My Schedule

I am writing this review in response to the scathing review recently published on this website. As a graduate of both the cytopathology fellowship and the AP/CP residency program and current faculty member I feel that I can provide some insight into this training program. The surgical pathology service is a busy service. Our surgical volume last year was around 9900 cases. Residents are responsible for grossing large specimens, doing frozen sections and reviewing cases prior to sign out. There are technical staff that gross the majority of the biopsy specimens and some of the other cases (placentas, gallbladders...). Residents are required to be in at 7:30 on the day they are responsible for frozen sections. The time spent grossing varies depending on the resident and their abilities in the gross room. During my training, I was usually finished grossing by 7 pm and often earlier. Three residents are scheduled on this service every month. Our program is working to decrease the amount of "scutwork" (typing by residents) on this service. Our department has purchased voice recognition software that residents are suppose to use for their gross descriptions. The faculty will soon be using the same software to dictate their diagnoses. During my training I did have to stay late (9:00 pm) occasionally to finish reviewing my cases. The autopsy service is a busy service with over 200 cases performed annually. Evisceration is performed by technical staff. Residents are responsible for examination and sectioning of organs and for report preparation. Residents present interesting cases at their weekly autopsy conference. Two or three residents are scheduled for this service every month. On the transfusion medicine service residents are responsible for the plasmapheresis service and out patient infusion unit as well as answering questions and interpreting antibody panels from the blood bank. Two residents split this service every month. Residents present and attend the weekly CP on call conference. On the Hematopathology service residents work with the hematopathology fellow to review bone marrow cases, peripheral blood smears and flow cytometry daily. One or more residents are scheduled for this service every month. The hematopathology fellow is responsible for presenting a weekly leukemia/lymphoma conference with the hematology/oncology service. Residents attend the weekly CP on call conference. On the cytopathology service, residents work with the cytopathology fellow to review cases, attend adequacy evaluations and perform fine needle aspirations. Chemistry and Microbiology services are lighter services with review of plates in the lab in the morning and troubleshooting and study time in the afternoon. Residents are responsible for presenting microbiology conference 2-3 times per year. Conferences presented by the residents are as follows: Tumor Board: requires review of cases (1-4) and preparation of a presentation. GYN ONC: requires slide review of cases and presentation at the multiheaded microscope. CP on call: as above--review of all calls and article presentation. Autopsy: as above--presentation of organs relating to interesting cases in autopsy room. Unknown conference: Unknown slides are put out for review for a week and then the diagnosis is discussed at conference. Microbiology: as above--presentation given by resident 2-3 times per year. Breast tumor board--weekly cases reviewed Conferences presented by faculty include: Rheumatology conference--interesting cases presented Gross conference--presented weekly as guidance for gross dissection. QA conference--presented twice/week--interesting cases are reviewed at the multiheaded microscope projected to 42" LCD HD television Core Conference--weekly--topics vary depending on faculty renal transplant conference--weekly, cases reviewed CA tumor registry conference--attending works through diagnosis of cases with residents liver transplant conference--weekly cases reviewed GI conference--weekly cases reviewed Thyroid cytopathology--monthly, cases reviewed

My Learning Experience

As a faculty member I am biased--but I trained at this facility and became great friends with the faculty members when I was a resident. Following the completion of my training I worked at another hospital for 2 years before returning "home" to work. Formal didactic sessions are given weekly. The faculty here are great. All are interested in training residents and performing a high level of clinical service to our clinicians. Contrary to the last review, NO FACULTY MEMBER has EVER been "kicked out" of the department. The faculty member to which the comment was directed is an excellent surgical pathologist and cytopathologist who expects the residents to provide the same level of clinical service as he does. He expects them to care about the case as he does, section cases appropriately and work toward an accurate diagnosis. I make the best effort that I can to teach residents daily at the microscope. I go out of my way to remember cases that residents have had trouble interpreting and highlight other cases that can help them learn. It is very hurtful to hear that even one of our residents would feel that we "just don't know how to teach".

My Life and Environment

When I was a trainee at this program everyone worked togethor. I covered and helped my fellow residents and they returned the favor. Returning to the department as a junior faculty member I was welcomed with open arms and I felt as thought I was returning home. The percentage of foreign medical graduates varies depending on the class. As a resident I always had a life outside of work. As a junior faculty member I have a life outside of work.

– Posted 06/19/09