From the President’s Desk: The CAP for the next generation

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Emily E. Volk, MD

January 2022—Happy New Year!

Most of us start each year with resolutions, fresh budgets, or perhaps yearlong plans. This is often the time we think about the future and the choices we need to make now to achieve those long-term goals.

In that spirit, I’ve been thinking about how important it is for the CAP to continually engage with and mentor the newest members of our pathology community. Residents and early-career pathologists bring vibrant energy to our ranks, and many of them will eventually contribute to the leadership of the CAP. While we always value the experience and wisdom of our more seasoned fellows, it is essential that we also make space to train up-and-coming leaders.

When I was a resident, I didn’t think the CAP was for me. I thought it focused on business and laboratory management, and at the time I was most interested in learning the science and medicine of pathology. I had no idea that the CAP offered wonderful educational resources that would have provided exactly the kind of help I wanted.

Dr. Volk

Other CAP members have told me similar stories: So many people wish they had known about and taken advantage of the excellent resources this organization has to offer earlier in their careers. If I had engaged with the Residents Forum at the start of my career, I would have had an incredible network in place when I was looking for my first job.

Instead, it was after my residency and fellowship, during my first year of practice, that a senior partner, Bruce Jones, MD, invited me to apply for the CAP’s Cytopathology Committee. I had no way of knowing then how big an impact that role would have on my career. It was like a passport to the rest of the pathology world, allowing me to meet colleagues in academia, private practice, and independent commercial laboratories. Through that committee position, I was able to advocate for pathologists and the appropriate use of proficiency testing in Washington, DC. That helped me understand the extent of the CAP’s advocacy operation and how that interplayed with the regulatory and scientific parts of the organization.