Pathology Fellowships Overview

Pathology Fellowships Overview

The Massachusetts General Hospital Pathology Service sponsors fellowships designed to prepare trainees for careers in academic diagnostic pathology. These programs provide intensive training in the diagnosis and understanding of diseases in these subspecialty areas. Opportunities for participation in multidisciplinary approaches to treatment and in collaborative clinical and basic science research are available and encouraged.

There are two subspecialty surgical pathology fellowship tracks:

1. Selective Surgical Pathology Fellowship, an ACGME-accredited fellowship
2. Surgical Pathology Signout Fellowship, a non-ACGME fellowship that is under the purview of the Mass General Brigham Education Committee

Both surgical pathology fellowship tracks include the following subspecialty options: breast, bone and soft tissue, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, gynecologic, head and neck, obstetric and perinatal, pulmonary, and renal pathology. Fellows divide their time between covering their respective diagnostic service(s) and engaging in clinical collaborative and/or translational research. Staff Pathologists who subspecialize in these areas of pathology supervise and teach the fellows through one-on-one review and discussion of individual cases, departmental lectures, and specialty conferences.

The fellowships in Dermatopathology, Hematopathology, Neuropathology, Cytopathology, Molecular Genetic Pathology, Clinical Informatics, Medical Microbiology, and Transfusion Medicine are accredited and follow curricula approved by the ACGME.

The Clinical Informatics Fellowship program has two tracks:

1. Full two-year track that is open to physicians in any medical specialty
2. Combined fellowship track, which is open to pathology-trained physicians only.

Facilities

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is Harvard Medical School's original teaching hospital. Its bed capacity is 925. Each year, the Pathology Service examines more than 85,000 surgical pathology specimens, 25,000 gynecologic and 17,500 non-gynecologic cytopathology specimens, and 4,500 fine needle aspirations. More than 300 autopsies are performed annually.

In addition, the staff of the Pathology Service receives over 10,000 unusual anatomic pathology cases each year in consultation from hospitals throughout the world. Mass General also performs more than 9,000,000 clinical laboratory studies per year, including many highly esoteric tests requiring substantial expertise for interpretation. Library facilities include the Pathology Service's Mallory Library, the Hospital's Treadwell Library and Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library, which is among the world's largest medical reference libraries. The Pathology Service has research facilities both at the MGH main campus and at MGH East in Charlestown. Mass General East is a 400,000-square-foot research complex, which includes Cancer and Neuroscience Centers.

Community

Boston and its surrounding communities have a total population of over three million, the sixth largest metropolis in the nation. The hospital is situated in the center of Boston, on the Charles River at the foot of Beacon Hill, convenient to rapid transit and the airport. The Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute are located in the Longwood medical area two miles away; a frequent shuttle service operates between these institutions and the Mass General. The city has many universities and cultural facilities, including the Boston Symphony, Boston Ballet, and several theater companies. The geographic location is remarkable from a recreational viewpoint for its proximity to forests, lakes, mountains, and seashore.

Stipends

Fellows are paid in accordance with their PGY level. Travel and book allowances are provided. Health insurance, long-term disability and life insurance are provided at a reasonable cost.