Below are descriptions of four areas of particular interest to prospective residents: an outline of resident rotations through various core and elective areas in Pathology, resident call, conferences involving residents, and benefits. Resident rotations typically are of a month’s duration. Introductory core experiences in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology are scheduled within the first half of the first year of pathology. These consist of experience in Surgical and Autopsy Pathology and Cytopathology for the Anatomic Pathology Core (3 months) and Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, Hematology, and Transfusion Medicine [Blood Bank] for Clinical Pathology (3 months).

RESIDENT ROTATIONS

Anatomic Pathology:

Clinical Pathology:

Six months are available for electives in Anatomic or Clinical Pathology. Popular choices are FNA Cytology, Neuropathology, Ob-Gyn Pathology, Lymphoma or Tumor Immunopathology, or research.

RESIDENT CALL: NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS

On call responsibilities for residents begin after they have initial rotations in the Anatomic or Clinical Pathology disciplines that they will cover on call. In all cases a faculty member is also on call to provide backup and advice.   One resident covers Anatomic and Clinical Pathology on a weekend, including Surgical Pathology (frozen sections), Cytology (lavages, fine-needle aspirates), and Clinical Pathology (blood bank questions, gram smear exams, hematology consults) for the weekend.  Weekend autopsies are rare.  A typical weekend would include a frozen section, examination of a broncho-alveolar lavage, Blood Bank calls, and several consultations in other areas of Clinical Pathology. Call occurs every 5 weeks for a first year resident, decreasing to every 12 weeks for a senior resident. A mobile cellular telephone provided by the Department makes responding to clinical questions easier.

CONFERENCES  2008-2009

Autopsy Conference

Weekly, Thursday mornings at 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., Morgue.  One or two cases will be presented each week.  The first case will be treated as an “unknown” where a different resident (rotated on a monthly basis) will preview the gross organs, compile there gross findings, and compose a mock PAD and Death certificate.  That resident will then present their findings at the conference.  The resident who did the autopsy will then discuss the case history and compare their findings with the assigned resident’s findings.  One teaching objective will be discussed and a short handout is encouraged – to be prepared by the resident who did the autopsy.  The second case will be presented by the resident who did the case to include clinical history, summary of the gross findings, FAD, and death certificate.  Attendance is required for all residents.

Anatomic Pathology Core Curriculum Conference

Weekly, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m., Room 0301.  The Tuesday Conference will be a didactic session by the faculty.  The Wednesday conference will be a follow up session that will include unknowns, unless the presentations do not lend themselves to an unknown format (e.g.) Lab Administration can be done in didactic or another format.  This conference will cover various topics in anatomic pathology.  Attendance is required for all residents.

Gynecology Colposcopy/Dysplasia Conference

Weekly, Monday mornings at 8:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m., Room 0301.  Biopsies of recent gynecologic cases are reviewed with clinicians.

Gynecology Oncology Conference

Monthly, 2^nd Wednesday of every month at 7:00 a.m., Room 8403.  OB/GYN residents choose interesting cases and contact the assigned resident in Pathology approximately one week in advance.  The Pathology resident is responsible to present pertinent gross/microscopic kodachromes or PowerPoint presentations and should be able to answer pertinent pathology questions.

Clinical Pathology Rounds / Clinical Call Review

Bi-Weekly, Monday mornings 8:45 – 9:00a.m. and Friday mornings at 9:00 – 9:15 a.m., Room 5120.  Interesting clinical cases to be presented by the assigned resident.  Attendance is required for all residents.

Clinical Pathology Conference

Weekly, Monday mornings at 8:00 – 8:45 a.m., Room 5120.  This conference will cover various topics in clinical pathology.  Attendance is required for all residents.

Hematopathology Case Presentation

Monthly, last Friday of every month, at 12:00 p.m. (time varies), Room 1402.  Resident and attendings on the Hematopathology service choose interesting cases seen during the month and present pertinent clinical and pathologic findings.

Medicine  Conference

Monthly, Second Friday noon, Room 6120.  The chief residents in Medicine choose interesting cases and contact the assigned resident in Pathology approximately 1 week in advance with a potential list.  The resident is responsible to present appropriate microscopic/gross pictures and should be able to answer pertinent pathology questions.

Journal Club

Weekly, Friday mornings at 8:00 – 8:45 a.m., Room 5120.  A faculty member and a resident choose two recent journal articles on a timely topic and present them to the department.  Articles are distributed beforehand to the audience.  A didactic lecture is held monthly, generally  the 2^nd Friday of the month.  This is a 40-minute didactic session topic presented by the resident.  Articles or handouts are optional.  Attendance is required for all residents.

Tumor  Management Conference

Weekly, Thursday mornings at 7:00 a.m., Cancer Center, Room 2920.  Surgical oncologists & radiation oncologists choose cases for presentation.  The assigned pathology resident is responsible for presenting pertinent microscopic findings.

Surgical Pathology Conference/Surgery

Weekly, Thursday afternoon at 4:00 p.m., Room 0301.  The resident is responsible for showing microscopic slides to medical students, surgery residents and surgery attendings around the multiheaded scope and should be able to discuss pertinent pathological information. 

Cytology/Dermatopathology Conference

Weekly, Tuesday afternoons at 4:30, Room 0301.  Interactive case studies and lectures presented by community pathologists.  Attendance is required for all residents. 

Residents' Meeting

Monthly, Monday afternoons at 12:00 noon, (usually last Monday of the month), LSN538 (Life Sciences North).  Run by Chief Resident(s).  Attendance is required for all residents.

Pediatric Tumor Management Conference

First Tuesday of every month, 8:00 a.m., Room 6407.  Pediatric oncologists select cases and forward a list to the pathology secretary.  The assigned pathology resident is responsible for presenting digital pictures or live images with scope of pertinent microscopic findings.

Surgical Pathology Quality Assurance

(Daily) 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. or 9:00 - 9:30 a.m.:  New diagnoses of malignancy, interesting cases, and difficult cases are reviewed around a multi-headed microscope.  (For residents on Anatomic Pathology rotations)

VA Internal Medicine Conference

Monthly, second Friday of every month at 12:00 noon, at the VAMC.  Assigned Medicine resident chooses interesting cases and contact the VA Clinical Pathology resident approximately 1 week in advance.  The assigned Pathology resident is responsible to present pertinent microscopic findings.  

Subspecialty and Other Conferences (attend these if you are assigned to present cases[*] or if you are interested.)

Neuro-Onc Conference (Wednesdays) 7:00 - 8:00 a.m.

Clinico-Pathology Conference (Wednesdays) 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Pediatric M&M Conference (2nd Thursday) 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Medicine - Pathology Conference (Fridays) 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

RESIDENT BENEFITS

Residents are employees of the University of Arizona; three residency positions are funded by the Veterans Administration but money is transferred to the University of Arizona and benefits are equal for all. A brief summary of benefits includes:

1. yearly vacation of 22 working days
2. ten paid holidays a year
3. one day/month accrual of sick leave
4. family and medical leave provided as eligible
5. practice insurance
6. tuition allowances for the resident, spouse, and dependents
7. counseling services

Salaries begin at $44,283 and rise progressively to $51,145 for a fourth-year resident.Each resident also receives an educational stipend of $1,500 a year from the Department. The majority of this money, $1,200, is for an out-of-state Pathology meeting, typically the U.S.-Canadian Academy of Pathology meeting or the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) in the first two years. In the last two years, the Surgical Pathology course given by the USCAP or specialty meetings.

The Arizona Society of Pathology is an active group that sponsors two in-state meetings a year, one in Phoenix and one in Tucson. These two-day meetings are characterized by timely topics presented by expert visiting pathologists.