Training
Training Tracks
The Department of Pathology Residency Program offers multiple, flexible training tracks.
Most of the residents who enter our program undertake four years of combined training in both anatomic pathology and clinical pathology (AP/CP4). Those individuals who wish to pursue a career in academic pathology without a primary emphasis on basic research may choose a three-year AP (AP3) or CP (CP3) curriculum. Individuals with a strong commitment to a laboratory science may choose the research track, which combines the AP3 or CP3 curriculum with one or more years of research.
Combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology (AP/CP4) Program
The first two years of the Combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology (AP/CP4) Program consist of a core curriculum which serves as the foundation for more advanced or specialized rotations of the third and fourth years of training. Progression through the curriculum is accompanied by a graduated increase in resident responsibility. While the order of rotations is flexible and tailored to the professional goals of the individual resident, a typical organization of rotations by year might look like this:
First-Year Rotations
- Boot Camp and Subspecialty Surgical Pathology Rotations – 4 months
- Autopsy Pathology (adult, pediatric, and perinatal) – 3 months
- Transfusion Medicine – 2 months
- Hematopathology – 2 months
- Cytogenetics – 1 month
Second-Year Rotations
- Subspecialty Surgical Pathology Rotations – 4 months
- Pediatric Surgical Pathology – 2 months
- Cytopathology – 2 months
- Molecular Genetic Pathology – 1 month
- Clinical Chemistry – 1 month
- Laboratory Management and Informatics – 1 month
- Elective – 1 month
Third-Year Rotations
- Subspecialty Surgical Pathology Rotations – 2 months
- Senior Autopsy – 1 month
- Forensic Pathology – 1 month
- Coagulation/Senior Transfusion Medicine – 2 months
- Senior Hematopathology – 2 months
- Flow Cytometry – 1 month
- Microbiology – 2 months
- Elective – 1 month
Fourth-Year Rotations
- Advanced Anatomic Pathology (VA Surgical pathology/Cytopathology/Autopsy) – 3 months
- Surgical Pathology Frozen Section Hot Seat – 1 month
- Senior Cytopathology – 1 month
- Senior Laboratory Management and Informatics – 1 month
- Senior Clinical Chemistry – 1 month
- Immunology and HLA – 1 month
- Electives – 4 months
Anatomic Pathology (AP3) Program
During the first two years of the Anatomic Pathology (AP3) Training Program, the residents take the same required AP rotations as the AP/CP4 residents. This is followed by a flexible year of research and/or subspecialty elective training. Modifications of this Training Program may be arranged to meet the specific needs of individuals planning specialized academic and/or research careers.
Clinical Pathology (CP3) Program
During the first 18 months of Clinical Pathology (CP3) Training Program the residents take the same Clinical Pathology core rotations as the AP/CP4 residents. The remaining 18 months comprise additional rotations through one or more of the core laboratories, followed by concentrated training in one of the subspecialty areas of clinical pathology and/or research.
Research Track
Residents who choose to follow the Research Track of the Pathology Residency Program can do so as candidates for either AP or CP board certification (AP3 or CP3). Such individuals are usually physicians with a proven research record who also hold a Ph.D. The Pathology Department will fund these three years of research. Opportunities also exist for spending this time in the laboratory of an investigator who is not a member of the Pathology Department. In such case, the laboratory in which the resident has chosen to work must assume some portion of the funding.
The research track also applies to a resident who has received a grant from the Physician Scientist Training Program. In this regard, UT Southwestern has established a combined clinical/research training program called the Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP). The application for PSTP grants crosses departmental lines and is separate from the resident selection process. If you are awarded a PSTP grant and select UT Southwestern for your residency training, you will receive guaranteed support for a three-year period of research training after completion of a 24-month core curriculum in Anatomic or Clinical Pathology.
Training Features
- A large, diverse faculty, all specialists representing each of the major pathology disciplines
- Almost all diagnostic activities at UT Southwestern are under the control of our Department, which allows us to offer comprehensive, in-depth training in all of the various pathology disciplines as well as a complete array of subspecialty fellowship programs
- We offer a strong academic environment with access to state-of-the-art and newly emerging diagnostic technologies, which is essential to the preparation of any pathologist for professional life in the 21st century
- Basic training in our Residency Program is enhanced by extensive exposure to modern molecular diagnostics, advanced flow cytometric analysis, and molecular cytogenetics
Residents as Teachers
Regardless of career track, the pathologist will always be a teacher. Our Residency Training Program provides teaching experience through several mechanisms. Residents beyond the first year serve as laboratory instructors in the pathology course at UT Southwestern Medical School. The residents lead the students in small group case discussions, functioning as junior faculty. The residents also gain teaching experience through the many conferences in which they actively participate.
Residents participate in informal teaching of other residents and medical students on a continuing basis. The core rotations in Autopsy, Surgical Pathology, Transfusion Medicine, and Hematopathology mix novice residents with more experienced residents who can provide instruction and support to their junior colleagues. Medical students on second-, third- and fourth-year electives in Pathology are also paired with residents for instruction in daily activities.
On multiple occasions during the academic year, each resident presents a brief case presentation and literature review for the Anatomic or Clinical Case Presentation Conference Series. At least once, each resident makes a major formal presentation of a topic of his/her choice to fellow residents and members of the faculty. This Update in Pathophysiology conference provides the opportunity for the resident to learn and share new important information with colleagues and to gain valuable experience in conference preparation and presentation. The topic is usually based upon a case encountered by the resident during the course of their daily work with emphasis on the underlying pathophysiology/molecular biology of the disease, although research-track residents can use this forum to present their research.
Each subspecialty clinical service provides a variety of teaching conferences and clinicopathologic correlation conferences as part of the rotation through that particular service. Journal clubs complement the teaching on many services. In addition to these smaller conferences, there are major University and Department-sponsored conferences that all residents are encouraged to attend.