Basic and Systemic Pathology of Human Disease

For access to Medical College Path200 Website please contact Dr. Fenderson.

Welcome to Pathology!

The study of pathology at Jefferson is a unique experience, one to which students and faculty alike devote enormous effort. This is of no surprise, since pathology is the critical bridge between the basic sciences and patient care. Through pathology, one may witness first-hand the cellular alterations that correlate with clinical symptoms and signs, such as shortness of breath or an abnormal x-ray.

The pathology curriculum at Jefferson offers a number of complementary resources to enable you to master this important discipline. The written backbone of the course is the text, Pathology, by Emanuel Rubin and John L. Farber. The didactic backbone of the course is an expanded series of lectures (more affectionately known as "large group seminars") where faculty specialists in each subject will present key concepts to the entire class using correlative verbal and visual formats. A limited number of Focus, Overview, and Special Interest Lectures are also provided to expand upon what is available in the text and to assist in prioritizing information and appreciating clinical relevance. In addition, relevant Case Studies coordinated with the text are provided to enhance further appreciation of the clinical importance and implications of each major topic. The text and didactic sessions are supplemented by this syllabus, which in addition to serving as a practical guide for course assignments, represents a "road map" to assist in navigating through the text and lectures. Glass slides are available to facilitate independent microscope study and to acquaint students first-hand with the practical aspects of pathologic diagnosis. This approach also provides a more in depth appreciation of the pathological changes than is possible to convey in Kodachrome projection slides. Finally, many of the images projected during the course, as well as much additional information, are available through the Course Info website.

Students are responsible for information provided in the text, as well as for complementary and supplemental information provided in lectures and case studies, and in other formal teaching exercises. Unfortunately, there is no getting around the fact that the amount of information that must be assimilated for mastery of pathology is immense. This information will be of critical and imminent importance to you as you inevitably are evaluated in the context of your peers in Board examinations, and most importantly, in your entire careers as you care for patients. It is the goal of the faculty and the teaching resources outlined above for each and every student to succeed in this process. Through committed utilization of all of the above resources, a thorough understanding of pathology can be obtained.

Pathology is a clinically relevant cornerstone in medical education, and Jefferson has a student/faculty mix that makes it one of the most exciting places to explore this field of study. The Faculty looks forward to a rewarding and challenging year, and welcome you all to our curriculum!

William Kocher, M.D. Director of Medical Education

Bruce A. Fenderson, Ph.D. Pathology Course Coordinator

Page maintained by Bruce Fenderson