Pathology

042.4 Pathology Elective

Instructors: Christopher Andry, M.D. and Anatomical and Clinical Pathology Staff

Location: Pathology Department, Biosquare 3, 3rd Floor, Room 310, 670 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118

Direct inquiries to:  Daphney Noel    email: Daphney.Noel@bmc.org

Please e-mail Daphney Noel at the above e-mail address one to two weeks prior to the start of the rotation to confirm that you are to report on the first day of the elective to the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at 670 Albany Street Bio III 3rd Floor at 8:00 A.M.

Telephone: 617 414-5314

Number of Students: Two

Period to be Offered: Four weeks (Blocks 13-20)

Description of Elective:

This elective will allow the 4th year Boston University medical student to explore the discipline of Pathology by allowing them to do rotations in Surgical Pathology, Cytopathology, Hematopathology and Laboratory Medicine to comprise a total of 4 weeks for the elective.  They will work with the Course Director and Coordinator to develop the 4-week experience.

The Surgical Pathology rotation, resection and biopsy divisions, with a duration of two weeks are held in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston Medical Center. Responsibilities include participation in gross prosections, frozen section evaluations, microscopic evaluation of surgical pathology specimens with histologic diagnosis and differential diagnostic considerations and performance of autopsies. Students are supervised by pathology residents, faculty on service and pathology assistants.

The Cytopathology rotation (shared with the Hematopathology rotation), one week duration, is held in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston Medical Center. During this rotation the student will value the clinical application of cytopathology to include diagnosis, differential diagnosis, ancillary tests and therapy. Responsibilities include evaluation of gynecologic and non-gynecologic specimens, participation in the fine needle aspiration service and daily cytology sign-out with the cytology fellow, resident and staff cytopathologist.

The Hematopathology rotation (shared with the Cytopathology rotation), one week duration, is held in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston Medical Center. During this rotation the student will develop the skills needed to interpret and formulate a differential diagnosis of the more commonly occurring disorders seen in peripheral blood, bone marrow, and lymph node biopsies. The student will gather pertinent clinical history on assigned cases, and review the slides with the resident rotating in the hematopathology service. During sign out with the attending faculty and resident, the student will have the opportunity to present their brief case histories, and summarize available laboratory data. Morphologic evaluation and case interpretation will take place during sign out.

The Laboratory Medicine rotation, one week duration, is held in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston Medical Center. During this period the student will rotate through Hematology, Blood Bank, Clinical Chemistry and Microbiology services and attend Amyloid and Hematopathology Conferences.

Through these rotations, students will gain an understanding of the role of the pathologist in patient care in a multidisciplinary professional team. At the end of the block students will present to attendings, residents and pathology assistants an interesting anatomic or clinical case they encountered during the elective. Supervision and feedback will be provided during our daily sign out sessions.  Students are supervised daily by pathology residents and clinical faculty on service.

 

043.4 Diagnostic Neuropathology

Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine-Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Course Director:  Brian E. Moore, M.D., MEd

Contact: Daphney Noel, Coordinator

email: Daphney.Noel@bmc.org  phone: (617) 414-5314

Location: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 6th fl., 670 Albany St.

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: Four per year (two at a time)

LENGTH OF ELECTIVE : 2 weeks

GOAL AND SUMMARY
The goal of this elective is to gain a broad understanding of the field of neuropathology, including the analysis of surgical specimens and autopsy cases. Students wishing to pursue careers in pathology, neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, and psychiatry can gain foundational knowledge in their field of choice and better understand how to utilize the neuropathology service.

DESCRIPTION OF ELECTIVE
At the end of the elective, the student will be able to functionally approach common neuropathology entities, including formulating clinical and pathological work-up of the case, choosing appropriate special studies, and generating differential diagnoses. Specifically, the student will actively participate in the sign-out of the cases above. In addition, the student will participate in interdepartmental conferences attended by the Departments of Neurology, Surgical Neurology and Radiology. Further, students will attend brain autopsy dissections to gain insight into normal neuroanatomical structures as well as pathological conditions of the brain. The elective will take place in the Pathology Department, Sixth Floor, 670 Albany Street. Students will interact with pathology residents, pathology lab personnel, and pathology attendings. Pathology residents will alert students about neuropathology cases, surgical cases and autopsies. Approximately 1.5 hours per day on average will be devoted to teaching contact.

OBJECTIVES
By the end of this elective, the student will be able to:

  • diagnose common primary and secondary brain tumors, diagnose common postmortem pathology (vascular and degenerative disorders) (CSDR. 1, CSDR. 2, CSDR. 3)
  • Communicate with Pathology service members regarding individual patients’ pathologies(C.4, C.5, C.7,).
  • Teach and learn selected topics in neuropathology (C8,C9)

CURRICULUM
Attending brain cutting conferences, neuroscience grand rounds, frozen sections, surgical and autopsy sign-outs. Reading assigned material, specifically: Gray F, Duyckaerts C, De Girolami U., Escourolle and Poirier’s Manual of Basic Neuropathology (Sixth Edition, 2019).

EVALUATION
By the end of the rotation, the student will:

  •  a) Present a PowerPoint didactic presentation on the student’s topic of choice (C8,C9).
  •  b) Evaluate neuropathological cases representing various disease categories described in the objectives (CSDR. 1, CSDR. 2, CSDR. 3)

The final grade will be given based on assessment by Dr. Moore regarding the student’s grasp of the material presented. Grades (H/HP/P/F) will be submitted to the Registrar in accordance with the medical school’s policies for grading.
Dr. Moore will be responsible for mid-clerkship feedback as well as the final summative evaluation. If the student is not on track to meet the objectives and goals of the elective, Dr. Moore will provide a plan on how to get the student back on track.

FACULTY
Brian E. Moore, MD, MEd Director, Neuropathology Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Boston University School of Medicine 670 Albany St, 6th floor Boston, MA 02118 Office: 617- 414 -4269 bmoore2@bu.edu

CONTACT AND COURSE ORIENTATION INFORMATION

  • Daphney Noel, Daphney.Noel@bmc.org, (617) 414-5314
  • Where and when to report on the first day –
    Dr. Moore’s office, 6th floor, 670 Albany St, 9 am

NUMBER OF STUDENTS
Four per year (two at a time)

LENGTH OF ELECTIVE
2 weeks

AVAILABLE BLOCKS / SEMESTERS
Two times per year for two weeks.

WILL STUDENTS WORK WITH RESIDENTS DURING THIS ELECTIVE?
Yes

 

047.4 Forensic Pathology

Instructors: The senior staff of medical examiners at the OCME

Location: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, 720 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118

Course Director: Kimberley Springer, M.D.

Contact: Kayla Bentas     email: kayla.j.bentas@mass.gov

Number of Students: 1 maximum per block

Duration of elective: 4 weeks

Period to be Offered: TBD

Description of Elective:

Mornings are spent in the autopsy room observing medical examiners in the investigation and certification of causes and manners of death.  The day starts with case distribution conference where histories and autopsy approaches are discussed before assignment to individual pathologists. Afternoons are available for students to work with medical examiners reviewing toxicology and histopathology of older cases.   Students will also have the opportunity to spend time with our forensic neuropathologist in our neuropathology lab.   In addition, students can observe our medicolegal investigators, forensic odontologist and forensic anthropologist to learn more about the identification process.  Later in the afternoon are the daily case discussions (“sign-out” rounds) with senior staff and visiting residents.  Students who participated in cases may present them at these meetings.