MD Program - UNC School of Medicine
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Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Two Week Career Exploration Elective
Elective Catalog Description
Two Week Career Exploration Elective
Sponsoring Department: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Course Title: Career Exploration in Pathology, PATY 405
Faculty Course Directors: Catherine Hammett-Stabler, PhD (966-3724), Thomas B. Clark, MD
Prerequisites: None
Periods Offered: January 18 – May 31
Maximum Enrollment: 3
Clinical/Non-Clinical: Clinical
Duration of Elective/Selective: 2 weeks
Where/When to report on first day: See tables below.
Learning Objectives: (what student will be able to do as a result of this experience)
This elective is designed for the student who is beginning to consider pathology and laboratory medicine as a career option and who wants to better understand the contributions of the health care professionals in this field. Upon completing this elective, the student should
- Become familiar with the disciplines of a Pathology and Laboratory Medicine department.
- Develop an awareness of the contributions of the pathologist and clinical laboratory scientist to patient care and to maintaining quality of care.
- Develop an appreciation for the interfaces between anatomical pathology, laboratory medicine and clinical medicine.
- Gain an understanding of the operation of the major anatomical and clinical sections of a tertiary care hospital-based laboratory.
- Understand the processes used by pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists in guiding test selection, diagnosis, and interpretation of results.
Learning Activities: (What the student will do e.g., conferences, rounds, clinic, expected hours, on-call requirements/opportunities)
The student will spend 2 weeks exploring pathology as a career by observing and participating in the daily activities of a tertiary care Pathology and Laboratory Medicine department.
In anatomic pathology, the student will spend 1 day each on surgical pathology, forensic pathology, cytology, neuropathology, and molecular pathology. In laboratory medicine, the student will spend 1 day each in clinical chemistry, transfusion medicine, microbiology/immunology, hematology/coagulation, and hematopathology. As part of their time in laboratory medicine, the student will work with a faculty mentor to prepare and present a 30-minute seminar on a topic assigned during the first day of laboratory medicine.
The course directors should be contacted prior to scheduling but it is not necessary to contact each faculty member prior to beginning the experience on a given day.
Example of Anatomic Schedule (week 1):
Day | Service | Contact Name | Email or Phone | Location |
Monday | Neuropathology | Dr. Thomas Bouldin | tbouldin@med.unc.edu | Pathology Suite, Women’s and Children’s |
Tuesday | Surgical Pathology | Dr. Scott Smith | 843-1075 | Pathology Suite, Women's and Children's |
Wednesday | Molecular Pathology | Dr. Margaret Gulley | 843-4595 | Molecular Lab, 1st Floor Main Hospital |
Thursday | Forensic Pathology and Autopsy | Dr. Clark | tclark@ocme.unc.edu | 8:15 AM 1014 Brinkhous |
Friday | Cytology | Dr. Smith | 843-1075 | Pathology Suite, Women's and Children's |
Example of Clinical Schedule (week 2):
Day | Service | Contact Name | Email or Phone | Location |
Monday | Chemistry | Dr. Catherine Hammett-Stabler | 966-3724 | Core Laboratory 1st Floor, Main Hospital |
Tuesday | Transfusion Medicine Service | Dr. Araba Afenyi-Annan | 966-8460 | TMS Laboratory 1st Floor, Main Hospital |
Wednesday | Hematology/ Coagulation | Dr. Herb Whinna | hwhinna@unch.unc.edu | Core and Special Coagulation Laboratory, 1st Floor, Main Hospital |
Thursday | Microbiology | Dr. Melissa Miller | 966-3723 | Microbiology Lab 1035 1st Floor, Main Hospital |
Friday | Hematopathology | Dr. Cherie Dunphy | 966-6938 for directions | Special Hematology Laboratory; Cancer Hospital |
Evaluation: (How student will be evaluated e.g., observed administering procedures, interviewing patients, presentation at case conference, participation in rounds, patient write-ups)
This experience is a career goal exploration, and is largely based on observation. The student will be evaluated based on their attendance, preparation, and participation in discussions and rounds, as well as their end of rotation presentation. The student will be expected to attend appropriate conferences.