Abstract:
Histopathological diagnosis of tissue removed at surgical
procedures forms the cornerstone of patient management in
the appropriate context. As the competence and accountability
are of foremost importance in this specialty, it is necessary for
histopathologists to be professionally up to date in their profession.
Thus, there is a need for the development of a competency based
continuous professional development (CPD) program for this
specialty.
Several techniques have been described to identify competencies
expected of doctors in general.1 A number of techniques have been
described to be most appropriate for identifying competencies
in the field of histopathology. These identified competencies are
implicitly linked with the concept of CPD and help to determine
priorities of a CPD program.
The identified competencies would also be of value when
introducing changes to the existing curricula/training programs
for histopathology residents, ensuring achievement of these
competences at the entry level to the specialty level as independent
practitioners.
