SURGICAL PATHOLOGY

Dr. Peter McCue directs Surgical Pathology, and the full-time staff consists of Robert O. Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., Brian O'Hara, M.D., Pamela Edmonds, M.D., Mary Cunnane, M.D., Melissa Burke, M.D., Juan Palazzo, M.D., Douglas Reale, M.D., John Farber, M.D., and Raphael Rubin, M.D. All members of the staff are committed to active and interactive residency training in this key discipline. In addition, the surgical pathology fellow and senior residents participate in work assignments and assist the junior residents in the examination and preparation of diagnostic material. Two Pathologist Assistants are assigned to Surgical Pathology. The basic Surgical Pathology experience is eleven months long with an opportunity to extend this time during electives.

Patient cases are signed out and reported each morning and/or as required. A scheduled rotation permits each resident to participate in the preparation and diagnosis of all types of cases. Experience will be gained in a variety of techniques including frozen section, diagnosis and interpretations of special stains, immunostains, electron micrographs and molecular. Residents are provided time to review the slides of cases they will sign out with a Staff Pathologist the following morning.

A case review conference is held daily at which difficult and/or interesting cases are presented to the entire surgical pathology attending and resident staff for review. In addition, there is a weekly didactic seminar, which reviews some aspect of surgical pathology. Senior residents actively participate in these sessions as well as the numerous interdisciplinary clinical conferences in which the pathology department plays an integral part.

The progress of resident learning of diagnostic surgical pathology is both evaluated and assisted by the participating staff. The hands-on learning of the residents is supported by the conferences and seminars noted above. The involvement of virtually all residents during recent years in clinical related research projects in collaboration with the Surgical Pathology Staff reflects the active nature of the residency training.