Getting involved with the Pathology Portal as a trainee: a haematopathology case study
If you have been involved in pathology training at any point over the last 5 years, chances are you have come across the Pathology Portal. What began as a small collection of interactive cases in August 2022 has evolved into a comprehensive free online learning resource hosting whole-slide images (WSIs), interactive quizzes and case-based learning modules.
Since its launch, the platform has continued to grow, with new content added regularly across a broad range of pathology specialties. Its impact has been recognised nationally, receiving recognition in the Digital Literacy, Education and Upskilling category at the HSJ Digital Awards. Today, it is accessed by more than 5,000 users worldwide and offers over 8,000 resources spanning multiple pathology specialties.
Deep learning that reflects real-world practice
During a period of leave from clinical duties, ST5 histopathology trainee Dr Nesem Al-Ali responded to a call for collaborators and was paired with consultant haematopathologist Dr Joy Staniforth. Together, they created and edited 11 cases for the ‘Haematopathology for histopathologists’ section of the Pathology Portal. This involved reviewing WSIs and using screenshots, and/or pre-existing still images, to formulate questions exploring the diagnostic considerations for each case. A batching process allowed flexibility, with Nesem and Joy working on cases when their individual schedules permitted and checking in periodically via emails or online meetings.
From Nesem’s perspective, contributing to the Pathology Portal provided an opportunity to remain intellectually engaged with pathology while away from clinical practice. Working within the subspecialty of haematopathology challenged Nesem to develop knowledge in an area in which many general histopathology trainees have relatively limited exposure. Compiling the educational cases required careful consideration of differential diagnoses, the interpretation of immunostain panels and the construction of questions that reflected real-world diagnostic practice. This promoted deep learning, representing augmentation beyond passive revision strategies. Additionally, the experience of developing cases for the Pathology Portal is good practice for life beyond training, specifically from the point of view of teaching and other educational aspects of a consultant post.
An enjoyable collaboration
The benefits of contributing to the Pathology Portal are not confined to trainees alone. Trainers themselves benefit from having a trainee on board, as this enables the trainer to see cases and their most valuable learning points from the trainee’s point of view. It also helps to have the end user on board with case development, as they can test the accessibility, comprehensiveness and educational suitability of the cases.
Reflecting on the process, Nesem and Joy identified some learning points that would help with future similar collaborations. To make the most of the exercise as an educational experience in a less-familiar specialty, grading the case batches according to difficulty would be useful. They also recommend having a dedicated blank case template as a draft on the editors’ side of the Pathology Portal to improve setup efficiency. Finally, it works better for question assembly if the person creating the first full draft of the case selects the images, as then the intent behind the images does not require second-hand interpretation.
Nesem and Joy had an enjoyable experience and would highly recommend consultant–trainee Pathology Portal case collaboration to others. See Pathology Portal for more information on the Pathology Portal, including how to contact the team if you would like to contribute or have suggestions for content.
Joy Staniforth
