Goals & Objectives

The fundamental goals of the pathology residency program are to provide an opportunity for knowledge acquisition, skills training and practice, and to provide guidance in accomplishing exemplary patient care.

Residents develop expertise in laboratory service and management, and data investigation and interpretation.

Our faculty recognize the resident as a mature physician seeking special competence in pathology. Our staff pathologists and other personnel willingly give of their time, knowledge, and guidance to the resident seeking it. Our training programs emphasize interpretative, investigative, and management skills, and are structured to avoid overemphasis in the technical aspects of pathology. The pathology laboratory is the resident's classroom, so we make every effort to utilize the laboratory's potential for instructional purposes. 

Broad Program Objectives

Upon completion of the program resident will be able to:

  1. Comprehend the bases of pathologic processes.
  2. Explain pathologic processes that apply to individual patients, as well as to the general patient population.
  3. Analyze laboratory and clinical data.
  4. Interpret laboratory data for clinicopathologic correlation.
  5. Practice the technical and mechanical aspects of laboratory pathology.
  6. Perform laboratory management.

Pathology Rotation Schedule for Residents

 

First Year

Block

1

2

3

4

Institution

VCU Health

VCU Health

VCU Health

VCU Health

Rotation Name

Autopsy I/Neuropath

3 months

Surgical Path I

3 months

                                    Transfusion Medicine I
(includes Apheresis & Coagulation)
3 months

 

Hematology I
(includes Molecular Diagnostics and Cytogenetics)
3 months

 

Second Year

Block

1

2

3

4

Institution

VCU Health

VCU Health

VCU Health

VCU Health

Rotation Name

Surgical Pathology II

4 months

Cytopathology I

3 months

Chemistry

2 months

Toxicology, Informatics

1 month 

Microbiology

2 months

 

Third Year

Block

1

2

3

4

Institution

VCU Health/Office of the Chief Medical examiner

VCU Health

VCU Health

VCU Health

Rotation Name

Autopsy II (incl. Neuropath)
1 month

Immunology
1 month

OCME/Forensic Path
1 month

Surgical Path III

3 months

Transfusion Medicine II
(includes Apheresis) 
3 months

Hematology II

 3 months

 

Fourth Year

Block

1

2

3

4

Institution

VCU Health and
VA Medical Center

VCU Health

VCU Health

Site 1

Rotation Name

Surgical Pathology IV

VCU (Site 1)
2 months

Richmond VAMC (Site 3)
2 months

Cytopathology II
2 months

Electives
      3 months     

(per interests, needs, and career goals of the resident  with approval of Director of Resident Training)

Electives
3 months

(per interests, needs, and career goals of the resident with approval of Director of Resident Training)

 

Electives

Elective rotations are an integral part of the AP-CP program and are available after satisfactory completion of the core rotations. The choices are left to the interests, needs, and career goals of the resident but must have the approval of the Director of Resident Training and director of the laboratory involved.  Electives are available in various subspecialty anatomic and clinical pathology services, in addition to the services comprising the required rotations. The VCUH Office of Graduate Medical Education allows residents one month of extramural elective time over the course of resident training. If you are interested, please discuss this with the Director of Resident Training early in the process. There must be goals and objectives, agreed upon in writing, by the person in charge of the rotation and by the Director of Resident Training. These should include experiences that cannot be attained at VCUH. The person responsible for the rotation at the outside facility must write an evaluation at the end of the month. Requests for extramural electives must receive written approval from both the Director of Resident Training and the Director of Graduate Medical Education. Please see the Resident Coordinator for the required form.