To recount the history of pathologists' assistant training in Portugal, including its cessation and the current efforts to reinstate it.
Approach:
Training Overview: Describes the training path for pathology technicians in Portugal, including a mandatory four-year bachelor's degree followed by a one-year postgraduate course in Macroscopy in Anatomic Pathology.
Legal Recognition: Discusses the lack of formal legal recognition for the role of pathologists' assistants, which affects their career progression and salary.
Training Sustainability: Explains the challenges faced in sustaining the Macroscopy in Anatomic Pathology course, including reliance on institutional support and the impact of workforce shortages.
Community Action: Details the collaborative efforts among pathologists and specialized technicians to reopen the training course and improve its structure.
Key Findings:
Pathologists' assistants in Portugal are highly trained but lack formal legal recognition, impacting their career progression.
The Macroscopy in Anatomic Pathology course faced sustainability issues, leading to workforce shortages and reliance on in-house training.
The reopening of the training course involved collaboration among experienced professionals and pathologists, marking a shift in the course's teaching structure.
Interpretation:
The pathologists' assistant workforce in Portugal has been successfully revitalized through community efforts, addressing previous gaps in training and legal recognition.
Limitations:
The course's sustainability relies on institutional support, which may face future challenges.
The lack of legal recognition of the role affects career progression and salary differentiation.
Conclusion:
The revival of the training course is a step towards addressing the challenges faced by pathologists' assistants in Portugal.
Exagamglogene autotemcel is now indicated for patients aged 2 years and older with sickle cell disease and recurrent vaso-occlusive crises or transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.
