BMS 7664: Flexible Elective in Pathology MCC 15-16
Objective
The objective of this elective is to gain experience regarding the practice of pathology for those students considering a career in pathology. Partial credit for certain specialty boards may be obtained for this elective. This program is flexibly designed to accommodate students wishing to have a combined anatomic and clinical pathology elective experience. The student will observe the daily activities of anatomic and clinical laboratory technologists, technicians and pathologists’ assistants, attend autopsies, and examine surgical specimens under supervision. He/she will be expected to attend all pathology conferences and participate in microscopic sign-out sessions. Particular attention will be given to correlation between clinical information and pathologic findings.
Areas of Study
Gross & Frozen Section Pathology In the initial few days, students are stationed in the frozen section room where they shadow and learn from the Pathologist’s Assistants, Pathology Residents and frozen section Pathologist. Time spent in the frozen section room includes participating in selection of appropriate area to examine, slide preparation and finally diagnosis of the area and/or lesion of interest and reporting results to the surgeon in the operating room (OR). Time is also spent in observing gross examination and appropriate sectioning of a variety of simple to complex specimens for processing and final diagnosis. Systemic Pathology This portion of the elective involves the process diagnosis of tissue prepared during gross examination of tissue received from the OR and clinics. The services are divided into organ systems (1-9 listed above) and the student rotates on a daily basis with a pathologist scheduled on a given service. The cases for sign-out include biopsies, large resection specimens and cases from review of material from outside institutions. A detailed rotation schedule with daily assignments for students is included on the monthly assignment schedule for the Pathology Residents and is distributed at the beginning of the rotation. Cytopathology (Sign out & Intra-Operative Evaluation) During this assignment, students shadow the resident(s) and Fellow on the cytology service, and sign out with the cytopathologist on-call. They accompany the team to the clinics or floor to observe the performance of fine needle aspirations, whenever these are ordered. Time is also spent in the Cytology Prep Room learning about the technical process involved in producing slides for cytological diagnosis, and processing and diagnosis of intraoperative imprint cytology for sentinel lymph nodes. Autopsy Pathology On this service, the student accompanies the resident(s) to the autopsy suite when there is a post mortem examination to be performed and assists as needed. |
Evaluation
The staff pathologists will evaluate the student using a standardized student evaluation form.