The GU Pathology Service offers a one year Fellowship Program designed to provide expertise training in the areas of GU pathology. Participation at pathology and clinical conferences and teaching of younger trainees is expected. GU pathology fellows are encouraged to engage in translational research projects with the intent to present their work at national meetings and to publish their work.
At the conclusion of the fellowship year, the fellow is expected to: 1) be sufficiently skilled in GU pathology to perform independently in a practice setting; 2) understand the wide range of diagnostic pitfalls and approaches to recognizing and minimizing diagnostic errors in GU pathology; 3) have the skills to organize and complete a clinical research project; and 4) have developed the necessary teaching skills and experience to serve as a competent mentor to junior colleagues. Prior GU Pathology Fellows have gone on to obtain jobs in both the academic and private practice both nationally and internationally.
Pathology residents and fellows spend their time engaging in clinical service activities, including evaluation of 'in-house' surgical specimens and well as consultation cases reviewed for clinical care at the BWH/DFCI or as pathology consults sent for expertise review.
In general, the Pathology Department at BWH receives and evaluates approximately 75,000 general surgical specimens annually, of which up to 5000 (5-7%) are from the GU tract. In house surgical specimens account for approximately half of the GU pathology volume and include biopsies and resection specimens predominantly from the prostate (~200 radical prostatectomy specimens/year, ~750 prostate biopsy/TURP specimens/year), kidney (~180 nephrectomy specimens/year, ~50 cores biopsies/year), bladder (~50 cystectomies/year, ~600 bladder/ureter/TURB specimens/year), and testis (~50 orchidectomy specimens per year, up to 20 testicular biopsies per year). Another 2000+ GU consultation cases from these same organs are also reviewed by the Urologic Pathology Service.
