Professor of Pathology and Residency Program Director Thomas J. Cummings, MD, was selected to serve as chair of the Residency Program Directors Section (PRODS) for the 2024-2025 academic year at the Association of Academic Pathology (AAPath) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, from July 21-25, 2024. At the meeting, Cummings also served as moderator for a PRODS session titled “Unionization” that discussed the pros and cons of unionization from the perspectives of a designated institutional official, residency program director, and resident.
“It is a great honor for me to serve and to contribute to the mission of AAPath-PRODS,” Cummings said.
Formerly known as the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC), AAPath-PRODS provides a forum for the exchange of information and ideas; makes recommendations concerning rules governing content and management of resident training to the Residency Review Committee and American Board of Pathology; and participates in programs that facilitate the continued development and enhancement of pathology training programs.
Training programs are those approved by the Residency Review Committee for Pathology or by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and which lead to eligibility for primary certification by the American Board of Pathology or the Canadian Board of Pathology.
In May 2024, Cummings presented at the AAPath-PRODS Virtual Bootcamp, where he presented “A Year in the Life of a Program Director” and also hosted a breakout room titled “How to Deal with Challenging Situations.” In April 2024, he hosted the organization’s Spring Virtual Meeting, which had 140 attendees.