Curriculum

The goal of the Cytopathology Fellowship is to provide comprehensive, progressive training in diagnostic cytopathology and to prepare fellows for independent practice in gynecologic, non-gynecologic, and fine needle aspiration cytopathology.

Training is structured to provide graduated responsibility and increasing autonomy based on the fellow’s experience, performance, and demonstrated competence. Fellows participate in the daily sign-out of gynecologic, non-gynecologic, and fine needle aspiration specimens, including urgent (“rush”) FNA cases from Diagnostic Radiology and the operating room. Fellows also participate in rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), adequacy assessment, and specimen triage for ancillary studies, as well as the preparation and interpretation of sentinel lymph node scrapings.

Throughout the fellowship, fellows develop expertise in integrating cytomorphologic findings with clinical information, imaging, histopathology, and ancillary studies, including immunohistochemistry/immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and molecular diagnostics. Fellows receive training in gynecologic cytopathology, including cervical cancer screening and standardized reporting systems, as well as non-gynecologic cytopathology, including respiratory, urinary, body fluid, gastrointestinal, and other cytologic specimens. Training also encompasses fine needle aspiration cytopathology and rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), specimen adequacy assessment and triage for ancillary testing, cytology-histology correlation, and the application and interpretation of ancillary diagnostic testing.

Fellows actively participate in cytopathology laboratory management, quality assurance and quality improvement activities, laboratory accreditation, regulatory requirements, and multidisciplinary patient care through Thoracic and Head and Neck Tumor Boards. A weekly Interesting Case Conference is held on Tuesdays and features challenging and educational cytopathology cases with faculty discussion and correlation with clinical, radiologic, morphologic, and ancillary findings. Fellows also participate in the weekly Anatomic Pathology unknown slide conference.

Teaching is an integral component of the fellowship, with fellows actively involved in the education of pathology residents, medical students, and other learners. Fellows also participate in scholarly activity, including research, quality improvement, educational projects, case reports, and presentations.

The clinical experience is complemented by systematic reading, case-based conferences, and individualized faculty mentorship. Fellows progressively assume greater responsibility throughout the year, with the goal of developing the knowledge, diagnostic skills, communication skills, laboratory expertise, and professional judgment necessary for independent practice in cytopathology.