Joanne Y. To¹, Ali Moghimi^{1, 2}

¹Department of Histopathology, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
²Faculty of Medicine and Health, The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Background:  The global shortage of perinatal and paediatric pathologists has created a workforce crisis, widening the gap between available expertise and growing demand. Addressing this gap is crucial to developing strategies to support and expand the workforce in these critical fields. Exposure to the perinatal and perinatal pathology during the training and trainee’s perception of these subspecialties are potential key factors contributing to the number of qualified professionals in these fields. 

Method:  An online survey is being conducted among trainees in Anatomical Pathology, Forensic Pathology, and General Pathology within the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) to identify factors influencing their decision on having exposure to or specialise in perinatal and paediatric pathology. The survey includes a range of question types to capture diverse insights explore key determinants and overall familiarity with perinatal and paediatric pathology. The survey is currently being distributed among trainees, and the collected responses will be systematically analysed to identify the primary motivators driving subspecialty choices and training rotations.  

The findings will support the RCPA and policymakers in developing targeted strategies to address the workforce shortage, ensuring these subspecialties are prepared to meet future healthcare needs.

Statement: This research project, including the concept, design, and development of the survey, is my original work.