Surgical Pathology Fellowship Program

Program Description

The Surgical Pathology Fellowship Program is based in the Department of Pathology. One, one-year fellowship is available beginning each July 1. Our department offers a variety of excellent educational opportunities including high volume, case complexity and diversity of cases. Case volumes per year averages over 30,000 surgical specimens, 50,000 cytology accessions, including 5,000 non-gynecologic specimens and 1,200 fine needle aspirations. The fellow is given responsibility in signing out with appropriate supervision by senior faculty. Teaching activities include an unknown case conference, journal club, case presentations, conference presentation, and research presentations where applicable. Rotations include gross room and sign-out, special techniques: electron microscopy, molecular pathology, flow cytometry, etc.

A wide spectrum of specimens (GU, GI, renal, lung, liver, muscle, brain, skin, etc.) provide extensive experience. The fellow participates in interdepartmental conferences and has an active role in supervising and teaching pathology residents. A research project is not a requirement during the fellowship year; however it is highly encouraged, and supported. The Department of Pathology, which includes over twenty faculty, has an excellent information technology base (Cerner/PowerChart/CoPath) and incorporates state-of-the-art facilities.

Expectations

The Surgical Pathology fellow will have daily interaction with the pathology faculty and pathology residents and will participate fully in the education of pathology residents and other clinical residents and students rotating in pathology. The fellow would review slides and prepare reports for all in house and submitted consultation cases, frozen sections, with increasing autonomy as the fellowship progresses. Responsibilities also include supervision of pathologist assistants, rotating learners, and participation in intradepartmental teaching conferences and journal club presentations. The fellow will attend various consensus conferences for each subspecialty as well as participate in tissue procurement and review of archival pathology cases for both research and clinical purposes. Participation in research is encouraged with the goal of abstract presentation and manuscript submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Eligibility

USMLE Steps I, II and III (or COMLEX equivalent) must be completed prior to beginning the fellowship. Those accepted into the fellowship must acquire their Tennessee medical license by the completion of the third month of their fellowship. The candidate must have completed requirements to sit for the ABP, AP examination, prior to starting the fellowship. USMLE Step III must be successfully completed prior to beginning the fellowship.

Prerequisites

Completion of an approved Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency Program must have been completed successfully prior to entering the fellowship.

Application Process

The College of American Pathology (CAP) Standardized Application form for Pathology Fellowships should be completed and submitted by September 1 of the preceding year. In addition to the form, applicants must also submit:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  
  
• Personal Statement
  
  
• Medical School transcripts
  
  
• USMLE/COMLEX scores
  
  
• Three letters of recommendation (including Residency Program Director)
  
  
• Residency Diploma
  
  
• Medical School Diploma
  
  
• ECFMG

Salary and Benefits

Commensurate with year of post-graduate level of training.

• UTGSM provides fellows with an excellent support system, including nursing, pharmacy, library, laboratory, nutritional support, social workers, consultative support from subspecialists, and an excellent Resident Assistance Program. The University of Tennessee Medical Center has state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic facilities.
  

• UTGSM is minutes away from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, main campus and has the resources of this large institution at its disposal. UTGSM has a close working relationship with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. College of Medicine, located in Memphis. Teachers and researchers at UTGSM collaborate and share facilities with colleagues at the prestigious University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge National Laboratories.
  

• UTGSM draws patients from a large geographic area in East Tennessee, southeast Kentucky, northwest North Carolina, and western Virginia. University of Tennessee Medical Center is a Level 1 Trauma Center. Due to the tertiary referral nature of the university program, a large number of patients with a broad spectrum of clinical pathologies are available for both clinical experience and research studies

Letters of reference should be on department letterhead and directed to: 
Ashley N. Scheiderer, MD, Director, Surgical Pathology Fellowship

Completed letters and application should be mailed or emailed to:
Ashley Capps, Residency & Fellow Coordinator
Department of Pathology
The University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville
1924 Alcoa Hwy U-108
Knoxville, Tennessee 37920
Phone: 865-305-8979, Fax: 865-305-6866
AECapps1@utmck.edu