The Department of Pathology

Residency Program

Prospective Applicants

Welcome to the Department of Pathology at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville!

Our department offers a four-year training program in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, TN. The Department of Pathology is a hybrid practice defined by a busy private practice in an academic medical center. The department provides a collegial atmosphere which pervades all departments throughout the hospital creating an environment that is excellent for patient care and resident education. Our pathologists are experienced physicians who are committed to resident education.

Our department is growing; high volume, case complexity, and variable case mix create a high pace environment that trains pathology residents to become productive competent pathologists capable of performing well in any type of practice setting. Case volume per year includes 30,000 surgical pathology specimens, 50,000 cytology specimens, and ample clinical pathology experience in a reference lab.

Our Program Mission Statement

The program's mission is to provide strong training in pathology and laboratory medicine and its subspecialties. The program's philosophic mission is to develop a medical knowledge/skill base and professional attributes that allow our residents to independently and competently practice pathology with a lifelong commitment to continued learning and excellence. The program is designed to develop anatomic and clinical pathologists of the highest caliber who are competent and prepared for private or academic practice.

The Department of Pathology subscribes to a three-fold mission of excellence in service, education, and research. The department has provided, and will continue to provide, state-of-the-art anatomic and clinical laboratory services to our patients and the physicians who treat them at the medical center, its affiliated sites, and reference population.

It is expected after completion of the program that the resident will be able to pass the American Board of Pathology (ABP) examination, obtain a fellowship of his or her choice, and enter the practice of pathology with confidence in the knowledge base obtained at our program.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the program is to graduate pathologists and laboratory directors with superior technical competence, clinical acumen, and intellectual depth. By developing these characteristics, the graduates will be able to bring the methods and scientific principles of current and developing pathology practice to the aid of the clinician. The objectives of the program are to instill and develop in the residents the below six core competencies, as defined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, required for the practice of pathology and medicine in general.

Professionalism
Residents must demonstrate a commitment to professionalism and an adherence to ethical principles.

Patient Care and Procedural Skills
Residents must be able to provide patient care that is patient- and family-centered, compassionate, equitable, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health. Residents must be able to perform all medical, diagnostic, and surgical procedures considered essential for the area of practice.

Medical Knowledge
Residents must demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological, and social-behavioral sciences, including scientific inquiry, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care.

Practice-based Learning and Improvement
Residents must demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and to continuously improve patient care based on constant self-evaluation and lifelong learning.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Residents must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals.

Systems-based Practice
Residents must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, including the structural and social determinants of health, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources to provide optimal health care.