP/neurology combo, a lot of administrative creativity and flexibility are required. You'd have to be paid by two departments and be beholden to two chairs. Like NP only, this is not a realistic possibility for most jobs.
3) NP with anatomic pathology (AP). In order to be board-certified in NP via the neurology route, in addition to the two-year NP fellowship, you have to do a minimum of one year of an AP residency. If you do a second year, that would make you board-eligible in AP as well. This would significantly increase your marketability and the number of pathology employers that would potentially be interested in hiring you. In the 21st century, if you have your heart set on NP and don't mind examining "lower-organ" pathology, this would be my recommended route to the best job security. Keep in mind that if you go this route, you're looking at EIGHT years of residency and fellowship after medical school graduation (one year internal medicine, three years neurology, two years NP, two years AP). Can you tolerate being a trainee for that long?
4) NP-research. If you have your heart set on neuropathology, hate "lower-organ" pathology, and/or don't want to spend eight years as a clinical trainee, then you most likely will have to go this route. The only way for neuropathologists to generate substantial amounts of revenue without having to do AP is to bring in research grant money, either from NIH, private foundations, industry, or any or all of the above. So you'd best attach yourself to a mentor during your residency and learn how to do basic neuroscience research, generate preliminary data, and submit a grant proposal. With application success rates below 10% nowadays, this option is not for the feint of heart. It really requires a genuine interest in bench research and a willingness to pick yourself up off the canvas and dust off after each rejection until you finally break through. You'll also be doing seven postgraduate years of training after medical school (one internal medicine, three neurology, two NP, one AP).
This guest posts was authored by Dr. John E. Donahue, neuropathologist at Brown University School of Medicine. Dr. Donahue (pictured) is responding to a question raised by a neurology resident who considering doing a neuropathology fellowship. I would argue that, despite the potential professional hurdles such cross-training might present to the trainee, neurologists who practice neuropathology bring a fresh insight which dynamizes the subspecialty. Here are Dr. Donahue's thoughts :
I am a neurology-trained neuropathologist. Many years ago, that was the norm; almost all neuropathology was done by neurologists. They saw patients, cut brains, looked at slides, and taught. Mass. General Hospital had neurology, neuropathology, and psychiatry as a single department until the late 1950's.
Nowadays, the neurologist-neuropathologist is going the way of the dinosaur, and I may be one of the last of my kind. Neuropathology has been taken over by pathology in most places, and almost all neuropathologists are now pathology-trained. For those that are still in medical school and contemplating neuropathology, as much as it breaks my heart to say this, I'd strongly consider going the pathology route from a pragmatic perspective. In the 21st century, it's much easier to find a job this way. For those that are already in a neurology residency and have their heart set on neuropathology, there are four distinct job possibilities that come to mind. A certain amount of teaching, either to medical students, residents, fellows, or all of the above, is a requirement for most jobs in all of these categories.
1) Neuropathology (NP) only. This is what I thought I was signing up for when I signed up for NP because the neuropathologist where I did my neurology residency did NP only. However, come to find out, these jobs are extremely rare. It would require being in an academic setting with a big enough neurosurgical volume to justify the expense of an NP-only person. This is not a realistic possibility for most jobs.
2) NP/neurology. Very few places have neurology and NP in the same department. The New Jersey Neuroscience Institute in Edison, NJ comes to mind as one. However, in the vast majority of institutions, NP is under the domain of pathology. Thus, in order to pull off the NP/neurology combo, a lot of administrative creativity and flexibility are required. You'd have to be paid by two departments and be beholden to two chairs. Like NP only, this is not a realistic possibility for most jobs.
3) NP with anatomic pathology (AP). In order to be board-certified in NP via the neurology route, in addition to the two-year NP fellowship, you have to do a minimum of one year of an AP residency. If you do a second year, that would make you board-eligible in AP as well. This would significantly increase your marketability and the number of pathology employers that would potentially be interested in hiring you. In the 21st century, if you have your heart set on NP and don't mind examining "lower-organ" pathology, this would be my recommended route to the best job security. Keep in mind that if you go this route, you're looking at EIGHT years of residency and fellowship after medical school graduation (one year internal medicine, three years neurology, two years NP, two years AP). Can you tolerate being a trainee for that long?
4) NP-research. If you have your heart set on neuropathology, hate "lower-organ" pathology, and/or don't want to spend eight years as a clinical trainee, then you most likely will have to go this route. The only way for neuropathologists to generate substantial amounts of revenue without having to do AP is to bring in research grant money, either from NIH, private foundations, industry, or any or all of the above. So you'd best attach yourself to a mentor during your residency and learn how to do basic neuroscience research, generate preliminary data, and submit a grant proposal. With application success rates below 10% nowadays, this option is not for the feint of heart. It really requires a genuine interest in bench research and a willingness to pick yourself up off the canvas and dust off after each rejection until you finally break through. You'll also be doing seven postgraduate years of training after medical school (one internal medicine, three neurology, two NP, one AP).
I recently received in the mail the College of American Pathologists' excellent Neuropathology Program CD-ROM, the first of two installments for the year. I've written about this product in the past; and I recommend it to trainees, general pathologists, and neuropathologists. Each installment consists of eight cases, four of which are linked by a particular theme. The current edition's theme (the CAP uses the term "symposium") is Masses in the Cauda Equina Region. The symposium introduction is written by Drs. Bette K. DeMasters and Hillary L. Somerset of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.(Dr. Somerset is pictured.) Included in the symposium introduction is a handy algorithmic representation for the differential diagnosis of cauda equina lesions. Good stuff!
Today I profile Dr. Craig Horbinski (pictured), a rising star in the neuropathology firmament. If you follow the neuropathology literature, you are sure to hear about Craig in the coming decades as he sure to make a big impact on the field. After a short biographical sketch, Craig answers a few of my questions:
Craig Horbinski hails from snowy Buffalo, NY, where he did both his undergraduate training in Biology at Canisius College and a combined MD, PhD at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Craig’s work as a graduate student was on mechanisms of dendrite growth, requiring a lot of microscopy and morphometric analyses. After a 1-year postdoctoral research fellowship studying Parkinson Disease at the University of Pittsburgh, he did 3-year Anatomic Pathology residency at UPMC. During this time Craig developed an interest in oncogenesis, particularly as his residency training exposed him to cutting-edge molecular diagnostic approaches to neoplasms. Thus, when continuing his training as a fellow in neuropathology at Pitt, he focused his research on both the molecular diagnostics of gliomas and mechanisms underlying gliomagenesis, as well as the application of telemedicine to neuropathology. Upon completion of his neuropathology fellowship in July of 2009, Craig joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky in Lexington as an Assistant Professor in Neuropathology, where he is continuing his work on gliomagenesis and molecular diagnostics as an independent principal investigator. Craig is married to Christy and has a 1-year old son, Cedric. He and Christy are slated to adopt a baby from China, probably by early 2010.
1.Why did you decide to become a neuropathologist?
I’ve been attracted to the neurosciences since my sophomore year of college, which featured a fantastic course on neurobiology. Since I was already committed to being a physician, I thought neurology was the way to go (neurosurgery was out of the question). But as I went through medical school I discovered the field of pathology, in particular neuropathology. To me it seemed the best way to scratch both the research and clinical itches (so to speak), as neuropathology lends itself particularly well to those with combined-degree training.
2.Name a couple of important professional mentors. Why were they important to you?
The first person I have to acknowledge is Dennis Higgins, my thesis advisor back at SUNY Buffalo. He was a real gem, a pure scientist whose passion for science was both inspiring and infectious. It’s not an exaggeration to say I learned how to think like a scientist from him. Tragically he died of pancreatic cancer a few years ago; I think he would have been pleased to see how things have gone for me thus far. The second key person is Clayton Wiley, the Director of Neuropathology at the University of Pittsburgh. While I learned science from Dennis, I learned grantsmanship and administration from Clayton. He’s one of those exceedingly rare people who managed to succeed at all four pillars of an academic physician’s life: research, clinical, administration, and teaching. Plus he’s mastered the art of staying out of political brouhahas—not a trivial accomplishment in a big academic center. Even more intolerable is that he’s a terrific guy, very approachable, with a sharp, self-deprecating wit. Anyone who wants to know how to survive as a physician-scientist ought to emulate Clayton.
3.What advice would you give to a pathology resident interested in doing a neuropathology fellowship?
Be sure you are flexible with where you want to live. The job market for neuropathology is pretty good right now, but since brain tumors are relatively uncommon, only medium-to-large cities can typically sustain neuropathologists. That is, unless you are planning on doing full-time clinical, with some general surgical path mixed in. Another word of caution goes to those who want to develop an independent research program—most academic neuropath openings will claim they want you to do independently-funded research, but beware of red flags like being asked to commit 50% or more of your time to clinical work “until you get a grant” (which probably won’t happen if you’re devoting that much time to clinical), or splitting your clinical time between neuropath and general surgical path.
4.What city (other than Lexington, KY of course) would you like a future American Association of Neuropathologists meeting to be held and why?
I think Salt Lake City would be a neat change of pace from the typical destinations. It’s fairly easy to fly to, it’s relatively inexpensive, the weather’s good in June, and the mountain scenery is gorgeous.
Today I profile Dr. Craig Horbinski (pictured), a rising star in the neuropathology firmament. If you follow the neuropathology literature, you are sure to hear about Craig in the coming decades as he sure to make a big impact on the field. After a short biographical sketch, Craig answers a few of my questions:
