VA Surgical Pathology

At Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Length of rotation: 4.5 x 4 week-long blocks

Rotation Director: Aisha Sethi, M.D.

Participating Faculty: Shagufta Khan, M.D. and Angel Munoz, M.D.

The Cincinnati VA Medical Center receives approximately 6,000 surgical pathology specimens each year, which are divided among three full-time Board Certified pathologists. The Cincinnati VAMC follows a two-day cycle, in which each specimen is received and grossed the same day, followed by slide preview and sign-out the following day. This rotation provides an opportunity for exposure to routine cases, alongside rare and interesting ones. We believe in graduated responsibility, dependent on the PGY level. Ultimately, residents and faculty work toward a common goal of producing excellent pathologists upon completion of training.

During the rotation, residents receive one-on-one teaching at the grossing bench with the attending pathologist. Residents work on a wide spectrum of cases including, but not limited to, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, dermatopathology, and gynecologic specimens. The two-day cycle allows residents the opportunity to follow cases from the onset of grossing through previewing the slides and signing out.  This process allows the resident the opportunity to work up each case (including application of immunohistochemical stains) and write the pathology report with relevant accompanying synoptic reports. This approach enables residents to follow cases from start to finish with the attending pathologist in real-time for a holistic learning experience.

Residents accompany the pathologist to cover frozen sections. Residents perform the sampling, inking, staining, and microscopic review of the frozen section with the pathologist; thus, providing an entirely hands-on training experience to residents.

Additionally. residents help perform autopsies alongside the diener and the attending pathologist. Residents are given the opportunity to write the autopsy report during each stage of the process (including preliminary and final forms) and sign out the microscopic findings with the attending pathologist.