A slide into obscurity? The current state of histology education in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand medical curricula in 2022–2023

Abstract

Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (AANZ) medical schools have been impacted by curricular changes and the introduction of virtual microscopy (VM). No survey has explicitly described the outcome of these events on histology education in AANZ. This study provides a cross‐sectional overview of histology education in accredited medical schools across AANZ in 2022–2023. Responses were received from 83% (19/23) of Australian medical schools, and 50% (1/2) of medical schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. VM, either exclusively (42%) or combined with traditional microscopy (37%), emerged as the preferred mode for delivering histology education. Common instructional methods included face‐to‐face lectures (26%) and synchronous online live lectures (26%). A significant proportion (84%) of educators supplemented resources with virtual microscopy websites. Integration of histology education was prevalent (79%), primarily with pathology (32%) or gross anatomy (26%). On average, medical students in the region spent a maximum of 21 ± 17 h in face‐to‐face histology laboratories throughout their degree. Histology education was predominantly taught by academics with a PhD degree. This study also examined the similarities and differences in histology education between AANZ and the global landscape. Through this examination, the present study positions AANZ within the broader context of histology education worldwide discusses key factors impacting histology education, and advocates for action to mitigate a looming shortage of pathologists in AANZ. In light of these findings, AANZ medical schools should integrate histology and pathology, establish a core curriculum, and promote flexible teaching modalities.