CAP Grows a More Representative Membership

In 2023, the CAP continued to diversify and expand toward a more representative and impactful membership to act on behalf of pathology and laboratory medicine. The decision to create two new member classes for medical students and international pathology residents in late 2022 resulted in meaningful growth. The world’s largest pathologist organization needs to reflect the evolving demographics, interests, and voices of its physicians while providing a common goal and shared purpose. The CAP now has over 19,000 active members offering a range of opinions, expertise, and leadership to guide the specialty into the future.

CAP Empowers the Future, Connects Medical Students to Pathology

With the launch of medical student membership, the CAP significantly enhanced its outreach through various programs like the Pathologist Pipeline Initiative, which aims to grow the specialty by ensuring pathology attracts the best and brightest medical students. These efforts introduced numerous opportunities for medical students such as webinars, tailored educational and networking tracks for CAP23, residency mock interviews, and the expansion of the medical student content on cap.org.

Surpassing its 2023 target metrics, 206 medical student members registered to attend the CAP23 annual meeting; 42 Distinguished Medical Student Awards were conferred, representing an impressive 82% increase from the previous year; and 209 pipeline champions—a 161% increase from 2022—volunteered to reach out and mentor students on behalf of the specialty. The CAP remained steadfast in its commitment to support the future of pathology and attract students to this vital specialty.

New Committee Upholds Ethical Standards for Members

Not only does the CAP want a larger, more diverse membership, the organization also wants to further ensure that these pathologists uphold the values and professionalism worthy of a physician. That is why in 2023, the CAP created its first-ever Ethics and Professionalism Committee to enhance awareness and understanding of the value and responsibility of CAP membership. The CAP stands by its assertion that pathologists deal in truth, not misinformation, and imparts this expectation onto its members.

House of Delegates Fills Seats

The House of Delegates (HOD) is the CAP’s largest elected body, comprising over 560 delegates across 60 delegations spanning the United States, Canada, and the US Armed Forces. The HOD serves as a crucial link between members and leadership, shaping the organization and the broader specialty. It collaborates with CAP Advocacy, councils, committees, and state pathology societies to advance member-centric programs, services, and initiatives. HOD meetings offer delegates the opportunity to gain insights, build professional relationships, and provide feedback to CAP leadership.

Delegate and delegation chair elections were held in 2023, with all 604 delegate seats open for the triennial elections. As a result, the HOD welcomed 498 delegates and 60 new delegation chairs in May. Over the following six months, over 60 seats were filled through the efforts of the new delegation chairs and the HOD Steering Committee initiative to “fill the House.”

The HOD hosted two successful hybrid meetings in 2023: one in April preceding the Pathologists Leadership Summit in Washington, DC, and another in October to kick off the CAP23 annual meeting. The latter received a 98% satisfaction rating and had the most attendees ever at an HOD meeting. The topics at these meetings brought member needs and issues front and center and reflected a year of economic challenges, changing practice models and workforce dynamics, and proliferating non-traditional career options.

Residents Forum Provides Community and Resources for Trainees

The Residents Forum serves as a vibrant community for pathology residents and medical students, aiming to foster their professional growth and leadership capabilities. Under the leadership of the Residents Forum Executive Committee, the forum provided an array of career development resources and initiatives for Junior Members, including webinars and conferences designed to meet the immediate and evolving needs of pathologists-in-training.

In 2023, the Spring Residents Forum Meeting was held in New Orleans and the fall meeting at CAP23 in Chicago, both receiving excellent feedback from attendees. These events focused on timely early-career development topics and saw a surge in participation, setting new records in attendance. Supplementing these events were well-received webinars, conducted consistently throughout the year and tackling a wide range of subjects like CAP laboratory inspections, subspecialization, board exam study strategies, and wellness. These online sessions resonated deeply with the community, drawing the participation of more than 1,000 residents and medical students.

In response to member input, the CAP launched a new program called the Fellowship Forum in the summer of 2023. This initiative is designed to meet the needs of pathologists in fellowship training with real-time, candid information to support their transition into practice. The inaugural forum took place as a virtual three-part event focusing on negotiation strategies, with each session dedicated to a specific practice setting. These virtual small-group discussions not only met but exceeded expectations, setting a foundation for additional 2024 Fellowship Forum programming.

CAP Meetings Bring All Pathologists Together

The CAP23 annual meeting returned to Chicago October 7–10, 2023, and provided innovative education, unparalleled networking opportunities, and immersive engagement for 1,257 pathologists and pathologists in training. Not only did pathologists attend the annual meeting in large numbers, they reported a 97% overall satisfaction rate, reflecting the CAP’s efforts to provide the best experience possible for its members.

The collective knowledge of CAP member experts culminated in 89 education courses during the meeting and provided registrants with an additional 38 on-demand courses accessible into early 2024. This robust educational content included a full-day soft tissue course; the interactive Pathology Side Gigs session, which explored opportunities for pathologists to earn extra income and put their expertise to work; and laboratory accreditation inspector training.

A redesigned Meeting of the Membership also served to inaugurate Donald S. Karcher, MD, FCAP, as the CAP’s 38th president and marked a dynamic kickoff to CAP23 that continued with an inaugural event celebrating “one world, one CAP.”

The annual meeting featured other spotlight events like keynote speaker Sanjay Gupta, MD, chief medical correspondent for CNN, who spoke with Dr. Karcher about medicine and media and the current state of US health care, before fielding audience questions.

The CAP hosted other truly unique in-person and virtual events in 2023, none more exotic than Pathology in the Islands. The combination intensive education program and tropical getaway provided attendees with 15 CME credits from expert faculty while leaving their afternoons open to explore all the Bahamian island resort had to offer.

New MyCAP Features Promote Meaningful Connections

Announced at CAP23, the MyCAP app version three update introduced social communities and in-app direct messaging, designed to cultivate even more collaboration for CAP members. The social communities serve as a hub for pathologists to participate in topic-specific forums while the direct messaging feature provides a private, secure platform for individual conversations. These new additions allow members to not only connect with peers but also engage in discussions, share insights, and seek guidance in real-time, thereby enriching their professional network.

CAP Members Learn Anywhere, Anytime

The CAP delivered education in flexible, adaptive formats in 2023. In addition to social communities and direct messaging, new features of the MyCAP app also included a peer comparison feature for FastFive Challenges and 100 new questions that can be completed to earn free CME.

Three new Essentials of Laboratory Management modules provided customized content based on individual learners’ needs. These came in addition to the two sold-out Ultrasound Fine Needle Aspiration workshops, the Laboratory Medical Direction workshop, and the new Virtual Multidisciplinary Breast Pathology workshop—all of which received high reviews from attendees and helped keep pathologists up to date on the specialty’s latest techniques.

CAP Builds Leaders and Communicators

For over 10 years, the Engaged Leadership Academy (ELA) has provided professional development and communication skill-building for CAP members through an intensive and exclusive workshop.

In November 2023, the ELA trained 39 attendees ranging from residents to members 18 years in practice and hailing from 17 states and Puerto Rico. At ELA workshops, attendees learn from experienced faculty and communication leaders to tell their professional and personal stories. They also learn effective ways to advocate for pathology in a variety of settings such as with their legislator, their colleagues or hospital leaders, the media, and the public. The programming included panel discussions from pathology leaders discussing their media experience and the impact it has had on their career and the specialty. Executive coaching sessions covered persuasive messages and influential storytelling, thinking on your feet, and utilizing opportunities within question-and-answer sessions.

Graduates of the ELA now join the Engaged Leadership Network community, launched in February of 2023, which gives members access to video resources, discussions on tips and tricks with faculty and other members, and updates on media and speaking opportunities through the CAP. 

In 2023, two in-person and two virtual Presenters Program presentation skills training workshops were held, graduating a total of 20 participants. Of those participants, 17 also completed hour-long one-on-one executive coaching sessions to refine their presentation delivery skills. Through the Presenters Program, the CAP continued to ensure its representatives are able to deliver engaging and productive presentations at industry and organizational meetings on behalf of the CAP.

CAP Continues to Make Its Mark in the Media

To raise the visibility of the specialty and its practitioners while educating the public, CAP media relations staff worked with members to build solid relationships with national and local media in 2023. Guided by media relations staff, CAP members participated in more than a hundred interviews, providing expertise on topics ranging from COVID-19, education on using at-home tests, transgender health disparities, artificial intelligence in pathology, and much more.

Emily E. Volk, MD, FCAP, participated in several interviews on eGFR testing for kidney disease and participated in a 28-city satellite radio and TV media tour discussing and providing education on the triple threat of COVID-19, RSV, and flu. Donald Karcher, MD, FCAP, kicked off his presidency with a media briefing at CAP23, where he moderated panels on the pathologist staffing issues, transgender health, fertility clinics, and COVID, RSV, and flu. Media outlets attending the briefing included ABC News, the Associated Press, Everyday Health, and the Wall Street Journal.

Dozens of CAP Fellows lent their pathology expertise to comment on many more health care topics like complex advocacy issues, cancer screening and diagnosis, toxicology, and more. These combined efforts resulted in thousands of media mentions for CAP members and the CAP, helping to highlight the role of pathologists in medicine while also providing patients and the public with accurate and informed news.

CAP Foundation Improves Equity and Care for Pathologists and Patients

In 2023, the CAP Foundation bestowed 107 grants and awards that make a direct impact on community health care while also providing medical students, residents, and practicing pathologists with the tools, experiences, and opportunities to improve their careers and patient care. Together, these approaches help ensure an equitable and productive future for pathologists and patients alike.

Furthering its commitment to health equity in the US and abroad, the Foundation gave 60 Global Pathology Education Awards to pathologists in medically under-resourced countries, providing virtual attendance to the CAP23 annual meeting and the best educational courses available. Awardees were also given the opportunity to apply for a year of complimentary International Fellow Membership and access the many resources that come with being a CAP member. In addition, through the Global Pathology Development Grant, projects in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda received funding to enhance and expand the delivery of pathology services.

Working with industry partners, member leaders, and supporters, the CAP Foundation also created new awards that provided specialized training and hands-on experience in the laboratory. The Forensic Pathology Advanced Training Grant, the Clinical Laboratory Investigator Award, and the Genomic Testing Process Improvement Award all provide unique and rewarding experiences across different subspecialties and address issues impacting pathology. The Foundation also continued to develop tomorrow’s leaders in pathology through its Medical Student Travel Award and Leadership Development Award.

Also in 2023, the CAP Foundation partnered with 12 institutions across the US for its much-lauded See, Test & Treat program, which provides pathologist-led free cancer screening and other health services in medically underserved communities. More than a dozen pathologists led hundreds of clinical volunteers in providing over 600 patients in need with cervical and breast cancer screening while also connecting them to a health care home. Not only do patients receive potentially lifesaving care, but the program also places pathologists and the medical laboratory at the forefront of their institutions. See, Test & Treat is just one reason the CAP received a Profiles of Excellence Award in Communications from the American Association of Medical Society Executives.

CAP Fosters Diverse, Professional Workplace

The CAP continued its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) for both its members and employees. After unveiling a formal strategy in 2022 and welcoming its first director of DE&I, the CAP continued to implement key initiatives in 2023, prioritizing strategic areas of the workforce and workplace.

With an ongoing focus on learning, the CAP expanded and deepened employee understanding of how diversity, equity, and inclusion impact its culture and business. A targeted, inclusive leadership program was launched to provide practical tools for CAP leaders to foster inclusion within their team, and a DE&I learning module was also added to new hire onboarding. Over 50 staff members have also participated in an ongoing mentoring and job shadowing program that helps ensure an equitable and representative group of employees are able to excel at the CAP.

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which build communities of shared support, continued to be highly engaged and instrumental in driving inclusion throughout the enterprise. ERG panel discussions have also spotlighted member experiences and the importance of DE&I in the practice of pathology. The CAP also strives to be an example in employees’ communities through its paid volunteer time program. About 150 CAP staff demonstrated their social responsibility through 817 hours of volunteering with local and national organizations.

Through these combined approaches, the CAP hopes to deliver long-term results aimed at nurturing a workplace of mutual respect and inclusion, where employees can bring their authentic selves to work and develop a culture that considers DE&I in interactions with CAP members, customers, and the community at large.