Curriculum

Residents selecting combined AP and CP training have a fully integrated four-year program developed for their particular interest. During each year of the curriculum, AP/CP residents complete a mixture of anatomic and clinical pathology rotations. The first two years emphasize introductory rotations to major AP and CP divisions, including autopsy, surgical pathology, cytopathology, transfusion medicine/blood banking, and other AP and CP rotations to fit the resident's interests. In the final two years, the residents take advanced and elective rotations in both anatomic and clinical pathology. The last year of training provides substantial responsibility with senior rotations in anatomic and clinical pathology, and plenty of opportunities for advanced electives and research.

During the residency, there are multiple elective opportunities for training in the pathology of specific systems, including dermatopathology, neuropathology, renal pathology/electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. Most of our AP only residents also elect to have some research experience, which in some cases includes an additional funded year for dedicated research. Numerous endowed funds and a T32 training grant are available to support these research efforts.

The emphasis in CP is diagnostic interpretation of laboratory tests, interaction with clinical services, and understanding of technical methods, instrumentation, information systems, quality assurance and laboratory management. Additional training consists of rotations and electives that provide further experience in select areas and opportunities for research.

Clinically relevant rotations, in both AP and CP are integrated throughout training, and residents attend and present at departmental and interdepartmental conferences. Several conferences play a major role in the Residency Training Program, including:

1. Weekly didactic sessions in both Anatomic and Clinical Pathology.
   
2. Weekly surgical pathology unknowns case conference.
3. Daily and weekly multi-headed microscope and didactic conferences in surgical pathology and in specialty areas.
4. Weekly work rounds and weekly seminars in clinical pathology.
5. Weekly grand rounds with presentations by faculty, fellows and guest lecturers from within and outside the institution.
6. Research seminars.

During your four years of residency you will complete:

Residents selecting combined AP training have a fully integrated three-year program developed for their particular interest. In the first two years, all residents are exposed to the major divisions of anatomic pathology. The first year focuses on AP training, including autopsy, surgical pathology and cytopathology. In the ensuing two years, the residents take advanced and elective rotations in anatomic pathology. The final year of training provides substantial responsibility in anatomic pathology.

During the residency, there are multiple elective opportunities for training in the pathology of specific systems, including dermatopathology, molecular pathology, neuropathology, renal pathology/electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. Many of our AP only residents chose a more intense research experience that includes electives in research and, in some cases, a funded year for dedicated research. Numerous endowed funds and a T32 training grant are available to support these research efforts.

During your three years of residency you will complete:

During your three years of residency you will complete:

NOTE:

Residents who are completing AP training, AP/CP training, or training in a neuro-related clinical discipline (including one year in general Anatomic Pathology) and who are interested in becoming Board-eligible in neuropathology should apply directly to the Division of Neuropathology's two-year fellowship program:
(LINKS: Neuropathology Training Opportunities, Fellowship Training Programs).

During clinically relevant rotations in NP in the 3rd and 4th year, residents attend and present at departmental and interdepartmental conferences. Several conferences play a major role in the Neuropathology Fellowship Training Program, including:

1. Weekly didactic sessions in neuropathology.
2. Weekly autopsy neuropathology conference.
3. Weekly multi-headed microscope fellows case conference
4. Weekly neuro-oncology tumor boards
5. Monthly pituitary conference
6. Weekly grand rounds with presentations by faculty, fellows and guest lecturers from within and outside the institution.
7. Research seminars.

The first two years are dedicated to Anatomic Pathology services and you will complete:

During your second third and fourth years, you will complete:

Related Links:

• Our T32 Training Program
• Physician Scientist Training Program

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has a long and rich history of excellence in education. The goal of education track is to provide the next generation of academic pathologists with the conceptual and practical skills necessary to become master educators by taking advantage of the many opportunities available at Hopkins. Residents can participate in educational offerings in the Institute for Excellence in Education (IEE) in the School of Medicine.

As a sign of our commitment to education, the Department has established two endowments to support resident education projects: The Mabel Smith Fund for Resident Research and Education and The Risa B. Mann, M.D. Fund.

Residents will pursue initiatives related to education delivery, curriculum/educational product development, and/or education scholarship during residency. Upon completion of the track, trainees will be well-equipped with the skills necessary to be leaders in medical education.

Check out some of the innovative teaching tools that are currently coming out of our department!

Related links:

• The Institute for Excellence in Education

Technology and information systems are rapidly changing medicine. The overarching goal of this track is to train leaders who can contribute to one of the many diverse areas of informatics, including: clinical informatics, bioinformatics, and imaging technologies in pathology.

During residency, participants will complete a basic curriculum, learn and/or develop a new skillset with a mentor, and will complete a project related to an area of interest in informatics. Whether participants are interested in data mining or the interworking of the laboratory information system (LIS), the opportunities at Johns Hopkins are endless.

The Quality Improvement pathway is designed to provide foundational knowledge of quality concepts, techniques, and tools to enable residents to observe systemic processes in day to day work and suggest action to improve local, regional, and national Pathology practice.

The track will include didactic readings plus online and in person courses including at a national meeting. Residents will participate in a hospital QI committee and serve as internal or external CAP inspectors. They will develop quality related research projects which will be eligible for publication and teach their peers about quality improvement, culminating in a capstone thesis-type experience in the fourth year.

Upon completion of the track, residents will be prepared to become future leaders in quality improvement and control in both university and private practice settings.

Related Links:

• The Armstrong Institute

This track is intended to teach the next generation of academic pathologists the knowledge and skills necessary to be leaders in the areas of healthcare policy and business management.

The curriculum includes designated reading materials and optional classroom activities at the Carey Business School and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Further, residents will participate in regular Departmental Finance Committee and Departmental Leadership meetings. Finally, residents will work with administration on a business improvement project or healthcare policy initiative.

Upon completion of this track, participants should understand what is needed to operate a Pathology department or business unit and will have ideas to innovate practice as leaders in the field.

This track is intended to provide interested residents and fellows with exposure to the challenges pertaining to pathology and laboratory medicine in low resource settings.

Despite being central to surveillance and clinical management, Pathology is grossly neglected and/or under-resourced in low-middle income countries (LMICs). This track offers a myriad of opportunities for global health outreach along the core tenets of research, education and clinical practice.

Over 3-4 years of residency, this track combines formal and informal teaching with a capstone project to impart both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in global health. The capstone project is specifically intended to transform theory into real-world experience. While travel is not required, it is strongly encouraged, at least for the fieldwork component of the project (if so applicable). There are resources available to this end that may be awarded based on the outcome of a competitive applications process.

Check out some of the interesting global health work being done in our department by Dr. Tim Amukele!

Our faculty love to teach. From day one, we provide residents with thorough and high-quality didactics, led by our world-renowned pathologists. First year residents will initially take an “Introduction to Histology” course as well as a “grossing” boot camp during the first 4 weeks of training, and a weekly organ-tailored “Introduction to Pathology” conference for their first 11 months of training. Residents also attend daily AP and CP didactics delivered by our faculty.  

This education is not limited to traditional didactics; our faculty have developed iPad apps and PathCasts as additional tools for educating future pathologists! 

Hands-On Experience

One of our core educational principles is hands-on experience. Residents are directly responsible for grossing, previewing, and signing-out with attendings. Specimens such as Whipple resections, laryngectomies, and cystoprostatectomies are routine, and residents become proficient in handling complex cases. Residents are actively involved in the laboratory including interfacing with and providing advice for clinicians and participating in lab quality control (QC) and management. 
 

Residents benefit from the remarkably high volume of specimens per year, both in-house and consultation:
 

Unknown Conferences

Core rotations and didactics are supplemented by a weekly SP unknowns conference and additional subspecialty slide sessions, including cytopathology, GI/Liver pathology, gynecologic pathology, and a monthly pediatric pathology session led by pediatric pathologists at The Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. 
 

Clinical Pathology Training

We believe in hands-on clinical pathology training. On our CP services, residents act as the first-call liaison with the rest of the hospital. Residents interact regularly with laboratory staff, interpret unusual lab results, perform Quality Control (QC), and participate in division leadership meetings. Additionally, most of the clinical pathology services have dedicated education coordinators who develop and administer an entire curriculum centered around that resident rotation. We even have a weekly clinical pathology conference and unknowns session!

Accomplishments in Research

Given the breadth and depth of opportunities available through the Johns Hopkins Department of Pathology, it is no surprise that consistently over 50% of our residents publish impactful journal articles and more than 85% present at national conferences during their residency training. Our department funds travel to one conference annually for residents who are presenting or senior authors. See our recent resident publications.

We also take part in annual departmental and hospital-wide Young Investigator Days. We celebrate our residents every year at our annual Department of Pathology Awards Presentation. 

Intern Conference

Every year, our residents teach one or two introductory slide sessions to our interns. The sessions cover the bread-and-butter of surgical pathology. These are interactive sessions where interns can freely ask question of senior residents, and senior residents gain experience teaching at the microscope.

AP Talks, CP Talks, and Joint Pathobiology Graduate Student-Resident Conferences

There are weekly noon AP and CP conferences. At these conferences, residents present interesting AP and CP cases that pertain to their interests and/or current rotations. These talks are a wonderful way to showcase unique interests and foster resident-to-resident teaching.

Additionally, we work closely with our graduate pathobiology program and host a weekly conference where residents and pathobiology students work together to present the clinical and basic research findings in topics related to pathology.

Grand Rounds Short Topic Presentation

There are weekly noon AP and CP conferences. At these conferences, residents present interesting AP and CP cases that pertain to their interests and/or current rotations. These talks are a wonderful way to showcase unique interests and foster resident-to-resident teaching.

Additionally, we work closely with our graduate pathobiology program and host a weekly conference where residents and pathobiology students work together to present the clinical and basic research findings in topics related to pathology.

Medical Student Teaching

Residents are actively involved in teaching medical students. On our rotations, we frequently have medical student rotators, and residents work closely with the medical students to teach them the basics of pathology. Additionally, residents teach the first and second year medical students in their small group sessions that review the histology and pathology of the organ systems.

Cutter Buddies

Our residents love teaching! Over the years, we gain much experience and competence grossing. When interns start rotations in which they will be grossing, they are paired with senior residents who will teach them the basics of grossing and how to gross specific specimens.

Lastly, we even have an institute dedicated to teaching teachers how to teach!