Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Pathology Medical Student Fellowship

Each year, the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine offers a one-year fellowship position for Larner College of Medicine medical students who have completed some or all of their clinical core rotations. Successful completion of the Pathology Student Fellowship, which includes intern-level clinical duties intermixed with Graduate College course work, will culminate in the awarding of a Master's degree in Pathology from the University of Vermont Graduate College. At the conclusion of the Fellowship, the student will rejoin the Larner College of Medicine to complete the remainder of their clinical rotations.

Program objectives

1. Enhance the student's knowledge of pathology as a basic science and as a field of medical practice.
2. Educate students in the appropriate use of laboratory information in clinical problem solving.
3. Design a program that will take into consideration the unique needs and interests of each student.
4. Introduce students to the principles of basic and applied research.

Program Expectations

Students are fully integrated into the activities of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department with the expectation that they will:

• Assume full responsibility for patient cases and perform duties comparable to that of a first-year pathology resident.
• Enroll in select courses through the UVM Graduate College, which must be completed for the Master's degree program.
• Present a formal presentation at Pathology Grand Rounds, typically based on research that they have worked on over the past year.
• Participate in the Resident In-Service Exam in the spring.

Required Rotations for the Pathology Student Fellowship

While on these rotations, emphasis is placed on basic principles of disease and their application to clinical practice. Each block is 4-weeks long, totaling 13 blocks in the academic year.

• 3 blocks of surgical pathology
• 2 blocks of autopsy service
• 1 block of transfusion medicine
• 1 block of genomics/cytogenetics
• The remaining 6 blocks can consist of:
  • Elective rotations on other anatomic or clinical pathology services.
    • Cytopathology, Dermatopathology, Hematopathology, Clinical Chemistry, Medical Microbiology, and others.
    • While engaged in these rotations Student Fellows will learn about the specialized ancillary testing techniques used in diagnosis, including flow cytometry, immunohistochemical staining, and FISH.
      
  • Devote some of their time to basic research under the supervision of a faculty member.
    

Core Course Requirements for the Master's Degree in Pathology

PATH 6300 Pathology Rotations (required rotations noted above): 23 credit hours

PATH 6000 Biomedical Research Design: 1 credit hour

PATH 6080 Pathology Journal Club: 1 credit hour

PATH 6090 Pathology Grand Rounds: 1 credit hour

PATH 6100 Clinical Genomics and Cytogenetics (required molecular/cytogenetics rotation noted above): 2 credit hours

NSCI 6270 Responsible Conduct in Biomedical Research: 1 credit hour

Students will receive 7 transfer credits from Foundations courses (required grade minimums):

• 3 credits (BIOC 6001): 80% or higher in NMGI
• 4 credits (CLBI 6010 and PATH 6070) 80% or higher in FoCS or 80% or higher combined average in MedNeuro, Connections, CRR, and HDRH
  

Stipend

The Student Fellows receive a stipend and have student loans deferred during the Fellowship year.

For more information and to Apply

Contact the Director of the Pathology Student Fellowship, Dr. Joanna Conant. Informational session occurs in September; date, time, and location will be shared via the Weekly Wire. Application includes submission of CV and personal statement to the Pathology Student Fellowship Director and is due in early October. Interviews are conducted in early November with the decisions by the end of the month. Program begins July the following year.