Association of Pathology Chairs
The Association of Pathology Chairs (APC), Inc,
originated in 1966-67 as the official organization representing departments of
pathology and laboratory medicine in United States, Canadian and Puerto Rican
schools of medicine which are accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical
Education. Full voting membership is limited to chairs and acting chairs of
those departments.
The APC strives to nurture, enhance and represent academic pathology and
laboratory medicine in all their aspects. In the late 1980s, a program directors
section (PRODS) evolved to give a stronger voice to pathology residency
directors both within and outside the APC membership (to include those pathology
residency programs that aren’t affiliated with schools of medicine) and to
facilitate their interaction on a variety of issues related to resident
training. There are 143 APC members and 232 PRODS members. In 2005, a section
for medical course directors (CDS) was established. APC also has a section for
department administrators (PDAS).
The APC is governed by a Council consisting of President, Past-President,
President-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, the Chairs of APC Committees, and a
Councilor-at-Large. The APC Council meets several times a year with extended
meetings in the winter and the summer. PRODS, CDS, and PDAS are each governed by
a Council whose chairs are non-voting members of the APC Council.
The Chairs of APC’s four standing committees facilitate the functions of APC,
and most APC members serve on at least one committee. These committees focus on
undergraduate medical education in pathology, graduate medical education in
pathology, practice and management, and research.
The APC, PRODS, CDS, and PDAS have a national meeting each summer, at which time
a variety of plenary sessions, panel discussions and workshops are held. Overall
themes of the APC meeting emphasize undergraduate medical education (coordinated
with CDS); graduate medical education (coordinated with PRODS); and the business
aspects of pathology (coordinated with PDAS). The annual business meetings of
APC, PRODS, CDS, and PDAS also occur during this time.
Each regional section of the APC (Northeast, Southeast, West and Midwest) meets
annually as well, hosted by the respective regional APC chair. This permits
opportunities to discuss items of local or regional interest and to transmit
resolutions to the APC Council.
The activities of APC are conveyed through a regular APC Newsletter, which
reports items of current interest to academic pathology, including results of
APC surveys and studies, workshop reports, committee reports, regulatory and
legislative issues, etc. APC, PRODS, CDS, and PDAS each operate listservs for
their members and sponsor a web page on the internet at http://www.apcprods.org.
Of particular note, this website includes a Web Library with links to a number
of sites of particular interest to someone interested in pursuing a career in
pathology, including the American Board of Pathology, the Accreditation Council
for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and to the on-line version of this
Directory. APC sponsors the Pathology Honor Society which recognizes medical
students who have particular interest and ability in pathology.
For more information about APC contact:
Priscilla Markwood
Director of Scientific Affairs, Communications and Society Services
Association of Pathology Chairs
9650 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone: (301) 634-7880
Fax: (301) 634-7990
Email:
apc@asip.org
Web site:
http://www.apcprods.org