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Program’s Assessment: In 2023, 531 registered for the course, and on average, 110 registrants participated live.  In 2024, During this period, 812 participants registered into the course and 57 participants claimed the participation credits (figure 1)

The 2023-2024 participants’ evaluation was excellent, with 93.1% of the participants finding the program to meet their expectations and only 6.9% falling below this mark. The course format was highly effective, with 98.3% of the participants finding it a successful way of delivering the material. Additionally, 98.3% of the participants agreed that the course material was appropriate for their level of education/training. Most notably, 100% of the participants agreed that the course was helpful. In summary, the course was rated as excellent by 72.4% of the participants, good by 25.9%, and fair by only 1.7%. (Table 1)

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BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) is a nonprofit organization that works at the intersection of the private and public sectors to advance research and improve health.

To solve global health issues, BVGH connects people, resources, and ideas across biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, governments, and nonprofits.

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Rationale/Background: With the award, the committee desires to highlight, reward, and promote research and other efforts that advance the DEI goals of ASC and represent holistic excellence in cytopathology.

Action: The committee will review submissions and choose a winner according to the award criteria.

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Rationale/Background: •Cytology education is crucial for advancing healthcare and research, including in minority communities like Spanish-speaking communities

•By providing cytology resources in Spanish, the American Society of Cytopathology facilities

Action: Cytology education in Spanish-speaking communities is crucial for advancing healthcare and research in the region. This goal can be reached by fostering collaboration among cytology educators, researchers, and practitioners within Spanish-speaking communities and with international partners. This can facilitate knowledge exchange, research collaborations, and access to resources and encourage lifelong learning and professional development among cytology professionals through continuing education programs, conferences, and online resources. This ensures that practitioners stay updated with new developments in the field.

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Program's Assessment: Numerous committee members have stepped up to lead monthly meetings throughout 2025, playing a vital role in supporting BVGH's mission to provide essential training and academic education to African communities. Their commitment will significantly enhance our efforts and foster positive change in these communities.

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The committee members will review the submissions and select a winner based on the award criteria.

In 2024, Dr. Nikka Khorsandi from the University of California, San Francisco, California, was the 2024 Recipient of the Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research Award for his work on: Anal High-Risk HPV Genotype Prevalence: Unmasking Racial, Gender, and HIV-Related Disparities (PTS22)

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I had the privilege to present to the BVGH community in May 2025.

It was a fantastic experience. The participants were genuinely interested and friendly, with 232 people in attendance.

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•Join ASC and BVGH in delivering cytology content to the African continent.

•Present and discuss cases with a global pathology community.

•Interested? Fill out the Expression of Interest form using the QR code or email Ashly Senske – asenske@bvgh.org

Or contact me Cgimenez@northwell.edu

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Update:

The committee members are currently analyzing the possibilities, which may lead to decreased participation in the live lectures. A key part of this analysis is gaining a better understanding of the audience's backgrounds, needs, and practical challenges. To achieve this, we have developed and distributed a survey that delves into more specific questions about the course and the communities where the participants belong.

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Congratulations, Team and Charlie!! 🎉🎊👏👏

The abstract was accepted as a poster presentation for the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting!!

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Based on participant feedback, the committee prioritized the lecture topics and has now finished the 2025/2026 global cytology Education Program.

Thank you to those who volunteered for this project 🙏.

We are looking for moderators for the lectures. If you are interested or know someone at your institution who might be, please let us know.

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The website is ready and available to the public.

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ASC Citología en Español - American Society of Cytopathology

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Program's Assessment: The program has succeeded, with an impressive 137 visits (Table 2) in just 5 months since its launch. This is a testament to the program's relevance and the community's trust. However, we have received only four program feedbacks, indicating a need for more active engagement.

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Advertising and Promotion: Members of the subcommittee have developed virtual meetings with cytopathologists and cytotechnologists in different parts of Latin America, including Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico. The members gather essential information about the community's needs and problems. One of the major concerns is the social disparities and inadequate academic development in cytotechnology in Brazil. Perhaps a meeting with the Cytology Education Learning Lab members would guide them in obtaining a cytotechnologist certification.

Additional cytotechnologist meetings are scheduled with cytotechnologists/cytopathologists in Uruguay and Mexico

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The committee has put together a list of speakers for 2025 and 2026.

We have already recorded three lectures, and another is set to be recorded on October 13, 2025..

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Unknown cases: We want to add unknown cases to keep the website active and the participants interested. These cases will be in video format, providing a more engaging learning experience. We will record small video clips explaining a case, pointing out the normal contaminant and the abnormal cells. The video clips will include a questionnaire with pertinent questions, encouraging active participation. The Unknown cases will be published every other month, providing a regular source of new learning material.

We are having issues finding the correct platform to create the interactive videos. Help/ advice is welcome.

Podcast: Another way to keep the website active and create a sense of community with the Hispanic-speaking communities is to create a podcast with different, successful, and known cytopathologists in the Hispanic communities. This will create a sense of belonging and community. The podcast will be released to the public quarterly.

Possible Podcast ideas:

- Merce Joda or Dr. Marilyn Rosa: Steps to becoming a cytopathologist in the US.

- Dr. Lola Lozano (including pathology residency): How is pathology/cytopathology practiced in Spain?

- Dr. Milagros Abad: What is the cytopathology practice in Latin America?

- Ricardo Bardales: The experience of an invasive cytopathologist.

Cytology observerships in the United States:

Since the job market in pathology is so hot, pathology residents are mainly doing one fellowship, and several (18%) go directly to a job after residency. Therefore, around 63% of cytopathology fellowships filled the position. Conversely, there needs to be formal cytopathology training in Latin America. The ASC, as a leading organization in the field, could play a crucial role in promoting observerships in cytopathology at institutions that do not fill this position; in this way, the programs will have an observer to help with the work, and in return, the observer learns cytopathology. We can do this with the Hispanic communities and as a global initiative. Once the observer has finished their (3-4 months) of training, the ASC and the home institution will provide a certificate of completion, validating their skills and knowledge in the field.

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Rationale/Background: Cytopathology is an evolving field, and global education programs help professionals stay current with current diagnostic techniques, classification systems, and best practices. This is especially true in regions where subspecialty education in cytopathology may be limited and/or there is a shortage of adequately trained cytopathologists. By enhancing the skills of cytopathologists globally, the program aims to improve patient outcomes through more accurate and timely diagnoses.

Action: In 2022, the committee launched the Global Cytology Education program.

It consists of a Free multimodal learning course, including pre-workshop self-learning, engaging and interactive live virtual educational strategies, and scored self-assessments. Virtual lectures with dynamic, world-renowned faculty currently practicing in the United States are provided every two months with the opportunity for Q&A and the ability to share experiences from different cytopathology practice settings.

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What are some ways we can increase the number of participants during the live lectures?

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What are some ways we can increase the number of participants during the live lectures?

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The number of participants has decreased over the years.

What are some ways we can increase the number of participants during the live lectures?

We could contact the BVGH to share the program’s schedule and help advertise it.

Open to new ideas!

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Proposal for in a Foreign language other than Spanish 

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Proposal for in a Foreign language other than Spanish 

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In February 2025, the committee members submitted a proposal to the Executive Board to develop a website in a foreign language other than Spanish.

The committee has contacted the IAC and is awaiting their response. We plan to follow up soon.

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SLAC/SAC Cytology Conference in Argentina

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SLAC/SAC Cytology Conference in Argentina

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In August 2025, the Latin American Society of Cytopathology (SLAC) and the Argentinean Society of Cytopathology (SAC) co-hosted a cytology congress in Argentina.

The ASC participated in a roundtable discussion titled "The Role of Scientific Societies in Continuing Education in Cytology." During the event, ASC citologia en Español was introduced and highlighted.

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In June 2025, the ASC and the Latin American Society of Cytopathology (SLAC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, marking a significant step in our collaboration.

In July 2025, the committee submitted a proposal to the executive board to develop a virtual cytology conference with SLAC. We are currently awaiting the board's response.

During the Cytology conference in Argentina, Dr. Andrea Gerztein, current president of the Argentinean Society of Cytopathology (SAC), voiced her interest in signing an MOU with the ASC.

Dr. Gerstein hopes to establish a subspecialty status in cytology in Argentina, which would be a first in Latin America. She values the ASC's experience and expertise, and is interested in signing an MOU to support this goal.

The MOU with the SAC is written and ready to be presented to the executive board.

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We plan to schedule a meeting to review and rank the abstracts sometime in September or October.

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Latin American Society of Cytology

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Sociedad Latinoamericana de Citopatologia - SLAC - SLAC

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Promover el conocimiento de la Citopatología, su divulgación y aplicación clínica entre los profesionales de la salud y el público en general.

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Argentinean Society of Cytology

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Bienvenidos a la página web oficial de la Sociedad Argentina de Citología. Aquí encontrará información sobre nuestras actividades.