Structure of the Training

Consultation Meetings: Residents participate in daily consultation meetings with specialists in the pathology department using a multi-head microscope. These meetings primarily focus on complex or rare tissue samples that are difficult to diagnose, providing educational value for the residents.

Teaching Meetings for Residents: Special teaching meetings exclusively for residents are generally held once a week. Specialists in pathology conduct the teaching, which may be in the form of lectures or practical microscopy sessions.

Educational Meetings: Regular educational meetings for the department are held at least once a week. Specialists in pathology and residents contribute to the education, including international lectures in electronic format, where renowned foreign experts in pathology discuss the pathology of various organ systems with an emphasis on innovations and diagnostic criteria.

Self-Study: Residents engage in self-study by reading textbooks in pathology and scientific articles, particularly in relation to the processing of tissue samples. Various other educational materials in pathology are available in the pathology department for residents to utilize.

Courses and Study Trips: Residents in full-year positions have the contractual right to a study trip abroad once each academic year. These trips can be related to general residency training in pathology and/or research projects of the residents. Supervisors assist in selecting appropriate conferences/courses based on the residents' status in their training.

Supervision

Residents are assigned a supervisor at the beginning of their residency. Many specialists in the pathology department have completed training courses in educational supervision and clinical supervision through the Royal College of Physicians. The residency in pathology takes place entirely within the same department, and due to the small size of the department and the close daily contact between specialists and residents, there is no need for additional clinical supervisors; however, significant general supervision occurs in daily work within the department.

Supervisors and residents meet formally on a monthly basis, but residents also have easy access to their supervisors in between meetings. The supervisor is responsible for supporting, guiding, and overseeing the resident's acquisition of the knowledge and skills outlined in the objectives. During their monthly meetings, they discuss the progress of the residency, the resident's well-being in the training, and the supervisor provides advice regarding specific training needs if necessary.

Progress Assessment

Training Log: Residents maintain a training log (logbook) for each academic year that includes an overview of the elements that the resident needs to learn and demonstrate competence in by the end of the year. In the logbook, residents record all completed tasks accordingly, providing a good overview to assess whether they are gaining the training and experience specified in the objectives.

Direct Observation of Practical Skills (DOPS): The practical skills of residents are monitored during the description and assessment of tissue samples and the performance of autopsies.

Case-Based Discussions (CBD): Residents review cases with specialists related to the cases they are working on, discussing practical execution, microscopy examination, and diagnosis.

Multi-Source Feedback (MSF): An evaluation system where various professionals within the department assess aspects of the resident's behavior, such as professionalism, teamwork skills, and communication abilities.

Practical Exam in Histopathology/Cytopathology (Microscopic Analysis): At the end of each academic year, a practical exam is administered to residents to assess whether they have achieved the training objectives in microscopy and tissue analysis according to the objectives.

General Assessment (Continuous Assessment): The competency assessment of residents regarding professional skills and knowledge is also conducted as continuous assessment, as significant daily collaboration and teaching occur between residents and specialists in daily work.

Assessment Meeting: At the end of each academic year, a special assessment meeting is held where the education director, supervisor, and chief physician/department head of the pathology department meet with the resident to discuss the progress of the residency, particularly regarding whether the resident has met the established goals and is ready to advance to the next level in the residency.

Shifts: Residents share on-call duties on weekdays from 16 to 19 and on weekends from 8 to 19.