Outpatient US Clinical Experience in Pathology in Atlanta

Information about this clinical experience:

You will be actively involved with multiple preceptors. You will be under the supervision of three board-certified pathologists. One founded this group of nearly a dozen pathologists that provide services to hospitals and physicians. Recently, the founder stepped down from this role to serve as Chief Pathologist at a company specializing in clinical trials in pathology. You will spend approximately 15% of your time with this preceptor.

The two preceptors with whom you will spend the bulk of your time (85%) are distinguished pathologists with extensive experience in educating students, residents, and fellows. One served on the faculty of the Emory University Department of Pathology where the doctor was Associate Program Director of the Gastrointestinal Pathology Fellowship Program. The other was a faculty member in the Department of Pathology at the University of Alabama Birmingham and served as the Co-Director of the Dermatopathology Fellowship Program.

Rotators will be taught operations in a typical lab and become familiar with the workflow from accessioning to sign out. On the first Saturday of the rotation, you will take part in lab technology lectures delivered by one of the staff pathologists. You will also receive lab regulatory training (e.g., accreditation, credentialing, licensure). Tutorial microscope sessions will be held on most days of the week with pathologists lasting several hours. Glass study sets for each organ system will be made available to rotators for ongoing self-study.

The lab also utilizes digital pathology (Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution) to review and interpret digital images. Rotators will be able to see how digital pathology systems can streamline and organize workflow, improve efficiency, and reduce interpretation errors.

Several hours per day will be spent on independent study as well as preparing for the end-of-rotation presentation. Every rotator will be asked to present a 15-25 minute topic via PowerPoint. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn how to deliver a scientific presentation, much like you will when you are a pathology resident.

Please note that two weeks of the rotation will be dedicated to GI pathology with a focus on disease of the esophagus, stomach, small intesting, and colon. The other two weeks will be dedicated to the study of dermatopathology.