Residency – Program Information

The residency program is ACGME- accredited and approved for a total of twelve residents in anatomic and clinical pathology through ECU Health Medical Center and East Carolina University Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. All three PGY-1 positions are filled through the National Residency Match Program. We utilize the AAMC Electronic Residency Application Service. The primary location for training is at ECU Health Medical Center, the teaching hospital of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. This modern, 900+ bed facility opened in 1977 and has become the center for tertiary medical care in eastern North Carolina, serving approximately 1.4 million people over 29 counties.

Curriculum

The core curriculum is designed to provide basic and current knowledge and skills in a broad spectrum of anatomic and clinical pathology disciplines. The curriculum consists of required and elective clinical rotations supplemented with didactic lectures and conferences organized with input from the residents. All areas of core medical knowledge in anatomic and clinical pathology are covered in the four years of training. Resident performance on the pathology certifying examination and annual in service examinations are considered in designing and updating the curriculum.

The residency training year is divided into thirteen four week rotations or blocks. The pathology residency core experience is composed of 26 blocks of anatomic pathology and 18 blocks of clinical pathology. Anatomic and clinical pathology are fully integrated with residents assigned to AP and CP rotations each year of training. Our residents complete the majority of core rotations during the first three years in the program.

The residency program teaching faculty and staff strive to create a positive environment for learning so that there is both adequate opportunity for in-depth experience in all aspects of pathology and at the same time opportunity to consolidate this experience through reading and study. There is sufficient flexibility in elective programs to offer residents an opportunity to develop greater clinical expertise in selective areas of pathology, and to actively explore specific research interests.

The residency program is large enough to provide an appropriate volume and spectrum of specimens and cases, but small and flexible enough to tailor training towards the needs and interests of the resident. Highlights of training at EHMC/ECU include the first month introductory rotation, excellent anatomic pathology case mix, ample pathology assistant support, generous surgical pathology preview time, and a strong overall clinical pathology experience with high test numbers.

Rotations

Anatomic Pathology Core

Clinical Pathology Core

Elective Rotations

The department provides eight blocks of pathology electives, generally to upper level residents. Residents can choose electives in any of the core rotations. Electives can also be designed to meet the needs of the resident. Approved research and rotations at other institutions are also possible, at the discretion of the Program Director, Office of Graduate Medical Education, and Department.

Teaching and Research

Residents are encouraged to develop their skills as teachers. This may manifest itself through case-based teaching of co-residents, medical students and other learners in the department, presentations at departmental and interdisciplinary conferences and through annual Grand Rounds presentations on topics of their choice. Residents participate in interdepartmental and extradepartmental teaching and have been involved in didactic programs for medical technology students and medical students and continuing education presentations for medical technologists and physicians.

Residents are encouraged to participate in research with faculty members and to develop their own research interests and investigative activities. Residents regularly travel to national and regional meetings to present abstracts and have been authors on numerous publications from the department. The Office of Graduate Medical Education and the Residency Program provide financial support to promote research related presentations.

Mentoring

Residents benefit from a formal mentoring program with faculty mentors chosen in their first year. As interests and preferences can change over the course of training, the program seeks to provide adequate flexibility for residents to change mentors if needed. The mentoring program provides a structured format to address various topics of interest to residents as their careers develop, such as wellness, professionalism, and conflict resolution.

Sample Block Schedule

PGY1

PGY2

PGY3

PGY4