Objective: Recent insights that have emerged in local meetings with participation of pathology residents are promising as regards achieving progress in pathology residency training. Accordingly, in this study, overall pathology residency training in Turkey is discussed in detail from the pathology residents' point of view; current data and suggestions for the solutions of problems are presented.
Material and Method: Two questionnaires were applied to resident representatives and overall residents, respectively, from 23 institutions including 12 Universities and 11 Ministry of Health education and Research Hospitals.
Results: The total number of participating residents was 138; 74 from University hospitals and 64 from Education and Research Hospitals. An adequate number of cases per resident, widespread use of multiocular microscopes, increasing number of macroscopy technicians, ongoing educational meetings and renewal projects of the physical environment were the positive findings. However, the lack of autopsy practice, insufficient number of lectures, communication problems between resident and senior staff due to inadequate feedback mechanism, insufficient numbers of academic staff in education and research hospitals and lack of educational material in some basic branches of surgical pathology were negative findings. During pathology training, the major stress factor was the pathology workload inhibiting optimal learning. Feedback provision and scheduled working habits were the two qualities, which were needed to be improved by senior staff. Two fields, suggested by the senior residents to be incompetent were intraoperative consultation and cytopathology. When overall satisfaction for pathology residency training was considered, it was near 80% in Universities, while it remained around 40% in Education and Research Hospitals (p=0.000).
Conclusion: Positive and negative aspects addressed in this survey will provide data for the new regulations in pathology residency training in Turkey.