Residency Programs
Anatomic Pathology (AP) Only
Training
Residents complete 24 months of structured training followed by 12 months of flexible training. The details of the current program of rotations are given below.
Structured Training in Anatomic Pathology (24 months)
- 4 months of autopsy experience, divided equally between Stanford Hospital and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS)
- 11 months of surgical pathology experience (9 months at Stanford Hospital and 2 months at the VAPAHCS)
- 9 months of anatomic pathology specialty training to be distributed as follows: dermatopathology, forensic pathology, immunodiagnosis, hematopathology, neuropathology (1month each), one additional month of dermatopathology / neuropathology; two months of either hematopathology, cytopathology, or neuropathology (selected by resident) or other subspecialty area (on approval of AP Program Director); and one month unassigned (to be spent in any area on approval of a faculty mentor).
Flexible Training in Anatomic Pathology (12 months)
The third year of required training may be customized by the resident to meet her/his individual needs. Residents may apply for our Surgical Pathology Fellowship or do an alternative year of AP training designed in conjunction with the faculty in accord with the trainee’s career plans. A wide variety of research opportunities also exists.
Clinical Pathology (CP) Only Training
Residents complete 24 months of structured training followed by 12 months of flexible training. The details of the current program of rotations are given below.
Structured Training in Clinical Pathology (24 months)
- 12 months of training in the four major established areas of laboratory medicine: chemistry/immunology, hematology/coagulation, microbiology/virology, and transfusion medicine. These are divided into introductory rotations of two months, followed by one-month return visits after all of the areas have been experienced, allowing the resident to integrate experience gained in various sections and function with a graduated level of responsibility.
- 2 months of training in laboratory genetics (biochemical genetics, molecular genetics and cytogenetics)
- 1 month of training in pediatric laboratory medicine
- 1 month of training in coagulation and red blood cell special studies
- 2 months of training in general laboratory medicine at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS)
- 6 months of structured training in pathology and laboratory medicine or research to be determined by the resident, in consultation with the Clinical Pathology faculty
Flexible Training in Clinical Pathology (12 months)
The third year of required training may be customized by the resident to meet her/his individual needs. A wide variety of patient care projects and/or research opportunities (clinical, translational or basic) research exist.
Combined Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology (AP/CP) Training
The combined program consists of 24 months of structured training in AP and 18 months of structured training in CP. This is followed by 6 months of flexible training which should be used to integrate aspects of AP and CP.
Structured Training in Anatomic Pathology (24 months)
Note: This is identical to the 24 structured months for AP only residents.
Structured Training in Clinical Pathology (18 months)
Note: This is identical to the 18 assigned structured months for CP only residents.
Flexible (Integrated) Training in Pathology (6 months)
The remainder of the fourth and final year of required training may be customized by the resident to meet her/his individual needs but she/he will be encouraged to synthesize and integrate ALL areas of diagnostic pathology during this period.
Combined AP/CP training at Stanford may be summarized as:
- Years 1 & 2: a solid grounding in Anatomic Pathology
- Year 3: an introduction to the core areas of Clinical Pathology
- Year 4: two periods of integration
- Integration of Clinical Pathology
The laboratory medicine rotations that complete the residents' 18 months of structured CP training are designed to allow the resident during which the resident to see familiar diagnostic and management problems in different ways. These include genetic and molecular approaches (during the two-month rotation in Genetics), coagulation and special red blood cell studies, the perspective of a community hospital (during the two-month rotation at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System) and the special viewpoint of the pediatric patient (during the one-month rotation in pediatric laboratory medicine).
- Integration of all of Pathology
The final six months of the four years of combined AP/CP training should be customized by residents to allow them to connect all areas of Pathology into one integrated knowledge base. We strongly recommend that this be solidified by doing an additional year of anatomic pathology (either a subspecialty fellowship or the Surgical Pathology fellowship).
Optional Fifth Year of Advanced Training in AP (12 months)
The American Board of Pathology has eliminated the “credentialing year” requirement for board certification in AP, CP or AP/CP for residents beginning training in 2002-2003. We will continue to offer a fifth year of experience in AP for all combined AP/CP residents who wish to take advantage of this opportunity.
This guarantee is provided because the faculty believes that more than 2 years of training in AP is required for the practice of surgical pathology. AP/CP residents interested in this option will function as staff physicians in surgical pathology, gross examination and frozen section, dermatopathology, cytopathology, cardiac pathology and renal pathology as well as review of consult cases submitted to senior faculty. This experience will be similar to that of a third-year AP resident but with more extensive supervised sign-out responsibilities.
The resident may also design an alternative year of AP experience in conjunction with the faculty in accord with her or his career plans.
This “extra” year of AP training has previously been used by AP/CP residents to satisfy the credentialing year requirement. Even though the American Board of Pathology has decided to eliminate the credentialing year requirement, Stanford will continue to guarantee this advanced AP experience to all AP/CP residents in good standing, even though it is no longer required for board certification. This year will be offered after (and consecutive to) completion of the requirements for AP/CP board certification (i.e. when the residents are “board-eligible”).
Combined Anatomic Pathology and Hematopathology (AP/Heme) Training
The combined program consists of 24 months of AP (similar to the AP only program) and 24 months of hematology/hematopathology. The current composition of the 48 months of required AP/Heme training is as follows:
- Twenty four months of AP similarly scheduled as the AP only training.
- Twelve months of Hematology/Hematopathology training similar to the hematopathology fellowship program. The remaining twelve months may be designed to meet individual interests with prior approval by the Director of the Hematopathology Fellowship Program and the American Board of Pathology.
- Three years of AP training (24 months of clinical rotation plus 12 months of flexible training ( e.g., surgical pathology, women's health) to be board eligible in AP.
Combined Anatomic Pathology and Neuropathology (AP/NP) Training
The combined program consists of 24 months of AP (similar to the AP only program) and 24 months of neuropathology. The current composition of the 48 months of required combined AP/NP training is as follows:
- Twenty four months of AP similarly scheduled as the AP only training.
- The first 12 months of NP training concentrates on general diagnostic surgical and autopsy neuropathology. The second 12 months offers the opportunity for the trainee to develop a research project and/or develop additional expertise in diagnostic NP, depending upon the ultimate career objectives of the trainee.
- Three years of AP training (24 months of clinical rotation plus 12 months of flexible training ( e.g., surgical pathology, women's health) to be board eligible in AP.
Effective for residents beginning in 2009, all combined certifications will be discontinued. This means that in order to sit for any subspecialty examination, an applicant must first meet the training requirements for AP, CP, or AP/CP, pass the appropriate board, and then sit for the subspecialty exam. Candidates who wish to be certified in NP must first become certified in AP which will require 2 years training for residents who ultimately seek certification in AP and NP. Time-wise this means that becoming certified in AP and NP will require 4 years - 2 years for AP and 2 years for NP.
