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For Kurt Schaberg, MD, his teaching philosophy is grounded by a generosity of spirit. From his first lectures after residency to his presentation as the Michelle Raible Lecturer at the ASCP Annual Meeting in 2024, to his work today at the University of California, Davis, Dr. Schaberg is committed to delivering tangible, digestible takeaways for pathology residents preparing for board exams.

Here Dr. Schaberg discusses list learning, effortful study, and study strategies for residency, the boards, and practice.*

Critical Values (CV): What does “list learning” involve and how can it be effectively applied to studying anatomic pathology?

Kurt Schaberg (KS): For the learner, developing multiple types of lists, or differential lists, helps them develop differential diagnoses.

For example, a differential list can start as a list of different types of masses and lesions in every organ and location. At first, these will be short lists. However, the learner’s lists will get more complicated and sophisticated—adding more and more subdivisions—as they progress through their learning. By the time they graduate, they will have very long lists! Learners can also develop these lists for different symptoms and patient demographics.

Simply put, list learning helps pathologists, and those studying, learn the information needed to come up with differential diagnoses.

CV: What is “effortful study,” and why do you consider it a critical method for mastering pathology concepts?

KS: Some people have photographic memories, but for mere mortals like me, “effortful studying” is the only way that really works.

Information doesn’t seem to stick if we attempt to learn passively, by just watching a video, or sitting in the back of a lecture. Learning isn’t something done to students; it’s done by students.

In contrast, when we think about what we are trying to learn and try to recall and apply it, that effort is what makes it stick in our brains. When looking at patient cases, go back and forth between the slides and your preferred book or resources. Before a teaching session, make lists and flash cards. Go into that session ready to actively engage and draw connections in the moment.

CV: How does integrating clinical knowledge enhance the study and practice of anatomic pathology?

KS: Every specimen comes with a question. Knowing why a specimen was generated, why it came to you, and what the clinician who sent it is looking for in it, informs your practice.

For example, with an endometrial biopsy from an older woman with uterine bleeding, the main concern is cancer. Similarly, with a breast biopsy, you’re primarily looking for malignancy or a mass-lesion. Clinical knowledge about each patient helps you stay curious and not overlook things and make mistakes.

CV: How do your recommended study methods differ for residents compared to practicing pathologists preparing for recertification or continuing education?

KS: Residents have a much bigger hill to climb because they are starting at the bottom of the mountain and have a lot more to learn. I recommend two study strategies for residents—holistic and case-specific studying. They complement each other.

What I call “holistic” studying is structured reading to cover all topics in a field. For example, all of a textbook or other resource. Case-specific studying is reading specifically about the cases that cross your desk. With holistic learning, you will learn a little bit about everything. Case-specific studying adds depth to your learning.

An attending’s knowledge is more sophisticated, so their continued learning typically involves deep dives into topics related to their practice.

That said, it’s important not to get complacent. My strategy for continuous learning is creating and updating my website. After I read new books, I make notes and incorporate what I think important into my website.

CV: How have your roles as both a clinician and educator informed your approach to teaching complex pathology topics?

KS: My brain likes to make things simple, more digestible out of necessity. I’m always trying to simplify complex things. I think it makes me an effective teacher.

CV: What are some of the most common mistakes you see pathology trainees make when developing study habits?

KS: I see two mistakes. Some people just don’t study enough. And other students bounce around between too many resources because there is so much material out there.

The solution is the same—choose a few basic resources that work for your learning style and then go through each entirely. Finish reading each book, finish all the questions in the question bank. Completely digest the resources you choose for your learning style.

CV: In what ways do you think pathology education needs to evolve to better prepare trainees for board exams and clinical practice?

KS: I think it has already evolved a lot since I graduated from residency nearly a decade ago. There are so many more resources today, people with all different learning styles can find what works best for them.

More broadly and theoretically, we probably don’t need every institution to reinvent the wheel and create their own curriculum. Instead, subject matter experts in each field could collaborate to create a national curriculum.

CV: How can residents balance acquiring deep pathology knowledge while also developing strong diagnostic and clinical reasoning skills?

KS: While there is some overlap and simultaneous learning, in my experience it is easier to focus on one area at a time.

I learned pathophysiology early on, mostly in medical school. I learned diagnostic pathology in residency, through a lot of studying on my own. And I gained my clinical knowledge mostly learned during residency, in fellowship, and now practice.

CV: Would you share examples of how your own clinical interests, like gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases, have shaped your learning and teaching strategies?

KS: Because I wanted students in my teaching sessions to have take-home messages—and practice “effortful studying”—I started creating and providing students notes to refer to during and after each of my teaching sessions. At first, all the notes focused on GI because that was my area of expertise.

The more positive feedback I got from residents on my notes, the more notes I made on different topics. That’s how my website, Kurt’s Notes, was born.

CV: What advice would you give to pathology residents who are feeling overwhelmed by the volume and complexity of material they need to learn?

KS: It is normal to feel overwhelmed; there are literally so many resources out there and it’s impossible to read it all. I want to reduce the stigma around feeling overwhelmed. I definitely felt overwhelmed in my training sometimes.

The key is to not freak out. Take a deep breath, pick a few resources that work for your learning style, and fully consume that resource. Take your time, keep at it, and have faith that you’ll get there.

You can learn more about Dr. Schaberg’s work and key takeaways on his website Kurt’s Notes

*This interview has been edited for clarity and length.