Surgical Pathology

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Department
Pathology
Course Number
PATH 296
Course Title Surgical Pathology
Course Director
Mohadese Behtaj, MD
Length (Weeks)

2, 4
When Offered

All year
Prerequisites

None
Availability Notes
Contact Name
Gerel Grandison
Contact Phone
202-677-6615
Contact Fax
202-677-6601
Contact Email
ggrandison@mfa.gwu.edu
Other Contacts

Dr. Behtaj (mbehtaj@mfa.gwu.edu)
Location
Limit
2
Report

2300 M Street NW, 7th Floor - Suite 715, Washington, DC 20037
Evaluation

Uniform Clinical Evaluation; seminar performance; composition of pathology reports; attendance at divisional conferences; participation in intra-operative consults; learning curve at microscope; processing of surgical specimens.
Description

The surgical pathology (PATH 296) elective is a mini residency in which the medical student, under supervision, participates in all activities conducted by pathology residents. This elective will expose 3rd and 4th year George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Science (GWU SMHS) medical students to the field of surgical pathology at both The George Washington University Hospital (GWUH) and GW Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) 2300 M Street location. The medical student will be supervised by residents and faculty on service. Activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Case sign-out of biopsies at double headed microscope
  • Case conferences at multi-headed scope
  • Microscopic evaluation of surgical pathology specimens
  • Histologic diagnosis and differential diagnosis considerations of specimens
  • Frozen section evaluations
  • Observing grossing of surgical specimens
  • Formulation of microscopic reports
  • Attendance at intra-operative consultations
  • Photography of gross specimens
  • Students interact one to one with surgical pathology attendings

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. Identify through wide exposure the clinical role of surgical pathologists in patient care.
  2. Recognize the procedures in surgical pathology (i.e., the gross description, dissection, and sectioning of specimens, including frozen sections, and being assigned selected cases to sign-out with attendings).
  3. Identify the steps involved in the processing of tissue submitted for histopathologic examination (i.e. from tissue block to stained slide).
  4. Practice interpreting the histopathology of surgical pathology and autopsy cases.
  5. Practice interpretating cytology specimens.
  6. Recognize the rudiments of diagnostic process in surgical pathology through constant visual exposure to gross pathologic material and histologic slides.
Additional Notes