Program Curriculum
We offer a four-year combined AP/CP program that consists of 13 four-week blocks per year amounting to a total of 52 possible rotations. A minimum of 18 blocks of anatomic pathology and 18 blocks of clinical pathology are required by the American Board of Pathology for boards eligibility. Faculty work with residents to design an elective program that will provide a sound educational experience in the resident's chosen area of concentration, allowing flexibility to adapt to the resident’s level of expertise and career goals.
During the elective time, residents are encouraged to spend time pursuing subspecialty training. Up to 6 months of research is permitted with the program director’s approval. A detailed description of each of these rotations is presented in New Innovations, including the goals and objectives, which utilize the ACGME core competencies. Think about adding a tumor board rotation.
Program Structure
| AP Rotations | Required | PGY1 | PGY2 | PGY3 | PGY4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgical Pathology/Hot Seat/ Tumor Board/Cleanup |
17 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Autopsy | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Cytopathology | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Forensic Pathology | 1 | 1 | |||
| Transplant Pathology** | 1 | 1 | |||
| Pediatric Pathology | 1 | 1 | |||
| SurgPath with Placenta Focus | 0.5 | 0.5 | |||
| Neuropathology | 1 | 1 | |||
| Anatomic Pathology Elective* | 0.5 | 0.5 | |||
| Total AP | 29 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| CP Rotations | Required | PGY1 | PGY2 | PGY3 | PGY4 |
| Microbiology | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Transfusion Medicine & Blood Bank | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Chemistry | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Bone Marrow | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Flow Cytometry | 1 | 1 | |||
| Lymph Node | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Molecular | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Cytogenetics | 1 | 1 | |||
| Lab Management/Informatics | 1 | 1 | |||
| Total CP | 19 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Electives (AP or CP)* | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| TOTAL ROTATIONS | 52 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
*Electives
The 0.5 Anatomic Pathology elective will be paired with the required SurgPath with Placenta Focus and may cover a SurgPath area of the resident's choosing.
Available electives include additional months on any of the core AP or CP rotations. In addition, the following rotations are offered as stand-alone electives and are subject to program director approval:
- Community Pathology (Mary Lanning Hospital, Hastings, NE), non-PGY1 year residents only
- Additional rotations, not typically taken as required rotations, may include Cardiovascular Pathology, Medical Renal Pathology, Coagulation, and Research
Away Rotations
Permission to use elective time to complete a rotation away from UNMC is at the discretion of the program director. Generally, at least a six-month notice is required for scheduling away rotations. Away rotations that are not part of the established rotation schedule at UNMC may be approved under one or more of the following circumstances:
- The resident wishes to complete a rotation in a subspecialty that is not well represented at UNMC.
- The resident wishes to explore a subspecialty fellowship that is not available at UNMC. The resident must have experience in the core rotation before participating in the away elective rotation.
- The resident has obtained outside funding (e.g., grant or award) for a specific rotation (helpful to defray costs but not required if other criteria are met)
The department will not pay for a temporary medical license for another state when taking an elective off-site rotation. Costs associated with the elective off-site rotation choices will be the responsibility of the trainee.
An away rotation for the purpose of a permanent job “audition,” such as in a private practice, non-academic setting, is generally not permitted. All away rotations are contingent upon appropriate affiliation agreement approval by UNMC GME and the away rotation institution.
**Autopsy Training
First-year residents will have two months of autopsy training and will be supervised during their first month of training by an upper-level resident on the transplant pathology rotation.