Program Details
Our ACGME-accredited program consists of core rotations through each of the basic anatomic pathology and clinical pathology disciplines, followed by advanced rotations and electives including molecular diagnostics, cytogenetics, flow cytometry, forensic pathology, pediatric pathology, as well as other subspecialty areas including dermatopathology, transplant pathology, neuropathology, hematopathology, and others. Knowledge and skills are gained through service rotations, a didactic core curriculum, numerous subspecialty and interdisciplinary conferences and teaching activities, including the chance to be involved in medical, allied health, and high school education.
The pathology training program is approved for 16 resident positions on service-based rotations with three to four residents entering the program each year. In addition, there is a Gastrointestinal Pathology Fellow, Surgical Pathology Fellow, Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellow, two Hematopathology Fellows, and two Clinical Microbiology Fellows involved in resident education.
The mission of any pathology residency is to provide trainees with the exposure, knowledge and tools to succeed in the next stage of their career. UNMC offers a truly comprehensive experience in both anatomic pathology and clinical pathology with exposure to state-of-the-art pathology practices allowing its residents to excel in the next stage of their careers, whether in academics or private practice.
Program Features
Our curriculum is designed to provide complete training in all major areas of anatomic and clinical pathology, while remaining flexible enough to accommodate diverse career goals in private practice, academic or other settings.
- Integrated program that provides a balanced and mixed anatomic and clinical pathology experience in each year of residency
- Comprehensive didactic lecture series daily from 8 to 9 a.m.
- Robust apheresis experience
- Balanced call schedule between junior and senior residents
- Opportunities for research with departmental support to present data at national meetings as well as annual awards for best abstract and publication
- Teaching experience for medical students, residents from other disciplines, and other trainees
- Monthly departmental journal club, hematopathology, cytology and research journal clubs
- UNMC's Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Center, of which a number of our clinicians and researchers are actively involved.
- Gastrointestinal / Liver and Transplant, Hematopathology, Microbiology, Molecular Genetic Pathology, Surgical Pathology, and Transfusion Medicine
- Surgical pathology subspecialty sign-out model
- Two-week blocks on each surgical pathology enable residents to have continuity with cases from grossing to previewing to signout.
- Gross room technical staff includes certified pathology assistants that are incorporated into the workflow to ensure a balance between education and clinical duties for the residents.
- Unknown slide conferences, organized study sets and daily interesting cases slide conference help residents maintain and develop surgical pathology skills, even when on other rotations.
- Strong mix of neoplastic and non-neoplastic cases, with all organ systems well represented
- Preparation of pathologic material for presentation at interdisciplinary conferences (tumor boards) with radiologists, surgeons, and oncologists
- Robust cytopathology experience with training in rapid on-site evaluation
- Ample autopsy experience: Residents average approximately 40 hospital-based and 50 forensic autopsies during the four-year training period.
- Molecular pathology: Full menu of in-house molecular tests encompassing genetic, neoplastic and infectious cases.
- Microbiology: Wide variety of microbiology material including onsite Mycobacteriology and Mycology laboratories and emphasis on molecular diagnostics. Daily plate rounds and clinical rounds with the clinical infectious disease team, and a monthly city-wide infectious disease conference.
- Blood bank/transfusion medicine: Didactic sessions and practical lab experiences covering all board-relevant topics such as blood utilization and workup of transfusion reactions. Therapeutic apheresis including evaluation and management of patients undergoing plasma exchange, photopheresis, red blood cell exchange and cytopheresis.
- Coagulation: Review of Thromboelastography, von-Willebrand’s, lupus anticoagulant and other panels that require pathologists’ interpretation; onsite special coagulation laboratory
- Chemistry: Daily protein electophoresis sign-out, weekly hemoglobin electrophoresis sign-out, and workup of all clinical consultations; involvement in laboratory management topics, including quality assurance
- Hematopathology: Onsite flow cytometry, molecular, cytogenetic and fluorescence in situ hybridization laboratories with large volume of in-house and consult material; separate rotations on wet hematology, bone marrows, lymph nodes and flow cytometry
- Laboratory Management/Informatics: Dedicated laboratory management education, including pathology informatics; review of proficiency testing and quality controls for clinical labs; participation in laboratory management meetings and internal and external College of American Pathologists lab inspections