Surgical Pathology Signout Fellowship

About the Fellowship

General Program Information

The MGH Pathology Department, Anatomic and Molecular Pathology Division, has a high volume of surgical pathology cases that is inclusive of a wide array of unusual entities (more than 85,000 primary accessions annually). The Division is organized into diagnostic subspecialties (see below). The combination of abundant material and renown faculty with broad expertise makes our program an excellent fellowship experience .

Scope of Training

The Surgical Pathology Signout Fellowship is a one-year, non-ACGME  program. The goal of this fellowship is to combine in-depth training in a surgical pathology subspecialty with opportunities for conducting research and to provide a basis for a future career in academic pathology. Surgcial Pathology Signout Fellows usually focus on one subspecialty area, although up to two may be considered. These include: Bone and Soft Tissue (BST), Breast (BR), Cardiovascular (CV), Gastrointestinal (GI), Genitourinary (GU), Gynecologic (GYN), Head and Neck (ENT), Obstetric and Perinatal (OB), Pulmonary (PP), and Renal Pathology (RP). Experience in the Frozen Section (FS) Laboratory is integral to the fellowship.

Fellows are encouraged, and expected, to prepare one or more abstracts for presentation at annual national or international meetings.

Clinical and Call Responsibilities

Surgical Pathology Signout Fellows act as a junior attendings with independent signout and resident teaching responsibilities. Fellows signout approximately 24 to 27 weeks per year (equivalent to 75% of a staff assignment), with the remaining weeks for academic activities.  Service coverage is divided into weekly assignments, and fellows work closely with subspecialty faculty who provide consultation, teaching and guidance. Before beginning their independent signout responsibilities, fellows are co-signed for a minimum of two weeks to assess diagnostic skills and ensure familiarity with the service.

The fellows rotate on attending weekend home call for their subspecialty area, which includes reading of rush cases and backup for frozen section diagnoses.

Fellows are responsible for coverage of multidisciplinary clinical conferences as determined by the individual subspecialty service.

Conferences

Pathology Conferences and Lectures

These include Pathology Grand Rounds, Molecular Pathology and Research Conference, Surgical Pathology Outs Conferences, and Subspecialty Consensus Conferences. Fellows are expected to attend these conferences except when precluded by urgent clinical responsibilities, as they cover both primary information relevant to their training and more advanced research and basic science topics.

Fellows also have the opportunity to attend graduate medical education courses hosted by the department, including annual offerings in Surgical Pathology, Cytopathology, Dermatopathology, Gastrointestinal Pathology and Head and Neck Pathology.

Clinicopathological Conferences

Many services have weekly multidisciplinary conferences during which pathologists present current cases and discuss patient management with their clinical colleagues. These include Gynecology Tumor Board, Head and Neck Tumor Board, Sarcoma Tumor Board, Musculoskeletal Radiology Conference, Renal Conference, GI Conference, GU Conference, Thoracic Conference, and Breast Multidisciplinary Conferences.  Additionally, the Clinicopathologic Conferences (published in the New England Journal of Medicine as the Case Records of the Massachusetts General Hospital) are held weekly, and fellows are encouraged to present at these.

Faculty Supervision of Fellows

Fellows are supervised by the director and faculty of the surgical subspecialty in which they signout. The Surgical Pathology Fellowship Program is administered by Program Director, Melinda F. Lerwill, MD.

Vacation Time/Personal Time

The Surgical Pathology Fellowship Program allows up to four weeks of vacation/personal time per year.

How to Apply

We are currently accepting applications academic year 2026-2027. Interviews will begin this spring. All interviews will be virtual. Interested applicants should send the below required documents to jbeckerdite@bwh.harvard.edu.  

1. CAP Standardized Pathology Fellowship Application
2. Curriculum Vitae (must be in date/year format 00/0000)
3. Personal Statement describing career goals and subspecialty interest(s)
4. USMLE Steps 1, 2, & 3 Score Report- (Canadian physicians and Doctors of Osteopathy who are eligible for licensure may substitute documentation of successful completion of LMCC/MCCQE and COMLEX examinations, respectively, in lieu of USMLE examinations).
5. Photo
6. Three Letters of Recommendation (one letter must be from your current program director or department chair)
7. Copy of MD Degree (International medical graduates only)
8. Copy of ECFMG Certificate (International medical graduate only)
9. Complete the selective-surgical pathology fellowship form.

The subspecialty faculty and the fellowship committee review applications. Selection is based on proof of interest in the chosen subspecialty, quality of training in surgical pathology, letters of support and potential for independent research.

Below is a list of Surgical Pathology subspecialties:

• Bone and Soft Tissue
• Breast
• Cardiovascular
• Gastrointestinal
• Genitourinary
• Gynecologic
• Head and Neck
• Obstetric and Perinatal
• Pulmonary
• Renal

Eligibility Requirements

You must be a graduate or prospective graduate of an accredited anatomic pathology or combined anatomic and clinical pathology residency program, and eligible for a full medical license in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Review Massachusetts's medical license requirements.

Foreign/international medical graduates (FMGs, IMGs) must meet the requirements above, and in addition, must be eligible for an H-1B Visa. Get more information on H-1B Visa requirements.

Contact Information

Applications and letters of recommendation should be sent via email:

Julie Beckerdite
Graduate Medical Education Program Manager
jbeckerdite@bwh.harvard.edu

Alternatively, materials may be sent via ground mail:

Surgical Pathology Fellowship Program
Massachusetts General Hospital
55 Fruit Street, Warren 2
Boston, MA 02114
Attn: Julie Beckerdite, Graduate Medical Education Program Manager

Please note that materials sent via ground mail may take longer to process.

All letters of recommendation should be addressed to: