Medical Education
Click here to go to the Downstate Registrar's office
Pathology Electives for MS3 & MS4 (Current)
Path 4370 Pathology UHD Core Yr (MS3)
Path 4364 Intro to Surg Path KCH
Path 4366 Forensic Path King - also for Core Yr (MS3)
PATH 4370 Core Yr (MS3) Pathology Elective
Two-Week Pathology Elective for Third Year Medical Students
Overview
The goal of this elective is to introduce medical students to the practice of anatomic
and clinical pathology within an academic medical center at University Hospital of
Downstate (UHD). Students will work closely with pathology attendings and residents
across a variety of pathology disciplines and subspecialties including surgical pathology,
cytopathology, autopsy, transfusion medicine, chemical pathology, hematopathology,
microbiology, and neuropathology. During this course elective, students may observe
routine microscopic sign-outs of surgical pathology cases and cytopathology slides,
participate in gross examination and sectioning of surgical specimens, brain cuttings
and autopsies, including forensic autopsy. Students may engage in discussions regarding
the appropriate distribution of blood products, interpretation of laboratory tests,
laboratory management and chemical pathology with clinical pathologists; and attend
case presentations, unknown case conferences, journal clubs, tumor boards, and other
conferences. You are expected to introduce yourself to each attending and resident
with whom you are interacting and to observe carefully and read around your cases.
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this elective the student should be able to:
- Describe the varied training pathways for a career in Anatomic and / or Clinical Pathology and/or subspecialties of pathology, e.g. neuropathology, forensic pathology, etc.
- Explain the importance of clinical information in the evaluation of specimens in Surgical Pathology, in planning an autopsy, and for appropriate distribution of blood products in Transfusion Medicine. Give an example of how clinical information is important for handling of a specimen and for diagnosis.
- Describe the role of the pathologist in patient care. Observe procedures such as frozen section, bone marrow analysis, grossing and sign-out of surgical specimens, sign-out of cytology specimens, autopsy, brain cutting, etc.
- Describe the varied roles of Clinical Pathology laboratories (Transfusion Medicine, Chemistry, Hematology, Microbiology, Virology) in patient care.
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic gross and histopathology appropriate for level of third year medical student.
- Interpret several common laboratory tests. Describe a factor which may impact laboratory results
Requirements:
- Students should demonstrate professionalism in their interactions with attending pathologists, residents, and technical and support staff.
- Students are required to attend all departmental resident conferences.
- Keep a daily log briefly summarizing their activities during these two weeks. Within 5 days of the conclusion of the two-week period, this log should be emailed to the course coordinator and course director.
- Write a one- or two-page essay describing an interesting diagnostic case or laboratory problem you encountered during the elective. This could be about, for example, an interesting tumor case in surgical pathology, a transfusion reaction or some other blood bank problem, an autopsy you attended, or an interesting laboratory result, etc. It is not necessary to focus on rare conditions; common cases or situations, if interesting to you, are fine. Within 5 days of the conclusion of the two-week period, this essay should be emailed to the course coordinator and course director.
- Absences must be communicated to the course director and course coordinator in advance or as soon as possible.
Assessment: Students will be assessed by the course director based on the demonstration of achieving the learning objectives, and on the information provided in the daily log and in the one- or two-page essay. Students will also be assessed by their supervising attendings based on their attendance, professional behavior, interactions with the healthcare team, self-directed learning, and satisfactory completion of all requirements of the elective. It is expected that the attending will seek input into the assessment from the residents or fellows on the service.
Department: Pathology
Course Director: Jenny Libien, MD, PhD
Course Coordinator/ Contact Person: Nyeisha Bruno, BSB 4-5
Email: Nyeisha.Bruno@downstate.edu
Telephone: 718-270-4599
Fax: 718-270-3313
Course Location: University Hospital at Downstate
Course Timing: Offered September through May
Session Duration: Two weeks
Hours per day: 8:15 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday