As Program Director of the MS in Diagnostic Cytopathology program at Rutgers School of Health Professions, how are you evolving curriculum and training to prepare cytotechnologists for increasingly digital and molecular-driven workflows?
Our curriculum is designed to prepare cytologists for the transition to precision-guided treatments driven by innovations in digital pathology and molecular diagnostics. Our graduate-level curriculum has two dedicated courses in molecular diagnostics. In one of the two courses, students become certified on a molecular platform, ensuring they are prepared for work on day one of employment. Digital pathology is also a part of our curriculum. Our students are provided with foundational knowledge of the role and value of digital technology in diagnostic decision-making.
Workforce challenges continue to impact laboratories nationwide—how are you addressing recruitment, retention, and diversity within cytopathology training programs?
I use a multipronged approach to share information about the laboratory professions, and the cytology profession in particular, in my recruitment strategy. Recruitment includes virtual and in-person information sessions, connecting with regional college health career advisors, using social media to post news and information about events, and having one-on-one conversations with folks I meet in coffee shops and in my community about opportunities in the laboratory professions.
Looking ahead, what skills or competencies do you believe will define the next generation of successful cytopathology professionals, and how can current laboratorians begin to adapt now?
Cytologists engaging in research and publishing. One of the important components of our graduate-level curriculum is the research courses, which train our students to add to the body of evidence on cytology practice. Cytologists looking to advance our practice must be the ones leading the way in research on all levels of cytology practice, writing papers, and sharing information. Cytologists are critical thinkers engaged in high-complexity testing. There are opportunities to expand our scope of practice, but we must lead the way.
Through your leadership with the Society of Black Pathologists, how are you working to build mentorship pipelines for underrepresented students entering laboratory medicine?
The Society of Black Pathology offers free membership to medical students and those in training in a laboratory professional program, such as ours here at Rutgers School of Health Professions. Our student members become part of the SBP network, where mentor-mentee connections are made. Many of the SBP members are also part of the other laboratory and pathology mentorship programs and bring those connections to our student and trainee members. Recently, the SBP held a Day of Culture, an event I chaired. The theme was "Pathology Across the Diaspora." This in-person event, held in Atlanta, Georgia, celebrated the Society of Black Pathology's 5th anniversary. A social networking event was part of the celebration, during which we deliberately gathered information to establish mentorship relationships.
What lessons from your own career path have most influenced how you mentor and develop the next generation of cytopathology professionals?
I have been a cytologist for over thirty years. The lesson for me is recognizing opportunities. There are opportunities to branch out while remaining rooted in cytology. This is one of my main messages to potential students looking to join the profession, and to my students. I never imagined that my cytology training would lead me to a career in academia, but here I am twenty-five years later, educating cytologists who become integral members of patient care teams.
