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Program Details:
Curriculum:
The overall fellowship will last one year. During ten months of this period the cytopathology fellow will be on full cytology clinical service duties. The remaining two months may be spent in elective time, which can only be taken during the last half of the fellowship year. This elective time will not be an unstructured free study period; rather, time may be spent in areas such as diagnostic surgical pathology, dermatopathology, or cytogenetics and molecular biology. It is considered that this last option may be optimal with time spent in cytogenetics in the Department of Pediatrics, the imaging analysis portion of the cytology laboratory, and molecular biology in the Department of Pathology.
The first four months of the fellowship will consist of a joint sign-out period which will include the attending pathologist and any resident(s) currently on the cytology services. This will be conducted at the cytology multiheaded microscope. If the new fellow has had minimal prior exposure and experience with fine needle aspiration, the fellow will alternate aspiration biopsy call with the cytology house officer for the entire year. If the individual has had considerable prior aspiration experiences, the fellow will be expected to attend on-site aspirations as the initial pathologist for two of the five days each week (40%). During especially heavy periods of aspiration biopsies, the fellow may also be called upon to assist in aspiration biopsies as needed for coverage by the laboratory. During the first four months, the fellow will be expected to spend a portion of one day each week for as long as is deemed necessary in the cytology preparation lab in order to learn different cytopreparatory techniques.
Specifically concerning cervicovaginal cytology, it is expected that the fellow will spend a portion of at least one day a week during the first four months screening these exfoliative specimens in the laboratory as if they were the initial cytotechnologist. This will provide an appreciation for and and understanding of this important screening process.
During the second portion of the fellowship, the fellow will have more independence. When time permits, the fellow and the house officer on cytology will review and interpret preliminarily most or all specimens dispersed from the laboratory to the pathologist. Subsequent to this, the specimens will go to the attending pathologist who will then finalize the diagnosis. The fellow will have the option of attending this subsequent sign-out session.
Conferences:
The pathology department currently conducts one cytology conference each month (at present the third Thursday of the month). The fellow will be responsible for running that conference. Most of these conferences represent review of relatively recent specimens from the laboratory which are considered interesting and/or instructive. It is expected, however, that a minimum of two of these conferences will be didactic presentations by the fellow to be attended by the pathology house officers and faculty. The subject matter of these presentations will largely depend on the interests of the fellow.
The fellow will also be responsible for conducting the weekly Gynecologic Dysplasia Conference at which cervical biopsies and smears are reviewed and therapy is planned for future management.
An American Society of Cytopathology Teleconference is conducted on a monthly basis in which national speakers review various topics related to cytology. In addition, the faculty will present a series of didactic lectures on the cytology of major organ systems.
Educational Resources and Financial Support:
Cytology teaching sets (packets) are available for use in self-directed learning in the review of every organ system. The department provides the fellow with funds for continuing medical education, as well as for fellows who present posters or platform presentations as part of the departmental policy.
The 2004-05 academic year's base salary for this fellowship is $43,000. Fellows receive, in addition, malpractice insurance coverage, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, and hospital insurance.
Research:
Fellows are expected to conduct at least one clinically related research project during their fellowship year. The major objective is for the fellow to attain a better understanding of performing a clinical investigation and of collecting and analyzing related data. It is hoped that this will lead to a national presentation and/or publication in a refereed journal.
Evaluation:
Formal, written evaluations of fellows by the teaching staff are completed and discussed with the fellow at least once every six months. In addition, fellows are expected to submit written evaluations of the program.
Application Information:
Cytopathology Fellowship Applications* will be accepted from MDs and DOs who will have valid medical licensure in North Carolina by the start of their fellowship year.
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Contact Information:
For more information about the Cytopathology Fellowship, contact the program director:
James O. Cappellari IV, MD
Cytopathology Fellowship
Department of Pathology
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Medical Center Boulevard
Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1072
Tel: (336) 716-4311
Fax: (336) 716-7595
E-Mail: jcappell@wfubmc.edu
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