Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship

The UCSF Departments of Anatomic Pathology and Laboratory Medicine together offer a one year ACGME-accredited Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship with the goal of developing trainees into independent Laboratory Directors and/or the next generation of academic leaders in this field.  The program has a flexible design that provides both a generalized experience, as well as the ability to focus on specific areas of interest with faculty mentors throughout the year.  The program includes training in the areas of cancer genetics (solid tumors and hematopathology), inherited diseases, infectious diseases, pharmacogenomics and cytogenetics. In addition, fellows actively participate in the clinical practice of Medical Genetics during their time in the Genetics Clinics. Fellows learn the methodologies used to perform molecular testing, how to interpret and report test results, how to develop and validate new testing techniques and methodologies, how to manage a clinical molecular pathology laboratory, financial considerations related to genetic and genomics testing, how to integrate efforts with the clinical genetics team (physicians and counselors) and how to serve as consultants to the clinical services. Training includes active use and clinical application of next generation sequencing (NGS), array technologies and low signal detection techniques (i.e. circulating nucleic acid detection).

While the fellow rotates between four different major testing labs, the schedule is structured in a flexible manner that permits participation in the key educational aspects of each individual lab’s clinical focus throughout the entire year. There is a weekly schedule of conferences that the fellow can participate in that includes patient management meetings (e.g. molecular tumor board, hereditary cancer conference, inherited disease conference, etc.) and a symposium series presented by the UCSF Institute of Human Genetics (IHG), where guest speakers from around the world are brought in to lecture. Visits to some of the numerous biotechnology firms in the Bay Area can also be arranged. Fellows are expected to actively participate in at least one academic research project, as well as test validation projects and lab management training. A second “research year” year of fellowship also can be arranged to allow for more focused and in-depth pursuits, depending on availability and the fellow’s ultimate goals and objectives.

Fellowship applicants can also try to arrange for doing this program either before or after other fellowships at UCSF, if scheduling permits.

Applicants should have completed at least one year of training and be in good standing in an ACGME-Accredited AP, CP or combined AP/CP residency program.

UCSF seeks candidates whose experience, teaching, research, or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. UCSF is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Faculty Involved with Fellowship

Patrick Devine, MD, PhD
James P. Grenert, MD, PhD
Jeffry P. Simko, PhD, MD
Charles Y. Chiu, MD, PhD
Rama Yakubu, MD, PhD
Jeffrey Whitman, MD
Deepika Sirohi, MD
Georgios Deftereos, MD
Arun P. Wiita, MD, PhD
Jingwei Yu, PhD, MD
Zhongxia (Joe) Qi, PhD
Jessica Van Ziffle, PhD
Alan H.B. Wu, PhD
Farid F. Chehab, PhD
Joyce So, MD, PhD
Joseph T. Shieh, MD, PhD
Jessica Tenney, MD

Wei Gu, MD, PhD (Standford University)
James L. Zehnder, MD (Stanford University)
Carlos Suarez, MD (Stanford University)

Requirements

Non-U.S. citizens must possess a Permanent Resident Card or an appropriate educational visa prior to starting a postgraduate medical education program at UCSF. The Department of Pathology may sponsor J1 visas.

If selected, candidates must obtain an unrestricted medical license from the Medical Board of California BEFORE their start date.

Please refer to the website of the Medical Board of California for more details:
Medical Board of California

Certification in molecular genetic pathology is a joint function of the American Board of Pathology (ABP) and the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG).

To qualify and sit for the American Board of Pathology / ABMGG certification exam in Molecular Genetic Pathology (MGP), candidates must be certified in AP/CP, AP, or CP or certified by the ABMGG (ABMGG physician diplomates may be candidates for this exam and subsequent certification on passing).  Applicants for ABP/ABMGG Board Certification in MGP must also complete at least 12 months of training in an ACGME-accredited molecular genetic pathology program (the UCSF MGP Program is accredited by the ACGME and also fulfills the ABP training requirements:  "Training programs in molecular genetic pathology are a joint and equal function of departments of pathology and departments or divisions of medical genetics. The Pathologist Applicants for ABP/ABMGG Board Certification must gain an understanding of the principles involved in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of genetic disorders and of counseling the patients and their families as delineated in the ACGME Molecular Genetic Pathology Program Requirements").  See section III of the Molecular Genetic Pathology FAQ document at the following ACGME link for more details about applicant requirements: ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education.

See American Board of Pathology Website for additional details concerning certification requirements and deadlines here.

Salary

Fellows will be appointed as a PGY-5.

For additional information concerning UCSF Fellow Salaries, Loans and Financial Resources, please see:
UCSF GME Trainee Financial Resources

Application

Our program will be participating in the NRMP Match for Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship. We accept the CAP Residents Forum Standardized fellowship application and require a curriculum vitae, personal statement of interest, three letters of recommendation sent from your writers in PDF format. Please also include a photo of yourself in jpeg or PDF format when submitting your application as well as the Applicant Diversity Data form below. We will accept applications for academic year 2026-2027 starting July 1, 2024.

Please fill out the application below and submit along with the requested documents listed in the application form and send to the Fellowship Program Administrator Suria Sadat.

We recommend downloading the application using the link below and opening using Adobe Acrobat software for the best user experience to complete your application and avoid issues with the fillable PDF.

Important Dates

An approximate timeline for the Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship Match (July 2026 appointments) is as follows:

Summer to Fall 2024:Accepting Applications
January 2025: Virtual Interviews Begin
February 5, 2025: Pathology Fellowship Match opens for registration: this is when our program signs a legally binding Match Participation Agreement with the NRMP, and also when applicants can begin registering for the Match.
March 12, 2025: Ranking Opens
April 16, 2025: Rank Order List Certification Deadline (for program and applicants).
April 30, 2025: Match Day!

For additional information and FAQs, please visit the following webpage:
https://www.amp.org/education/career-development/molecular-genetic-pathology-mgp-fellowship-training-programs/  

The program does not discriminate with regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, gender transition status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services, including protected veterans.

Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellow Graduates