Cytology training in Croatia – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

In Croatia, clinicians were the first to introduce clinical cytology in the first half of the 20th century. The phase of curiosity began between the two world wars, owing to the pioneers in hematologic cytology. The year 1939 is considered as the true beginning of Croatian cytology, when the phase of enthusiasm began, with a critical number of educated clinicians and other enthusiasts interested in cytology. The 1967-1974 period was characterized by the establishment of organized education of cytologists. The Postgraduate Study in Medical Cytology was established at Zagreb University School of Medicine in 1967. In 1974, independent residency in Medical Cytology, subsequently renamed as Clinical Cytology, was introduced (the phase of professionalism). Initially, the residency took three years (pathology one year and cytology two years, with postgraduate study as a form of organized education). Twenty years later, it grew into four-year residency (pathology one year and cytology three years, also with two terms of postgraduate study). In the process of approaching united Europe, the phase of adjustment of education in cytology and pathology as clinical morphology professions has begun. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Croatia initiated development of new residency curricula that should be harmonized with those from other European countries, with due respect of our medical tradition and within the frame of the general revision of residency curricula in Croatia. As other clinical and surgical residencies in UEMS, the new pathology and cytology residency program consists of basic (common) program and advanced program, duration of 60 months. The aim of the common three-year education is to acquire due knowledge and skills in the field of general pathology. Depending on the advanced program education (in pathology or cytology) chosen, candidates become specialists in pathology or clinical cytology.