The Department of Pathology of the State University of New York at Stony Brook offers comprehensive, integrated residency training in Pathology. Our three to five-year program provides systematic training and experience in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology or Anatomic Pathology only. Individual programs can be oriented toward either service or academic career goals. For most residents, the first 10 - 18 months are devoted to anatomic pathology. Their time is spent largely in general surgical pathology, with interspersed elective rotations in one or more specialty areas such as neuropathology, gynecological or gastrointestinal pathology and a 2 month period at the nearby Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office.
For those who are planning to be certified in both Anatomic and Clinical Pathology the next year is normally committed to clinical pathology. Residents elect blocks of two or three months in three or four laboratories. In most laboratories, an organized program of education is adjusted to meet the interests of each resident. Clinical Pathology rotations are viewed as an interlocking set of assignments, with continual attention to quality control, laboratory management, and the integration of laboratory services with clinical functions in the hospital. As the residents progress through the series of related Clinical Pathology experiences, they take on more consultative and decision making responsibilities.
For the remaining time in the program, schedules are very individualized. A large segment of the third year is usually spent in special areas of Anatomic Pathology, although at least one rotation in Clinical Pathology in a section of particular interest to the resident is often included. Most residents continue to work at building skills in general surgical pathology. For those who have an interest in a subspeciality within Anatomic or Clinical Pathology, an early rotation in the third year sets the stage for substantial responsibilities and opportunities in this special field during the following years. This affords the trainee the personal satisfaction of becoming the authoritative expert in a particular subject, to whom colleagues will turn for opinions. For other residents, schedules are based upon logical sequences of exposure in a progressive educational experience. The early part of the fourth year is devoted to the completion of the core of rotations in clinical and anatomic disciplines. In the latter part, each individual structures their education entirely according to personal career goals, and may begin a comprehensive review in anticipation of taking the pathology board exam.
From the second year onward, the consultative role is stressed and clinical contact with the patient encouraged. Residents may participate in research laboratories in parallel with the clinical rotations, or may take blocks of research time as part of a four or five year program. The residents teach medical students and conduct clinical conferences for hospital staff throughout their training. They are encouraged to give lectures and to present results of their studies at professional meetings.
