Inside the Newly Formed American Society of Russian-Speaking Pathologists

When Ekaterina Menshikova, MD, arrived in the United States for pathology residency during the COVID-19 pandemic, she had never lived in an English-speaking country and knew no one here. Much of her English came from studying for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). However, she recalls how much support she got from an international graduate from Serbia, which helped her ease some of the cultural challenges she was facing.  

Her experience captures some of the motivation behind the newly formed American Society of Russian-Speaking Pathologists (ASRP), which began in 2026. Rather than defining its community by nationality, ASRP strives to connect pathologists and trainees through a shared language and overlapping cultural and educational experiences, regardless of country of origin.  

Its mission is to provide professional connections that many of them once had to find informally, while also serving as a bridge between established U.S. organizations such as the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).  

Why Russian-speaking pathologists needed a professional home 

The ASRP’s founders were inspired to create the organization to fill a gap for Russian-speaking pathologists who share a linguistic and cultural connection, but don’t always have access to one another, according to its president Vladislav “Vlad” Makarenko, MD, PhD. He is also a pathologist at Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, a lecturer in pathology at Harvard Medical School, and Medical Director of Hematology at Newton-Wellesley Hospital instead of Director of Microbiology. 

Dr. Makarenko points out that language is such an essential means of communication “it shapes the way how we think, and it shapes even sometimes what we do.” He and his co-founders realized that Russian-speaking pathologists could benefit from a platform of support based in their shared language.  

Dr. Menishikova, who is the Vice President of the ASRP and an advanced hematopathology fellow at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, clarifies that “Russian-speaking does not mean ‘from Russia.’” Members of ASRP come from countries across Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and other regions, where there are often linguistic and cultural overlaps. 

She knows first-hand how challenging the transition to U.S. medicine can be when someone is simultaneously learning a new professional system, adjusting culturally, and building a network from scratch. 

“Looking back, I often think that if I had known even one or two Russian-speaking pathologists at the time, my transition would have been much smoother,” she says. 

That is one of the reasons she was excited to help lead ASRP. “I believe there is real value in creating a platform where people can find one another, build professional relationships, and feel that they are part of a community,” she says. 

Helping navigate the road to residency 

Though only in its first year, ASRP is already working to help its members with the residency process through a “timely, ongoing” webinar series for those applying for residency in pathology, Dr. Makarenko says. These webinars follow the pathology residency application process from early decision-making through CVs, personal statements, and interviews. A final webinar is expected to address the process from the perspective of senior pathologists who select residents.  

Additionally, Dr. Makarenko says they are preparing the platform for mentorship. “So, we are planning to assign a resident or an applicant to the residency to a senior colleague who will be helping them to go through the steps.”  

Because terminology familiar to U.S. pathology trainees may not have a direct equivalent for those in Russian-speaking countries, ASRP is also working to develop guides and dictionaries to address language and terminology differences between medical education systems.  

Mentorship that continues beyond the match 

Mentorship was extremely helpful to Dr. Menshikova in her early career. She says some of the most helpful conversations she had in her early residency were with Russian-speaking pathologists.  

“Being able to speak openly with people who understood the professional environment in the United States and shared similar background helped me to think through my options and decide what to do next,” she says. These conversations reinforced that professional networks can also help pathologists later, “when we encounter unexpected career challenges.”  

But being a mentor also confers benefits, Dr. Menshikova says, such as “the opportunity to share what I have learned and help others have a smoother start in their training and careers.” Sometimes it’s a relatively small piece of advice that can make the biggest difference, she adds.  

As someone who genuinely enjoys seeing people succeed, she is already enjoying the benefits of being part of ASRP, whether that means helping them match into residency, find the right fellowship or job, become more confident professionally, or simply be there to offer guidance. 

Emphasizing the personal connection 

Both leaders say that they and their co-leaders are trying to create a community where members actually know one another and feel comfortable asking for and providing help.  

Dr. Makarenko hopes that ASRP continues to be “very responsive and very flexible because the goal is not to create another bureaucratic organization. The goal is to make literally a home for anyone who shares a similar cultural linguistic and value background with us.”  

Dr. Menshikova says the personal connection is very important to all of them. She believes the biggest benefit for ASRP members “is being part of a supportive community where people actually know one another, feel comfortable reaching out for help, and also have opportunities to contribute themselves.” 

Over the next year, she hopes to see ASRP “become more structured while still preserving the personal character that makes the organization valuable.”  

Though Dr. Makarenko already feels that “just even opening the doors of this society is success to me,” they are just at the beginning of what the society can achieve.  

Creating a bridge between professional societies 

Dr. Makarenko envisions ASRP as a bridge to other pathology societies like ASCP, connecting their educational and mentorship resources with Russian-speaking pathologists in the United States and potentially colleagues abroad.  

As the organization grows, Dr. Menshikova would like to see “that same spirit of collaboration extend beyond our immediate membership.” They are working on developing collaborations with colleagues and organizations in other Russian-speaking countries who have reached out to them, particularly around education and quality improvement. “I think there is a real opportunity to share knowledge and experience across borders,” she says. 

Professional support that also helps improve pathology education and practice also has wider implication, translating into “better care for patients in different parts of the world,” she concludes.