PAT 4100 Pathology Elective
Course Objective: The objective of the pathology clerkship and selective is to provide students with an
opportunity to enhance their knowledge and obtain a greater understanding of the scope of a
pathologist’s duties in the hospital setting. The specialty of pathology is divided into anatomic and
clinical pathology. Anatomic pathology can be classified by three broad areas including surgical
pathology, cytopathology, and autopsy pathology. Surgical pathology is the gross and microscopic
examination of surgical resections and biopsy samples including intraoperative frozen section. Surgical
pathology is divided into subspecialties based on body site/tumor type. Cytopathology includes of
examination pap smears, needle aspirates, brushings, and fluid collection to provide minimally invasive
diagnoses. Autopsy pathology is the examination of the deceased to clarify the physiologic
derangements that caused death for the purposes of general medical knowledge (hospital autopsies) or
medicolegal purposes (forensic autopsies). Clinical pathology includes lab medicine as well as oversight
and administration of patient laboratories. It includes areas such as transfusion medicine (blood bank),
hematology and coagulation, clinical chemistry, and microbiology. In addition to exploring a broad
cross section of the pathology specialty, students will be expected to attend intradepartmental
conferences (interesting case conferences) and interdepartmental conferences (tumor board).
Students interested in pursuing pathology as a career would benefit from a rotation in pathology at one
of the primary sites listed below that maintain active pathology residency. The rotation should be
designed to gain experiences in both anatomic and clinical pathology. Students not interested in a career
in pathology, but interested in an overview of laboratory medicine would benefit from a rotation at one
of the teachings hospitals with their time divided between anatomic and clinical pathology.
Additionally, students may seek to tailor a rotation in pathology around their particular specialty of
interest. For example students interested in...:
* orthopedic surgery could study bone pathology at the Joint Pathology Center
* general surgery could focus on anatomic pathology and transfusion medicine
* operational medicine could work with combat related death investigation at OAFME
* nephrology could examine renal biopsies at the JPC
* dermatology could focus on skin biopsies and the subspecialty of dermatopathology
* anesthesiology could focus on blood banking and transfusion medicine
Offered
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) - MD; Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston (JBSA) - TX; Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (TCM) - WA; Naval Medical Center, San Diego Bremerton Naval Hospital (NHB) - WA; David Grant USAF Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base (DGMC) - CA; Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon (USAGFG) - GA; Joint Pathology Center - MD; Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) - VA; Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) - HI; William Beaumont Army Medical Center; Dover AFB; Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg (WAMC) - NC; Fort Belvoir Army Hospital (BLV) - VA; Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital (CLNC) - NC; Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) - VA