Head and Neck Surgical Pathology Fellowship
Program Description
The UNC School of Medicine Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine offers a one-year Fellowship in Head and Neck Surgical Pathology. The training year is intended for board-eligible or board-certified anatomic pathologists, as well as board-eligible or board-certified oral and maxillofacial pathologists, who want to develop excellent diagnostic skills in head and neck surgical pathology in an academic practice environment. The program accepts one fellow per year, from July 1 – June 30.
This fellowship program is designed to provide an intense 12-month advanced clinical training experience in head and neck pathology. This program is not ACGME accredited, and the fellow’s work will be always supervised by faculty in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Fellows will gain experience in light microscopic diagnosis, use of appropriate ancillary studies, case presentations at multidisciplinary tumor boards, and frozen section diagnosis. Gross examination will be primarily performed by pathology assistants. However, fellows with an oral pathology background will also have 1-2 months of experience in performing gross dissection, with expert training from our pathology assistants, who are also school of medicine faculty members (this is optional for fellows who have completed a residency in anatomic pathology). Elective time is provided, with optional rotations in other pathology subspecialty areas that overlap with head and neck, including dermatopathology, oral pathology, neuropathology, cytopathology, and others. Required scholarly activities will also be performed by the fellow throughout the 12-month position – these will include (but are not limited to) didactic or slide-based teaching for pathology residents, and a research project.
The Surgical Pathology Division at University of North Carolina accessions approximately 9,000 head and neck pathology cases per year, which includes a mix of complex oncology resections, small excisions, and biopsies. Thoracic and cardiovascular specimens are also included in the core head and neck pathology service, and the department accessions approximately 3,000 of these cases per year.
Program Requirements
Physician applicants must possess an MD or DO degree, and be board-eligible/board-certified in Anatomic Pathology by the American Board of Pathology.
Oral pathologist applicants must possess a DDS, DMD or BDS degree, be board-eligible/board-certified in oral and maxillofacial pathology by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, and must have completed a CODA-accredited residency in oral pathology.
Stipends
Fellowship stipends are commensurate with postgraduate year of training.
Applications
The Standardized Application for Pathology Fellowships from the College of American Pathologists, a cover letter expressing your interest in the fellowship, curriculum vitae, 3 current letters of recommendation (one of which must be from your Program Director), and ECFMG certification if applicable should be submitted to the program director. Electronic submissions are encouraged. Letters of recommendation should be addressed to the program director.
Program Director
Bart Singer, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Director of Head and Neck Surgical Pathology Fellowship Program
CB 7525 UNC Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7525
Phone: 984-974-1476
Email: bart_singer@med.unc.edu