The pathology student fellowship program at the University of Vermont: 1956-2005.

Student fellowship programs in pathology offer a unique educational experience for selected medical students. In this report, the specialty preferences of former student fellows graduating from the University of Vermont were analyzed. Since 1956, 110 students have participated in this program, of whom 33 chose pathology as a career. These individuals represented 32.6% of all Vermont graduates who entered pathology between 1958 and 2005. In addition, former student fellows were more likely to become academic pathologists and to obtain subspecialty certification. Furthermore, based on comments received from former student fellows, the program had a positive impact on the medical education and career of pathologists and nonpathologists alike. It is concluded that student fellowship programs represent a powerful recruitment tool for pathology generally and for academic pathology in particular. The development of a database to track these programs and their graduates is essential to fully assess the educational impact of pathology student fellowship programs nationally.