Cytopathology Clinical Fellowship Program

Fellow Responsibilities

Time Allocation
The time allocation is presented in the rotation table above.

Routine Work Week
The routine work day is 8:00am through 5:00pm although it is necessary to be at work earlier or to remain later as frozen section, sign-out service or teaching requires. Faculty may also request that you come earlier or stay later especially on those days on which more than one conference is scheduled.

Gross Dictation
Gross dictation for cytology pathology fellows is limited to those occasions when they are on surgical pathology - about 12 weeks - and only for about 6 weeks of the twelve. On those weeks gross dictation is about 4-6 hours per day and only for major cases. Pathologist Assistants provide support for grossing activities.

Sign-out Of Cases
Due to HCFA regulations all cases are reviewed by a pathologist with the trainee. Sign-out begins daily at 8:00am. Trainees are expected to review all microscopic material prior to signout with the pathologist. Cases assigned for sign-out include both gynecological and non-gynecological cases.

Night Call
Trainees are assigned limited night call of several nights during each month from 5:00pm to 8:00am the next day to be available on your pager or by phone. It is infrequent that trainees are called in when on night call.

Weekends and Holidays.
Each trainee is assigned one holiday each year which may be part of a weekend coverage if the holiday falls on a Friday or Monday, to be available by pager or by telephone from 5:00pm the night before the holiday to 8:00am the morning after the holiday. Weekend call is limited for cytology fellows. A switch in weekend or holiday call is possible but it is trainees responsibility to arrange alternate trainee coverage.

Scheduled Time Off (Vacations, meetings)
Vacations and meetings are scheduled as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Three weeks of vacation (15 working days) are permitted. Out of town meeting attendance is variable as approved by the Program Director - but up to two weeks is possible. Monies are available for trainees who have a poster or paper accepted at a scientific meeting. All requests for vacation and meetings are made in writing to the Program Director

Research Time
When not on a specific service schedule all trainees are expected to be engaged in 'catching up' on service work, preparing for teaching and in particular pursuing a research project. Projects will be reviewed as part of quarterly review meetings with the Program Director. Each fellow is expected to submit an abstract to the Department Research Day in April each year.

Secretarial Support Each trainee is assigned secretarial support from a pool of secretaries. They serve to provide transcription services for trainees for research and teaching activities and handle phone calls.

Library Services
The Department of Pathology in its various hospital settings has pathology reference libraries. In addition the University of Pittsburgh Medical School Library and the MWH library are available including the ability at both sites to get materials nationally.

Computer Services
Shared computers are available to trainees through the university program for email and internet access.