Pathology Elective

Offered by the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine : 1-2 4th Year Medical Students from Emory University School of Medicine and Visiting Students from LCME Medical Schools during the following months: January, August, September, October, November, and December.

For application, contact:
  Dean's Office
  Joel M. Felner, MD
  Phone: 404 778-1372
  Fax: 404 778-1370

GOALS:
This elective is designed for medical students considering a career in pathology and for medical/surgical residents who wish to learn more about the role of pathology in the care of their patients. The four week rotation is divided into blocks that cover each of the major aspects of pathology.

FORMAT:
Week 1: Frozen Section - The intraoperative frozen section is an essential part of many surgical procedures. During this consult, the pathologist makes rapid diagnoses of frozen surgical specimens and relays the diagnoses intraoperatively to the surgeon, thus helping to decide the course of therapy. Depending on the type of specimen examined, the pathologist might determine the benign or malignant nature of a given lesion, if the margins of a tumor resection are free of malignancy, etc. During this week, the rotator will learn how the pathologists interacts with clinicians during frozen section consultation, and will be introduced to tissue sectioning, histologic staining, and gross/microscopic diagnosis.

Week 2: Surgical Pathology - With the direct assistance of pathology residents and faculty, the rotator will get hands-on experience in gross examination and dissection of surgical specimens, microscopic study of tissue and formulation of pathologic diagnoses. The rotator will have the opportunity to follow specimens from the time they are received in pathology until the time they are officially signed-out.

Week 3: Cytology and autopsy - The rotator will participate in our department’s fine needle aspiration clinic and will learn the important role of Cytopathology in the evaluation of certain mass lesions. In the FNA clinic, the rotator will be able to interact directly with patients as FNA specimens are obtained and will see how preliminary cytologic diagnoses help clinicians map out appropriate courses of therapy. During this week, the rotator will also participate in autopsies at Emory University Hospital, learn dissection techniques from residents, and have the opportunity to present one case at the department’s weekly autopsy gross conference.

Week 4: Clinical Pathology - This week will be focused primarily on the Blood Bank and hematopathology labs. In the Blood Bank, the rotator will learn how blood typing and crossmatching are performed, and will see how the laboratory ensures that blood products are available for patients and are utilized properly. In hematopathology, the rotator will learn how histopathology, flow cytometry molecular diagnostics, and consultation with the oncology service come together in the management of some of Emory’s challenging and interesting patients.

CONTACT:
Jay Wilson
Pathology Education Office
H-189 Emory University Hospital
1364 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Phone: 404-712-1990
FAX: 404-727-2519

LINKS:
Visiting Students Link 1
Visiting Students Link 2