CAP TODAY Pathology/Laboratory Medicine/Laboratory Management
Patrick Godbey, MD
August 2020—In the past six months, many of us have developed video conferencing skills to an extent we never imagined we would need. Until the COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdowns in several states, a great deal of expertise in Zoom and other similar platforms was not a high priority among many pathologists. I am proud that our community adapted quickly and skillfully to continue providing the best care possible to our patients.
That said, I truly hope that virtual meetings—whether for conferences or check-ins with lab staff—do not become the default way that pathologists practice medicine. I understand that this approach has been necessary to fight the pandemic, and I appreciate the ways that technology has allowed us to connect in a crisis. In fact, the measures we have taken since COVID-19 came to our shores have led to positive developments. The federal government allowing remote sign-out, made possible by the CAP’s actions, is a real plus. The increased use of digital pathology has also been advantageous along with a greater emphasis on the practical use of artificial intelligence, and the CAP has been active here as well. These have been important and welcome changes for pathologists.
Dr. Godbey
But virtual meetings have been a mixed blessing. This year, the CAP annual meeting will happen virtually. There will be more than 50 sessions in which registrants will engage with expert faculty in real time, and registrants will have access to on-demand CME after the meeting. For me, the virtual meeting means I can attend these world-class presentations in the morning, then go out on my dock during the lunch break and visit with the manatee, otter, dolphin, and alligators that make frequent appearances there. Other CAP members can spend those valuable minutes between presentations checking on their kids or replying to emails. In a live event, though, the time between sessions would allow for serendipitous encounters with colleagues. Lunch would be an opportunity to catch up with fellow pathologists and their families. These are people we might get to see only at this one conference each year. Many a scheme has been hatched at the CAP annual meeting. We will leave it at that.
I do not miss the burden of travel for all of the conferences that have been forced to go virtual this year, and I suspect many of you feel the same. But I do not believe that a complete lack of face-to-face meetings best serves the needs of our community in the long run. Acknowledging the limitations of virtual meetings is important. They just aren’t the same as in-person meetings.
There are studies showing that young students do not get as much from remote schooling as they do from in-class studies, and it is likely that education at other levels is no different. So much of the information conveyed in training sessions, hospital rounds, and classes is gleaned through an in-person experience. I worry about how well our residents are learning with less face-to-face contact with their attendings and other physicians. The unscheduled but valuable meetings (“Just ask Dr. Z about this and see what she thinks”) are fewer because Dr. Z’s contact with the resident is now, of necessity, limited.