Pathology Residency & Fellowships

residents and fellows 2022

Welcome to the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine

Vice-Chair for Education,
Dr. Suzanne Z. Powell

 

Thanks for your interest in our Pathology Residency Program. Our chair, James M. Musser MD, PhD, and I invite you to review our program’s video to learn about the program structure from the following pages. 

 

Our residency program is accredited by the ACGME for 20 trainees, and we usually recruit 5 trainees annually. We have 13 fellowships, 12 that are accredited by the ACGME and the 13th, in Clinical Chemistry, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Clinical Chemistry. Houston Methodist Hospital is affiliated with Texas A&M College of Medicine and serves as a training site for MS3 and MS4 medical students. In addition, Houston Methodist Hospital houses a new medical school program, also with Texas A&M, in Engineering Medicine. The medical students from both programs may rotate in our Department, and our trainees have the opportunity to interact with and teach these students.

 

Recruitment is a special time for us, and we look forward to meeting you! The majority of our rotations occur within Houston Methodist Hospital. Houston Methodist Hospital is ranked in the Top 20 Hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Reports, is ranked in 10 specialties, and is consistently ranked the number one hospital in Texas. Houston Methodist Hospital is an adult hospital without pediatric services. We were the first department of pathology in the United States to be approved to transfuse convalescent plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to acutely ill patients hospitalized with active COVID-19 infection. Our department has supported diagnostic testing for COVID-19 for our entire seven-hospital system, which encompassed 17-40% of all hospital positive COVID-19 cases in Houston. Our clinical pathology services (blood banking/transfusion medicine, hematopathology, microbiology, and clinical laboratory services, including molecular diagnostics) and anatomic pathology services (surgical pathology and subspecialties, cytopathology and autopsy service) are second to none. The residency program provides two daily conferences, at 8 am and noon. Our Friday morning didactic anatomic pathology conference is broadcast throughout the Texas Medical Center and to another institution outside of the state of Texas. Our Monday morning unknown conference can be viewed digitally through RecutClub.com. We welcome your participation and review of our unknown cases!

 

Our program offers a Resident Research Track that is tailored to each candidate’s skills, interests, and expertise. An additional application form (beyond ERAS) is required.

 

The residency program is structured to meet the needs of each individual in the context of requirements by the ACGME for training and the American Board of Pathology for certification. Anatomic and Clinical Pathology rotations are mixed throughout the years of training, and interested candidates may enter training in AP/CP, AP/NP, AP only, or CP-only tracks. Interest in the CP-only track should be declared, as there is a separate matching program for that track. The other options are contained in the general match. Outside required rotations are at the Harris County Institute for Forensic Sciences, and pediatric pathology at University of Texas – Houston, Hermann Children’s Hospital, as well as two required rotations (PGY3 and PGY4) at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Autopsy and Surgical Pathology. The program is structured to develop graduated responsibility in all areas of Pathology. Residents participate in leadership and management activities in the department, and are critical elements in the preparation for CAP Accreditation of the laboratories. A myriad of other elective opportunities are available. We create a supportive educational setting that provides for individual growth and development for all. Our residents are involved in hospital committees, GME committees, and volunteer activities sponsored by the hospital system and we encourage their participation in committee activities in organized pathology when possible. We look forward to hearing from you, and we welcome any questions you may have regarding any of our programs.

 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions about our program.

 

Houston Methodist Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine Residency and Fellowship Programs from Houston Methodist on Vimeo.

 

banner collage of 3 images of pathology contest winners

Messages From Our Chiefs

Interviewing for residency is both a thrilling and unique experience. You’re not only seeking a program for educational growth and mastery of a medical subspecialty, but also a home for several pivotal years of your life. As my partner and I simultaneously navigated the match process, we sought a place where we could both receive exceptional education, personal happiness, and individual growth. Houston and the Texas Medical Center (TMC) quickly stood out as our ideal locale, offering numerous high-caliber pathology residency programs and world-class fellowships across numerous pathology fields. Among these, Houston Methodist was the best fit for me. This institution offers a high volume of diverse, complex specimens coupled with daily conferences that reinforce key concepts, which perfectly aligns with my hands-on learning style. For me, what truly distinguishes Houston Methodist is its people, whose company I genuinely enjoy every day — whether they’re co-residents, faculty, or patients.

 

Daniel Taylor, MD

Chief Resident, PGY4

dgtaylor@houstonmethodist.org

In my search for a residency program, I sought an institution that firmly places patients at the center of our work. Our department’s faculty and staff exemplify this ethos, and have significantly shaped my development as a physician. Our program offers abundant hands-on experience paired with numerous educational opportunities and challenging cases. For those looking to discover their niche of pathology, our program offers a well-rounded variety of top-tier AP and CP subspecialty rotations to help you find your passion. I’m grateful to be immersed in a culture that values teamwork. I anticipate completing my training with the confidence and tools to excel in subspecialty training and become an adept pathologist. Above all, I know that I will have made many personal and professional connections that will last a lifetime!

 

Neesha Siriwardane, MD

Chief Resident, PGY3

ncsiriwardane@houstonmethodist.org

Houston Methodist offers a wide variety of anatomic and clinical pathology fellowship programs, which reflect the depth and breadth of the quality of training provided here. Fellows are given the opportunity to work with expert faculty and hone their diagnostic and management skills through a high case volume, whether in anatomic pathology or in the clinical laboratories. During my fellowship in breast-gynecologic pathology, I was exposed to a high caseload of biopsy and resection cases from our main and satellite hospitals, reviewed difficult consult cases from around the Texas Medical Center as well as around the city and country, and worked on research projects leading to presentation at national meetings and publication. Overall, our fellowship programs provide top-notch training that prepare trainees exceedingly well for clinical practice.

 

Michelle Lin, MD

Chief Fellow/Surgical Pathology Fellow

mslin@houstonmethodist.org

Pathology Photo Contest Winners

Our Training Programs

 

Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency

Houston Methodist, an affiliate of the Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, offers ACGME-accredited training in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, and combined anatomic and clinical pathology. 

Investigative Resident Research Program
Our resident research program provides flexible, individualized, and carefully mentored interdisciplinary research training focused on molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis. 

Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine Fellowship
Houston Methodist offers an ACGME-accredited blood banking/transfusion medicine fellowship for physicians who have completed pathology specialty training and are interested in pursuing a career in blood banking/transfusion medicine and related research.

Breast-Gynecologic Pathology Fellowship
Houston Methodist offers an ACGME-accredited fellowship in breast-gynecologic pathology for physicians who have completed pathology training and are interested in strengthening and specializing their skills in breast-gynecologic pathology and related research.

Clinical Chemistry Fellowship
Houston Methodist offers a ComACC-accredited clinical chemistry fellowship for postdoctoral students interested in pursuing a career in clinical chemistry and related research.

Clinical Informatics Fellowship
Houston Methodist offers an ACGME-accredited fellowship in clinical informatics. This fellowship is designed for physicians and physician scientists who have completed training and are interested in strengthening and specializing their skills in clinical informatics and related research and patient care activities.

Cytopathology Fellowship
Houston Methodist offers an ACGME-accredited cytopathology fellowship for physicians who have completed pathology specialty training and are interested in pursuing a career in cytopathology and related research.

Genitourinary-Medical Kidney Pathology Fellowship 
The Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine of Houston Methodist Hospital offers an ACGME-accredited genitourinary-medical kidney fellowship for physicians who have completed residency training and are interested in strengthening and specializing their skills in genitourinary-medical kidney pathology and related research.

Hematopathology Fellowship 
Houston Methodist offers an ACGME-accredited hematopathology fellowship and an ACGME-accredited selective hematopathology fellowship to provide broad exposure to the evaluation of hematopathological diseases and the technology used to ensure accurate diagnoses. 

HLA Fellowship
Houston Methodist offers an ACGME-accredited histocompatibility and transplant immunology (HLA) fellowship for physicians who have completed pathology specialty training and are interested in pursuing a career in HLA laboratory management and related research.
 
Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship
Houston Methodist offers an ACGME-accredited molecular genetic pathology fellowship for physicians who have completed pathology or medical genetics specialty training and are interested in pursuing a career in molecular genetic pathology and related research.
 
Neuropathology Fellowship
Houston Methodist offers an ACGME-accredited neuropathology fellowship for physicians who have completed pathology, neurology, or neurosurgery specialty training and are interested in pursuing a career in neuropathology, neurology, or neurosurgery and related research.
 
Ophthalmic Pathology Fellowship
Houston Methodist offers an ACGME-accredited (selective pathology) ophthalmic pathology fellowship for physicians who have completed pathology specialty training, or are undertaking ophthalmology training, and are interested in pursuing a career in ophthalmic pathology or ophthalmology and related research.
 
Surgical Pathology Fellowship
Houston Methodist offers an ACGME-accredited fellowship for physicians with pathology training who would like to receive additional training in general surgical pathology.
 
Medical Student Rotations
Elective rotations for medical students are also available. For more information or to schedule a rotation, please contact Leah (Ginger) Jozwiak at 713.441.3496 or ljozwiak@houstonmethodist.org.

 

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