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The Surgical Pathology Fellowship at Tufts Medical Center offers comprehensive training in diagnostic surgical pathology including in-depth exposure to subspecialty areas of general surgical pathology.
The goal of the 1-year surgical pathology fellowship is to prepare the Fellow for advanced practice in surgical pathology. Fellows should have a strong background in general diagnostic pathology, and acquire skills though the fellowship training to become an independent attending pathologist able to practice in either an academic, community hospital, or commercial laboratory setting, or pursue further subspecialty fellowship training.
Tufts Medical Center presents a rich diversity of cases including transplant pathology, cancer pathology (e.g., breast, prostate, lung, gastrointestinal, gynecologic) and non-neoplastic diseases. There are approximately 20, 000 surgical cases annually at Tufts Medical Center. In addition, Tufts Medical Center is one of two hospitals in Boston with a focus on cardiac transplantation.
The fellow will be mentored and will assume graduated responsibility for diagnostic sign out of cases with the surgical pathology faculty at Tufts Medical Center. The fellow also will participate in conference presentations, tumor boards, pathology laboratory administration, and the education of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine residents.
Although this is a non–ACGME-accredited program, the fellowship meets the American Board of Pathology criteria for Maintenance of Certification credit and is modeled on surgical pathology fellowship programs at other major academic medical centers. Opportunities exist to become involved in ongoing clinical or translational research in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, particularly in partnership with other clinical services. Available diagnostic and research techniques include immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, cytogenetic techniques, and some molecular applications.
The goal of the one-year surgical pathology fellowship is to prepare the candidate for advanced practice in surgical pathology. The fellowship is based on a model of practice under supervision, rather than a program of didactic and practical exercises.
In general, the practice of surgical pathology occurs in one of three major practice settings: academic practice, community hospital based group practice, or commercial laboratory practice. Each of these settings varies in terms of their typical workloads, spectrum of case types, case complexity, and involvement in teaching and scholarly activity. This fellowship takes place in an academic practice setting and will adequately prepare the candidate for practice in any of the major pathology practice models.
At the end of the one-year Surgical Pathology Fellowship, the successful candidate will be expected to:
The program is structured to provide all necessary core training over a one year period and to assure that learning the techniques and skills required for excellence in surgical pathology practice (morphology, immunohistochemistry, molecular diagnostics, laboratory management administration and informatics) is accomplished in a coordinated fashion.
Although the surgical pathology faculty at Tufts Medical Center practice as generalists, each faculty member has subspecialty expertise; therefore, the surgical pathology rotations are structured so that each period focuses on a subspecialty area while allowing the Fellow to continually develop essential general surgical pathology skills.
The year is divided as follows:
During surgical pathology periods with grossing, the surgical pathology Fellow rotates through subspecialties in 2-week rotational blocks; the last 2 week block may be done in an area of the Fellow’s interest. The subspecialty areas include:
Days are structured with biopsy sign-out in the subspecialty area every morning, and alternating subspecialty grossing and large case sign-out in the afternoon. During the 4 months of surgical pathology without grossing, the Fellow signs out all consultation cases in all subspecialty areas and evaluate a portion of biopsies and large cases. The volume at Tufts Medical Center is such that residents and Fellows have their own cases even when on similar specialty services.
In addition to their day-to-day service work responsibilities, the Fellow will participate in additional departmental and interdepartmental activities listed below.
The fellow has administrative responsibilities as part of the program structure; this affords an opportunity to learn skills that are required for academic and private practice and are critical to master. Administrative Quality Assurance activities include:
During the year, the Surgical Pathology Fellow mandatory conferences include:
The fellow is expected to prepare for and be present at the above conferences. Cases with questions should be discussed with the appropriate faculty member prior to the conference. Fellows may attend other departmental and interdepartmental conferences and educational opportunities to maintain competence in general pathology.
Tufts Medical Center has an anatomic and clinical pathology residency program with 12 residents. The fellow is expected to take an active role in resident education. The fellow teaching activities are:
The fellow is expected to initiate or participate in one or more research projects related to any area of surgical pathology, to present the research data at national meetings, and to publish the data in pathology/biomedical journals.
The department provides funds for purchasing books and attendance at a national meeting. If an abstract is presented at a meeting, additional funds and time off are provided.
Anatomic Pathology Elizabeth M. Genega, MD, Chief, Anatomic Pathology Knarik Arkun, MD, Director of Autopsy and Neuropathology Jeffrey Arnold, MD, Cytopathologist and Surgical Pathologist Natalie Ciomek, MD, Surgical Pathologist, Hematopathologist Janet M. Cowan, PhD, Medical Director, Cytogenetics Stephen P. Naber, PhD, MD, Senior Pathologist, Medical Director, Biorepository Monika Roychowdhury, MD, Acting Medical Director, Cytology, Surgical Pathologist Daniel Rust, MD, Surgical Pathologist, Pediatric Pathology Arthur S. Tischler, MD, Senior Surgical Pathologist (Endocrine Pathology) Julie Y. Tse, MD, Dermatopathologist
Fellows complete their training at Tufts Medical Center, a world-class academic medical center located in Boston and the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. It also sponsors nineteen specialty ACGME-accredited clinical training programs.
Tufts Medical Center is a 415-bed robust organization, providing everything from routine medical care to treating the most complex diseases affecting adults and children. Tufts Medical Center is also home to the Tufts Children's Hospital, a full-service children's hospital dedicated exclusively to all levels of pediatric care.
Tufts Medical Center provides heart, kidney and bone marrow transplants, is a level I trauma center, provides comprehensive neurological and neurosurgical care, and offers cutting-edge cancer treatments.
Tufts Medical Center is also home to The Boston Gamma Knife Center, the first and only Gamma Knife Center in Massachusetts and northern New England.
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Applicants must be board eligible in AP or AP/CP and licensed to practice medicine in the State of Massachusetts by the time their fellowship begins. We encourage those interested to apply 18 months in advance. To apply, download the CAP Standardized Application for Pathology Fellowships. Application materials and requests for further information should be addressed to: Madeline Harrison Residency Program Coordinator Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Tufts Medical Center, Box 115 800 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02111 Telephone: 617-636-2567 Fax: 617-636-7128 E-mail: mharrison3@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
Madeline Harrison Academic Program Coordinator Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Tufts Medical Center, Box 115 800 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02111 Telephone: 617-636-2567 Facsimile: 617-636-7128 E-mail: mharrison3@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
