Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Introduction to the Department
The Department of Pathology was established at the University of Cincinnati in 1903 and has an illustrious history of involvement in undergraduate medical and postgraduate pathology education, pathology service, and the acquisition of new knowledge related to human disease. The Department was renamed Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in 1979 to better reflect its academic mission and clinical responsibilities in a large university medical center. The University Hospital, Inc., is part of the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati (HAGC) which consists of six hospitals totaling 2280 beds. The Department has an affiliation with Children's Hospital Medical Center which provides 350 beds and the Veterans Administration Hospital which provides 420 beds. The laboratory services of HAGC were consolidated in 1997. Core laboratory services are provided by LabOne. The Immediate Response Laboratory, Flow Cytometry, Radiobiology, Special Coagulation, and Anatomic Pathology are based at University Hospital. The Department also has an affiliation with the Hamilton County Coroner's Office. The University Hospital Inc. (UHI), Children's Hospital Medical Center (CHMC), Veteran Administration Medical Center (VAMC), Hamilton County Coroner's Office, and the core laboratories are contiguous to the University Medical Center and are staffed by our faculty and residents in Pathology. Collectively, the Department is responsible for the interpretation of approximately 27,000 surgical pathology cases, 20,000 cytologic specimens, and the performance of 300 autopsies annually. Alliance wide, there are over 200,000 cytologies and 80,000 surgical pathology specimens.
Opportunities for residency training include those leading to certification in anatomic pathology or combined certification in AP/CP. Most residents follow a combined AP/CP program which encompasses four years. In accordance with the Department's philosophy, the program consists of a core segment of rotations through each of the major service divisions (autopsy, surgical pathology, cytopathology, hematology, immunology, blood-banking) followed by elective and advanced service rotations tailored to the individual needs of the resident. The core program encompasses the first three years with elective or advanced rotations in the senior year. In each of the rotations, residents are given increasing responsibilities commensurate with their level of training and competence. Rotations and electives are spent in the University Medical Center, Children's Hospital, the V.A. Medical Center, the Hamilton County Coroner's Office, Hoxworth Blood Center, LabOne and community hospitals.
For residents in the combined AP/CP program, it is anticipated that the majority of the fourth year of training would be spent in one or two areas of pathology or in clinically applied research. Laboratory management experience is obtained at the University Hospital, the VA Medical Center, and Adams County Hospital.
All residents are encouraged to take advantage of research
opportunities in their various rotations but particularly during the fourth
year. Faculty welcomes the participation of a pathology resident in both
basic and applied research. Should a resident elect to spend a prolonged
period of time in research, possibly in preparation for an academic career,
one or two years of fellowship support may be obtained with a portion
of that research time approved as residency training.
Teaching is considered to be essential to the practice of pathology and
is given high priority in our residency training. All residents are required
to participate in medical school teaching. This consists of assignment
to supervise and instruct medical students in a laboratory group during
the second year pathology course. In addition, residents have the opportunity
to present conferences in Pathology and other departments and to present
cases and research at national meetings.
There are structured post residency fellowships leading to sub-specialty board certification in dermatopathology, forensic pathology, pediatric pathology, cytopathology, hematology and blood-banking available in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine or associated College of Medicine Departments. Other clinical activities and extensive research opportunities are available for a fellowship year based on the interest of the resident.
[ The Web at UC | UC Home ]