Clerkships

The department offers several elective rotation opportunities to fourth year medical (M4) students. We currently offer four electives, all of which are by arrangement, so students must contact both Dr. Subodh Lele 402-559-5180 and Kathryn Dufek  402-559-7760 before signing up for any pathology elective.

PAMM 720: Anatomic Pathology
Periods Offered: Every four weeks
Student Limit: 2
Primary Contact: Dr. Subodh Lele
Administrative Contact: Kathryn Dufek 402-559-7760
Where to Report: MSB Room 3545

Students will spend part of their rotation on the surgical pathology service and the cytology service. While on the surgical pathology service, the student will spend half of their time in the gross room assisting the pathology resident in the gross examination and processing of surgical specimens. They will spend the other half of their time microscopically examining surgical specimens with a staff pathologist and resident. While on the cytology service, the student will be involved with the microscopic examination of both gynecological and non-gynecological cytology specimens with a staff pathologist. Students will also participate on the autopsy service where they will assist the resident pathologists in performing autopsies. Students will be expected to attend all resident teaching conferences, which are held daily from 8:00-9:00 a.m., as well as all interdisciplinary conferences per week while they are partipatingin this elective. At the end of the rotation, the student will be required to give a 15-20 minute presentation to the resident and staff pathologists on an anatomic pathology topic of their choice. Evaluation will be based on attendance and participation in the rotation activities and conference, as well as on case presentation at the end of the rotation.

PAMM 760: Off-Campus Pathology Elective
An Off-Campus Elective Application Form must be submitted for this experience
Primary Contact: Dr. Subodh Lele
Administrative Contact: Kathryn Dufek 402-559-7760

PAMM 799: Special Topics
Student Limit: 1 per specialty
Contact: Dr. Subodh Lele
Administrative Contact: Kathryn Dufek 402-559-7760

Students interested in specific aspects of pathology or desiring a background in pathology for a clinical specialty may undertake intensive study with the staff pathologist(s). The department faculty has diverse interests to complement the needs of most students. These rotations may be tailored to including clinico-pathologic study, or basic research. Students will be expected to attend appropriate resident conferences and interdisciplinary conferences related to the specialty area they are studying as agreed upon by their supervising faculty. The student will be required to give a 15-20 minute presentation to the resident and staff pathologist on the specialty pathology topic. Independent study may also be arranged with pathology faculty not listed here.

M-ID-720: Of Molecules and Mankind: The Role of the Clinical Laboratory in Patient Care
Number of Weeks: 4
Student Limit: 3 – 9 (Note: if registration for this course offering is less than the minimum number (3), the course will not be offered at that time.)
Primary Contact: James Landmark, M.D. 402-559-7683
Administrative Contact: Kathryn Dufek  402-559-7760

The course consists of morning didactic sessions, some case reviews and practical lab cases, as well as possible participation in bone marrow signout with hematopathology faculty during afternoons as available. The topics include cell preservation, clinical chemistry, coagulation/hemostasis, flow cytometry, hematopathology, immunology/immunopathology, laboratory hematology, human histocompatibility, molecular diagnostics, microbiology, and transfusion medicine. The selective requirement for student independent intellectual effort is fulfilled by library research in preparation for a short (20 minute) student oral presentation to the other members and faculty of the course plus a shor written paper due on the last day of the course. A final written examination is also required.

Course Objectives:

• Review the use and limitations of lab tests as aids to diagnosis.
• Discuss standard methods and sources of error due to the patient’s health or due to sample, reagent or equipment problems.
• Discuss automated instrumentation and unique sources of error with these technologies.
• Discuss pre-transfusion tests, sources of delay in testing, and possible sources of discrepancy in blood typing.
• Discuss/demonstrate methods of molecular diagnostic testing, chemistry, histocompatibility testing and immunopathology.
• Discuss tests for disorders of hemostasis
• Review techniques of long-term living cell preservation.
• Encourage use of the library.
• Train students in morphology of peripheral blood and bone marrow cells.