College of American Pathologists
The College of American Pathologists is the leading organization of
board-certified pathologists serving patients, pathologists and the public by
fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory
medicine. It is the world’s largest association composed exclusively of
pathologists and is widely considered the leader in laboratory quality
assurance. The CAP is an advocate for high-quality and cost-effective patient
care.
Since the College was founded in 1947, it has had more
impact than any other organization on the standardization and improvement of
clinical laboratory procedures. The College’s Laboratory Accreditation Program
(LAP) now accredits more than 6,400 laboratories with deeming authority from
CMS, and there are 23,000 subscribers in the Surveys Program.
Today, the more than 17,000 pathologists who are
members of the College represent a diverse array of laboratory settings and
discipline expertise. Nearly 70 percent of all board-certified pathologists are
members of the College; more than 80 percent of all pathology residents are
junior members.
Student and Resident Programs
The Residents Forum was formed in 1988 and meets
face-to-face twice per year. It affords younger members the opportunity to
network among themselves as well as with established pathologists in practice.
For current information on the Residents Forum and ways to stay connected to
other pathologists-in-training between the meetings, visit CAP for Residents at
residents.cap.org.
A resident serves on every council, committee, and
commission in the College including the Board of Governors. This opportunity to
interact with the world’s leading pathologists helps equip young pathologists
for their professional careers. Other special services include the Online Career
Center, which helps to match pathologists looking for jobs, the Residents Online
Community and the receptions at the Annual Meeting, an opportunity to meet and
talk with colleagues and pathology’s leaders.
Medical students may find information about choosing pathology as a specialty,
joining a medical student forum and finding pathology residencies on
pathologistsaregroovy.org.
Founded in 1963, the CAP Foundation serves the
pathology community by committing resources to publications and special
conferences. The Foundation also has instituted new technology fellowships for
residents to study disciplines that are not available at their own institutions
and bring back that technology for their own benefit and that of their
departments. The Foundation is also responsible for the CAP Scholars Program,
which annually gives a $25,000 award to three pathologists who are engaged in
research that will enable new technology to be transferred to the general
practice of pathology.
Member Services
The College offers interactive education seminars
during its annual meeting and in regional gatherings, and electronic, timely and
relevant workshops and seminars. Management seminars address financial,
organizational, and personnel issues related to the medical laboratory.
Consensus conferences bring together CAP members with experts in other fields to
study and develop consensus on scientific topics. The results of these may be
published in Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, a scientific,
peer-reviewed journal.
College publications such as CAP TODAY and
electronic newsletters such as CAP@YourService and Statline help
members stay informed about issues that affect the practice of pathology.
Together with staff in Washington, DC, members actively
advocate to expand access and improve the quality of health care for all
Americans. Pathologists who participate in the Political Advocacy Network
(PathNet) cultivate personal relationships with elected officials, are updated
regularly with information about legislative issues, and host laboratory tours
for elected officials designed to highlight the important role pathologists play
in their communities while providing context for the College’s advocacy efforts.
The College’s political action committee, PathPAC, focuses the efforts of
member contributors on assuring that legislators are serving the best interests
of the public and pathology.
More than 200 members who are trained as CAP
Spokespersons inform their peers, the media, and the public about timely public
health issues and events. Each year they are featured in print and broadcast
pieces that reach more than 300 million people a year. The college’s public
affairs area also developed a new patient Web site,
MyBiopsy.org,
which provides information on nearly 30 of the most common cancers and
cancer-related conditions. Pathologists also download these pages and attach
them to their pathology reports at the time of diagnosis.
College of American Pathologists
325 Waukegan Road
Northfield, IL 60093
Phone: (847) 832-7000 or (800) 323-4040
Fax: (847) 832-8000
Web site:
www.cap.org
09/22/2008