Degree or Certificate – An alternative for Histopathology

As schools across America prepare for another year, educators, administrators, parents, and students must grapple with the uncertainty of our current global arena – inflation. Data from a recent Deloitte parents poll shows that 57% of parents are concerned about inflation and how it impacts educational expenses. With the rate of tuition rising before the pandemic, a chronic workforce shortage, an aging workforce, and increasing budget cuts, the existence of histopathology as a viable sector in healthcare will continue to struggle. These concerns are challenges for leaders in histopathology to devise the best strategy to preserve the life of our industry.  

Higher education has been the focus for students, as it helped secure higher-paying jobs and a pathway to financial freedom, but in a society ravaged with challenges, could an alternative serve us well? 

Pitfalls in our education system fall disproportionately on students with the greatest needs and fewer opportunities. These disparities suppress students’ motivation to learn, depriving them of employment opportunities and the ability to contribute to our economy. It is essential to recognize that histopathology has struggled to retain a robust workforce before the pandemic. Therefore, government agencies, institutions, community leaders, and the laboratory medicine industry must work cohesively to develop solutions for our society and industry. 

It is a known fact that Covid-19 has upended hospitals and pathology laboratories worldwide while threatening the future of our economy and loss of life. However, reports from The US Department of Education illustrate that these impacts have fallen unevenly, indicating that they appear to deepen disparities in educational opportunity and achievement, many of them generations in the making. These issues emphasize the need for a struggling laboratory workforce to develop a strategy to attract and retain students – many from historically marginalized and underserved groups. As parents, educators, and institutions search for ways to reestablish normalcy, we must examine all avenues to propel our society forward.

Degree Vs. Certificate

A traditional bachelor’s degree takes students on a four-year path to a curriculum with both general and specific courses. In contrast, a certificate program offers students a curriculum focusing on a particular study or career field. In addition, certificate programs are typically more flexible, less time-consuming, and affordable. Reports from The Brookings Institution states that stackable certificates, sometimes called micro-credentials, have taken off during the pandemic, as unemployment rates hit record-setting highs as displaced workers looked for ways to improve their prospects.

Solution

A certificate program option is a viable option for a healthcare industry needing ideas to tackle an aging workforce, meet workload demand, and address limitations from existing degree-track programs. In addition, such a program offers students impacted by the pandemic an opportunity to quickly learn a skill or take steps toward a healthcare career. 

A certificate program from Labademic will address the following in our industry: 

• Feeds workforce 

• Raised confidence

• Improved quality of care

• Lowers student debt

• Pathway to self-sufficiency for destitute 

Labademic’s Propose Plan:  Develop a six-twelve-month certificate program, overhaul the current HT requirement system – create Tier-system (HT, HT I, HT II, HT III) = with higher pay and leadership role for higher certificate holders. Our certificate program will give students an HT title – overtime with acquired experience, graduates can choose to pursue degree-track programs to obtain higher HT qualifications.

~Chiemela Nwaobasi