Osteopathic physician trainees and pathways to pathology

Abstract

Currently, there are few osteopathic physician trainees who choose to pursue pathology residencies when compared to allopathic students and international medical graduates. Although the amount of residency positions filled by osteopathic students has increased in recent years, the percentage of osteopathic students choosing pathology has not changed much from 2011 to 2022 (about 0.16% increase), and, in 2022, pathology had the third lowest percentage of filled post-graduate year 1 residency positions by osteopathic applicants when compared to fifteen other major medical specialties. Potential explanations for this disparity may include relatively few total numbers of osteopathic applicants when compared to allopathic and international medical graduate trainees, as well as potential institutional educational limitations (i.e., pathology exposure differences among academic-based versus community-based hospital settings). This review suggests ways pathologists and educational institutions may help improve pathology exposure to osteopathic physician trainees, such as pathology interest groups, post-sophomore fellowships, rotating pathology electives, and through social media (e.g., Twitter). Utilizing these (and other) pathways may help improve osteopathic physician recruitment to pathology during subsequent applicant-residency match cycles.