Post graduate pathology education varies greatly across countries in Africa. Weak national health systems and lack of prioritization for pathology services affect the training of significant numbers of new pathologists to serve large populations. Inadequate salaries, poor working conditions, lack of job opportunities, and professional development have contributed to the "brain drain" of health practitioners from Africa to wealthier countries or to private laboratories and research projects. In spite of these obstacles, there are countries in Africa where pathology and laboratory medicine services are similar to high income countries. Even in these countries, however, there is a on-going need for continuing medical education, improvement of pathology and laboratory medicine practices through professional meetings and interactions, and a need to improve the clinical demand for pathology and laboratory medicine services.

Residents and practicing pathologists in Africa will find the following links to a wide range of high-quality educational resources helpful in their personal study and training.

Education

Continuing Medical Laboratory Education (CMLE) American Society for Clinical Pathology - An outstanding source of top quality continuing education in all areas of laboratory medicine and pathology

United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology - A comprehensive site that includes The Knowledge Hub, the largest e-book in anatomic pathology, electronic case serries, virtual slide box, and more.

College of American Pathologists - A worldwide leader in accreditation and laboratory quality assurance, extensive referrence resources and publications, and learning portal.

 

Training

Several organizations dedicated to building the knowledge and skills of pathologists in Africa offer training opportunities through conferences, seminars, exchange visits, visiting scholars, and overseas training. Since pathologists in low and middle-income countries have limited resources available and lack the ability to study abroad, they can tap into the free training resources below that are available on the Internet.

 

Pathology Degree Programs

Countries in Africa with formal pathology residency programs:

  • Cameroon
  • Cote d'Ivoire
  • DRC
  • Ethiopia
  • Ghana
  • Kenya
  • Malawi
  • Madagascar
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Nigeria
  • Senegal
  • South Africa
  • Sudan
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

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