Dermatopathology Workforce in the U.S.: An Overview

Who practices dermatopathology, how happy are they, and how can we assure a continuing presence at sufficiency in academia?

To characterize the dermatopathology workforce in the U.S., these authors sent a questionnaire to all 913 Fellow members of the American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP). The objectives were to collect data about current practice and future plans, identify characteristics of academic practitioners, and explore satisfaction regarding fellowship training.


The survey contained 32 questions regarding demographics, residency, fellowship, and work life and an open-ended question on how to improve the academic workforce in dermatopathology. The questionnaire was mailed between July and August 2008. Ultimately, 437 (48%) of the members responded. Most respondents were men and had graduated from U.S. or Canadian medical schools; 16% were 40 or younger, and 56% were aged 40 to 60. One quarter were practicing in academia. Academic practitioners were more likely to be women, to have only one postgraduate degree (medical degree), and to have an annual salary of $300,000 or less. Lower income, burdensome administrative duties, and lack of autonomy were given as reasons for leaving academia. Overall, respondents were satisfied with their fellowship training. Areas that respondents considered to been inadequately covered during training were coding and billing, biostatistics, pediatric dermatology, and electron microscopy.


Citation(s):

Suwattee P et al. Dermatopathology workforce in the United States: A survey. J Am Acad Dermatol 2011 Dec; 65:1180.