Residency Training Overview
Training in both anatomic (AP) and clinical pathology (CP) is provided in the Pathology Departments at OHSU, the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Kaiser Regional Laboratory, and the Medical Examiners Office. Elective rotations are also offered in hematology and cytology at Kaiser (Sunnyside) Hospital.
Program Description
During the residency, the trainee spends a total of 192 weeks in AP and CP. (Training programs other than combined AP/CP are problematic and not at all the norm for this residency.) The AP/CP curriculum consists of core rotations designed to provide a fundamental base of knowledge and technical skills and to provide the foundation for the pursuit of advanced fellowship training. Conducting research with emphasis on clinicopathologic correlation and the role of the pathologist as consultant physician is also part of our program. Residents have first call responsibilities for both anatomic and clinical pathology. On average, residents take call one night out of twelve. Faculty members are available for backup and for relief on the rare occasion when on-call responsibilities create duty hours issues.
See Rotation Descriptons in the Resident Handbook for more information.
Elective Rotations
In addition to the core rotations described above, there are elective rotations intended to: augment diagnostic skills in a subspecialty area or extend one's expertise in a core area; to gain or extend technical or procedural skills; to conduct research; and to gain particular laboratory management, test development and technological expertise in one or more areas. The curriculum is flexibly structured to allow as much latitude as possible for the trainee to design a program customized to meet his or her individual needs.
Rotation Goals
Specific goals and objectives are provided for each of the required rotations (see Rotation Descriptions). These serve at least two purposes: first, to guide the trainee, and second, to assure comparability of the training experiences for a given area in the three institutions. A schedule of lab bench assignments is provided in a number of rotations as a further assurance that the rotation is appropriately balanced. Proficiency milestones (formative evaluation) are used to evaluate individual progress and identify areas where additional work is needed.
Faculty Mentor
Each resident is assigned a faculty mentor. The mentor is available to help with professional development and to help clarify career goals and expectations. The mentor fosters a personal relationship with the trainee and serves as a resource for wellness, ethical and professional issues. The mentor also helps the trainee develop the trainee’s annual grand rounds presentation.
Didactic Curriculum
A didactic curriculum is provided for all trainees throughout the year. In addition, other teaching conferences are conducted in AP and CP separately in each of the hospital services.
Research
All residents are encouraged to participate in either basic or clinical research projects during their training. Elective time may be used to pursue specific research goals. Additionally, up to one year of salary support is available to residents interested in pursuing full-time research in an OHSU or VA laboratory.