Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency
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Anatomic Pathology
Anatomic pathology training involves the examination of human tissues. These studies include performance and examination of tissues from autopsy and surgical material. The complete examination of these cases includes gross dictation and examination of histologic slides from autopsy, routine, frozen and biopsy cases that the resident/fellow will review prior to sign-out with a faculty member. Discussion of the pertinent aspects of each case and the sign-out will occur using a double or multi-headed microscope. Eventually, with graduated responsibility, it is expected that the upper-level residents rotating on the surgical pathology service will sign out cases on their own with minimal supervision by the faculty prior to the dictation of diagnoses.Service responsibilities are important components of training in anatomic pathology, where nothing can replace the experience of the autopsy gross dissection and intraoperative consultation for both gross and microscopic (frozen section) findings in the pathology of disease. Anatomic pathology study packets are being prospectively accrued for every organ system and over 500 slide sets are currently available for review by residents. Daily microscopic review conferences, frequent unknown frozen section conferences, subspecialty conferences, didactic teaching sessions, grand rounds, and journal clubs are among the educational opportunities that residents attend. With graduated responsibility, upper-level residents will present unknown and tumor board conferences. Individual faculty study sets are also available in many subspecialty areas. These materials aid trainees in the fine nuances of diagnosis and allow for review of various subspecialty topics in anatomic pathology with attending pathologists. The Houston Methodist program also offers an Investigative Pathology Resident Research Program for residents interested in pursuing careers as investigative pathologists.
Clinical Pathology
Clinical pathology requires extensive knowledge of disease, medical practice, diagnostic technology and laboratory practice. In clinical pathology training, this broad discipline will include rotations in each of the subspecialty laboratories. Generally, initial orientation to each of the laboratory sections will be accompanied by didactic lectures and reading exercises to build the fund of knowledge required for effective practice of clinical pathology. In addition, training on instrumentation and laboratory processes will be provided. In each subspecialty, consultative services are provided for test interpretation, test utilization and diagnostic strategies. Each subspecialty has its own assays that require interpretation by a pathologist and residents will participate in these activities with an emphasis on the development of graduated responsibility and the development of appropriate managerial skills. Residents will also receive training through participation in occurrence investigation, utilization review, interaction with clinical medical staff and house staff, interaction with technical staff, interaction with other pathologists, and independent study. Resident training will be provided under the direct supervision of the clinical pathology staff.Our Residency Program consists of 52 four-week rotations of structured Anatomic and Clinical Pathology throughout the four years of training. Should you have any questions regarding the specific required and/or elective rotations, please feel free to contact us.
Stipend
Requirements
Investigative Pathology Resident Research Program
Welcome to Houston Methodist’s Pathology and Genomic Medicine Investigative Pathology Resident Research Program (IPRRP). The discipline of pathology is very fortunate to be located at the confluence of many fields in medicine and biomedical research that, together, are rapidly revolutionizing how we diagnose diseases and deliver state-of-the-art patient care. Our resident research program has been designed to provide flexible, individualized and carefully mentored interdisciplinary research training focused on molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis. We are especially interested in young physician-investigators with a strong commitment to clinical and translational research, broadly defined.
I invite you to read more about our training program and contact me if you have questions or would like to receive additional information. Information about specific research opportunities available to pathology residents can be obtained by visiting Houston Methodist Research Institute and the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine faculty pages. It is an outstanding time to begin a career in investigative pathology!
James M. Musser, MD, PhD
Fondren Presidential Distinguished Chair
Chair, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine
Director, Resident Research Program
Program Goals
The primary goal of the IPRRP is to train investigative pathologists who will populate academic medical centers throughout the United States. This goal is embodied by our mission statement: Train the next generation of outstanding NIH-funded practicing pathologists who will become the academic leaders that recreate our discipline. The program will prepare clinician scientists for careers in academic pathology through an intensive mentored research experience, courses on grantsmanship and oral and written presentation skills, and access to cutting-edge technologies available at Houston Methodist and the Houston Methodist Research Institute.
Program Structure
The goal is to provide trainees with a highly flexible program that will successfully transition them to independent faculty investigators in academic pathology. In addition to receiving high-quality training in the required rotations for accreditation in anatomic pathology (AP)/clinical pathology (CP) or AP or CP only, trainees will select a mentor and embark on a course of research that will result in the submission of a grant application. This will lay the foundation for an independent career in investigative pathology. The program recognizes that the career objectives of individual trainees are unique. Thus, trainees will be guided by a primary research mentor, an interdisciplinary mentoring committee, and a career development committee to create an individualized program of study.
Mentor Requirements
The mentor is a vital participant in the trainee’s successful development as an independent investigative pathologist. As such, each trainee will choose an NIH-funded research mentor after completing a maximum of three one-month research rotations. The mentor need not have a primary appointment in the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine. Working with the chosen mentor, the trainee will develop and submit a five-page research plan detailing the project’s specific aims, experimental design, milestones, and budget. Additionally, a mentoring and career development plan will be crafted collaboratively by the trainee and mentor and reviewed by both the career development and mentoring committees.
Mentoring Committee
In consultation with the primary mentor and the IPRRP director, each trainee will form an interdisciplinary mentoring committee. We anticipate that the mentoring committee will be composed of a diverse array of investigators with expertise pertinent to the trainee’s area of study. The committee will have a mixture of MD and PhD investigators and be drawn from several departments. In addition, the committee must include one member from outside Houston who is well known nationally in the trainee’s field of investigation. The committee will meet twice annually to review the trainee’s progress and provide guidance and oversight.
Career Development Committee
Trainees will assemble a multidisciplinary career development committee that will advise the resident on elective choices and research rotations based on the candidate’s career goals, and oversee the trainee’s progress throughout the residency and research period.
Progress Reporting
Trainees will prepare a two-page written progress report and present their research to their mentoring committee every six months. In addition, the trainee will meet with their career development committee every alternating six months to ensure research and career goals are attained.
Grant Application Submission
A key goal of the program is for trainees to obtain the skills necessary to compete successfully for outside funding, a key milestone in their development as independent physician scientists. To this end, prior to or very early in their research training, trainees will prepare a detailed mentored career development research plan, complete with mentoring plan and milestones at the end of the second year. With input from the advisory committee and the mentor, trainees will write and submit an NIH-mentored career development award application (K08, K23) or its equivalent to another funding agency late in the first or early in the second year.
Candidates
Competitive candidates usually will have a record of scholarly activity and demonstrated scientific achievement in the form of publications or presentations at meetings or conferences. However, we stress that a record of previous scientific achievement is not a prerequisite for admission into the track. Rather, we are most interested in trainees who have a very strong dedication to a successful career as an investigative pathologist. Applicants to the IPRRP track selected for further consideration will be invited to present a seminar as part of their interview.
Support
Recognizing that biomedical research is a highly competitive field, very attractive sustained funding for trainees is available for up to three years based on progress, development, and likelihood of continued success. It is our expectation that the department will support the trainee in the first research year and the mentor will provide much of the support in subsequent years. The third year is optional and is based on several factors, including the trainee’s progress, the recommendation of the mentor committee and advisory committee, the trainee’s documented attempts to compete for extramural funding, and recommendation of the program director. Salaries for trainees will be at or above that stipulated for post-graduate ACGME trainees.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should complete all required residency application forms and procedures through Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS). Interviews for the IPRRP program will occur concurrently with interviews for the Houston Methodist Pathology Residency Program. In addition to the ERAS application, interested candidates should complete the supplemental IPRRP application and send all materials via email to contact below.
Application Inquiries
Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine
Houston Methodist Hospital
6550 Fannin St, Smith Bldg, Suite 383, Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 713.441.3496 | Fax: 713.793.1178
Email: ljozwiak@houstonmethodist.org
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