Happenings in Pathology:
Histopathology FCPS II Mock Exam 2024
Naseema Adnan, Dr Sarosh Moeen and Dr Madiha Bilal Qureshi, Histopathology
Mock exams are essential for effective preparation of FCPS (Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons) Part II exam. They help candidates familiarize themselves with the exam format, time management and the right way to attempt questions. By simulating real exam conditions, mock exams build confidence, highlight areas of weakness and allow candidates to use their knowledge more strategically. Additionally, they reduce test anxiety and improve recall, ultimately increasing the chances of passing the FCPS exam.
In the month of September 2024, Histopathology Section organized a two-days Mock exam for FCPS II candidates. It included PGME years IV, V residents and former candidates who could not clear prior exam. The Mock Exam was held on 27th-28th September. The flyer was released a month before the exam. A total of 15 candidates participated in this event from across the city. The exam was designed to simulate the real exam experience in a format similar to that used by the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP). The exam was conducted by professional examiners from Aga Khan University Hospital and Liaquat National Hospital. They assessed the candidates and provided valuable insights on effectively approaching the exam, highlighting techniques / strategies to maximize score.
A group photo of participants and faculty with examiners. Day 1: The 15 candidates screened 30 Surgical, 5 IHC, and 7 Cytology cases. Five Histopathology faculty members participated as invigilators:
Following the exam, a
case discussion session was held, where faculty members discussed the cases in
detail. Candidates feedback was very positive as shown:
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CAP Re-accreditation
Inspections of Outreach Labs – An Exciting Experience
Mashhooda R. Hashmi, Quality Assurance, Clinical Lab
Laboratory accreditation is a formal process that recognizes a laboratory's competence and compliance with international standards. It is a way to ensure that a laboratory is qualified to produce valid results and maintain high quality. Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP) of College of American Pathologist (CAP) accredits the entire spectrum of laboratory test discipline and is considered the gold seal.
Clinical laboratories of Aga Khan University Hospital initiated the process of CAP accreditation in the year 2016 when the On-campus lab gets its first accreditation. The journey won't stop here. In the year 2018, four outreach labs namely Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar get their first CAP accreditation followed by Multan, Sukkur, Hyderabad and Clifton Medical Services (CMS) Labs in the year 2022.
As a part of accreditation cycle, there is a requirement of re-accreditation after every two years. In this context, recently the outreach labs of Aga Khan University Hospital went through the re-accreditation cycle in two phases.
In the first phase, a team of four inspectors from Jordan visited Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Lahore labs, respectively. It was an in-person inspection held from May 3 to 8, 2024. The team was very competent who did a thorough inspection using all elements of CAP checklists, but we passed with flying colors. This was the second re-accreditation cycle for the mentioned labs.
The second phase comprises of inspection of Multan, Sukkur, Hyderabad and CMS labs in the months of September and October. Two teams were assigned this time by CAP. One team from Saudi Arabia for Multan, Sukkur and Hyderabad while one team from Jordan for CMS lab. The inspection of Multan and Sukkur was held virtually based on the security and accommodation challenges of the region. However, the inspection of Hyderabad lab was decided to be conducted in-person.
The outcome of inspections of Multan and Sukkur labs were also favorable. Unfortunately, the inspection of Hyderabad lab was postponed and is now scheduled in November, after the inspection of main lab.
The accreditation cycles provide us the opportunity to build liaison with the regional team. In addition, they gain the confidence that they are working at internationally acceptable standard. A team from Karachi comprises of Chair, Vice-Chair, QA Manager, Chief Safety Officer and relevant QA Assistant Managers accompany the inspection team and were active part of the inspection cycle. All in all, it was a mutually beneficial and learning experience. Some glimpses of inspections are shared below:
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5th Annual Research Day of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 2024: The Future of Pathology: Adapting to a Changing Landscape.
Dr Nayab Afzal, Ms. Kanwal Amin, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
The 5th Annual Research Day of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine was organized on October 12th, 2024, at the Movenpick Hotel in Karachi, Pakistan, with the theme “The Future of Pathology – Adapting to a Changing Landscape,". The event showcased cutting-edge research and advancements in the field of laboratory medicine, and it was an astounding success.
This interdepartmental and interdisciplinary initiative brought together distinguished national and international experts in the various fields of pathology and research. The speakers shared insightful findings of their recent research on emerging infections in changing climate, diagnostic and research applications of artificial intelligence and multi-omics.
The day began with a formal welcome address by Dr. Hafsa Majid, Chair of the Organizing Committee. She emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary collaborations in the field of research medicine. Dr. Najia Ghanchi, Vice-Chair for Research at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, then provided a detailed overview of the research projects and milestones achieved by the department. The Guest of Honor, Prof. Syed Asad Ali, Associate Dean of Research and Chair of the Department of Community Health Sciences, delivered an address highlighting the role of cutting-edge pathology research in molding healthcare practices for the future. This was followed by another encouraging talk by Dr. Asim Belgaumi, Chief Medical Officer at Aga Khan University Hospital, who spoke on the importance of integration of modern research methodologies with clinical applications in order to improve overall patient outcomes.
The first scientific session of the day focused on global health, specifically the interaction of climate change and emerging infections. Dr. Wes Van Voorhis, Director of the Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington, delivered a compelling keynote address on global trends in emerging infections and the critical role of unprecedented climate change in rapid spread of vector-borne diseases in Pakistan. Next, Dr. Kauser Jabeen, presented a comprehensive situation analysis of emerging infections in Pakistan and its impact on global health, with special focus on emergence of resistant fungal strains in Pakistani population.
After a tea break and a vibrant poster presentation session, the conference resumed with a session on the applications of machine learning in clinical care. Dr. Julianne Meisner from the University of Washington presented an engaging talk on the applications of big data and statistical modelling in clinical research, highlighting how these new methodologies can help in improving patient outcomes. This session was followed by Dr. Muhammad Abbas Abid and Ms. Rabiya Owais, who shared insights into big data, data analytics and its role in clinical research at the university's Advanced Translational Research Center (ATRC). Their). Their talk highlighted the ATRC unit is advancing data driven research in Pathology and lab Medicine.
The next session delved into the world of multi-omics, with Dr. Fyezah Jehan, discussed how genomics and proteomics are revolutionizing diagnostics and shared her experience of a multi-Omics based research project. This comprehensive talk was followed by a presentation by Professor Dr. Aysha Habib Khan who elaborated on the vast potential of metabolomics in better understanding of disease mechanisms and showcased the metabolomics-based research work done at the Dept. of Pathology.
Dr Erum Khan, Chair Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, shared details about partnership with the D43 Fogarty International Centre, high lighting the capacity building trainings conducted for vector borne diseases, sero surveillance and vector surveillance in Pakistan.
After a networking lunch, the focus shifted to digital innovations in pathology. Dr. Anil Parwani, Donald A. Senhauser Chair, Department of Pathology at The Ohio State University, joined via Zoom. He spoke on integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and latest digital innovations in enhancing the diagnostic accuracy of histopathology reports. He also emphasized how AI algorithms can precisely analyze complex pathological images to improve current diagnostic practices. Then, Dr. Zeeshan Uddin, shared valuable insights on epidemiologic of surveillance using postmortem minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) in low resource settings like Pakistan. His talk highlighted how MITS can prove to be an invaluable tool for determining accurate cause-of-death in infants.
The session on precision medicine featured a compelling presentation by Dr. Salman Kirmani, on how precision medicine is leading the way to more personalized treatment for genetic diseases. He also emphasized the impact of genetic screening and timely medical interventions. This session was followed by an elaborate talk by Dr. Natasha Ali, AI diagnostic capabilities in hematology. Her talk explored how the traditional labor-intensive task of identifying abnormal cell morphology can be replaced by more accurate AI algorithm and other applications of AI in hematological diagnosis.
Oral paper presentation session included talks on azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus isolates, role of AntiB2GPI in antiphospholipid syndrome, histology slide digitization, and the phylogenetics of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus strains in Pakistan.
The conference concluded with the distribution of awards to the winners of both oral and poster presentations, ending on a high note with a final vote of thanks by Professor Erum Khan, Chair Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. This enthusiastic local and international participation shows substantial interest in changing the landscape of clinical research. Discussions held during the day underscored the importance of adapting to the rapidly changing landscape of healthcare. This successful event set a high standard for future research initiatives.
Picture 1: A group Picture of speakers and participants of the Research Day
Picture 2: Plenary Speakers and Presenters of the free Paper Abstracts Research Day.
