CAP TODAY Pathology/Laboratory Medicine/Laboratory Management
Early on, the speakers explained, burnout was thought to relate to the stresses of training, which is no more true than the notion that physicians with burnout can heal themselves. This is a systemic problem with structural, institutional drivers, we learned, and resolution requires multidisciplinary collaboration. It’s everybody’s problem. All of us should be alert to signs of burnout in our practice communities; it can occur at any point in the professional lifespan and manifest in a variety of ways (most commonly exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness). The CAP Board of Governors will talk about how we can help our members grow the skills to address this problem and bring this conversation to their institutions.
The Inspiration Stage featured three outstanding pathologists who make creative use of their skills. Colleagues of Lija Joseph, MD, send cancer patients to her laboratory, where she sits with them at a multiheaded microscope and explains what they see. Crystal Moore, MD, PhD, who faced and overcame significant losses and burnout early in her career, now talks and publishes on health, wellness, and disease for patients and families, and she volunteers with the CAP Foundation See, Test & Treat program. And Barbarajean Magnani, PhD, MD, who makes time in a busy practice to care for patients with addictions, showed how that work adds depth and dimension to all she does as a clinical pathologist.
Britt-Marie Ljung, MD, who led the first CAP workshops on fine-needle aspiration technique, and has done pioneering work to bring the technology to clinics across Africa, gave an outstanding special plenary. Dr. Ljung traced the history and explained the underlying science. In a personal note, she confessed that her spouse jokes that she has “failed at retirement.”
At the Spotlight Event, Kevin Pho, MD (of the KevinMD blog), gave a fine introduction to social media. We are all on social media already via online physician rating services, Dr. Pho reminded us, which is why even a minimal presence online can give patients a more accurate, nuanced view of what their pathologists do.
The CAP18 Abstract Program featured more than 640 posters representing clinical research and case-based experiences within 25 different areas. Five CAP junior members were recognized for their research as part of the Top 5 Junior Member Abstract Program. At the Residents Forum meeting, talks, roundtables, and brainstorming breakouts produced an ambitious to-do list. Our newest colleagues are an intrepid, bright, and welcoming group.
For space reasons, I can’t fully report on the many well-deserved awards and must ask you to visit the website to read about them. Two that I will mention are Pathologist of the Year, presented to our immediate past president, Richard C. Friedberg, MD, PhD, and the CAP Staff Outstanding Achievement Award, presented to Bryce Gilmore, who has been a pillar of the CAP information services division for more than 40 years.
CAP19 will be held Sept. 21–25 at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Fla. Please join us.
Dr. Williams welcomes communication from CAP members. Write to him at president@cap.org.