The first month of training is set aside as a resident “boot camp” where trainees receive lectures and hands-on instruction from senior residents, laboratory staff, attendings, and the program director. This period ensures that trainees have grasped the fundamentals before increased responsibility is granted.
Residents spend most of the first year in AP rotations, independently performing gross examinations, previewing histological slides, drafting pathology reports, and reviewing pathological findings with faculty during sign-out. Residents have protected time to participate in weekly tumor boards, AP didactics, and unknown slide compendiums. Residents participate in Journal Club, Autopsy Conference, Brain Cutting and Grand Rounds monthly.
Residents spend most of the second year rotating in CP rotations, training in clinical chemistry, microbiology, transfusion medicine/blood banking, hematology, and HLA. Residents participate in weekly CP didactics, laboratory management meetings and specialty-specific didactics during this time.
During the third and fourth years, residents are exposed to both AP and CP rotations according to their educational requirements and interests. Residents participate in electives, scholarly projects, quality improvement activities and leadership roles throughout their training.
Post-residency, the Department offers fellowship training programs in Hematopathology and Surgical Pathology.
Didactics:
- Every Wednesday morning, residents receive CP CORE lectures from both in-house and invited speakers.
- Every Thursday and Friday morning, residents receive AP didactics. These topics cover every organ system and are followed by a slide session the day or week after.
- In addition, residents receive weekly Chemistry, Microbiology, Hematology and Blood bank/Transfusion medicine didactics from attendings.
Tumor Boards:
- Tumor boards are held daily, and residents actively participate in a variety of topics such as GU, Breast, Neuro, GYN, GI-Oncology, Liver, Head & Neck and Thoracic.