Anatomic Pathology Rotations

The Department of Pathology provides the UCSF-affiliated hospitals with diagnostic services in general surgical pathology and autopsy pathology, as well as in a variety of subspecialty areas, including cytopathology, hematopathology, dermatopathology, neuropathology, cardiac pathology, transplant pathology, gastrointestinal and liver pathology, renal pathology, and obstetric-gynecologic pathology. The diverse backgrounds and research interests of the faculty have led to many extramural awards, including funded projects in cancer biology, liver disease, immunology, molecular-cell biology, hematopathology, microbiology, biochemistry, parasitology and tropical medicine. It is this eclectic mix that forms the basis of the expert patient-care and research training offered by the Department of Pathology.

Residents in Anatomic Pathology rotate through the five university-affiliated hospitals: UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights, UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion, San Francisco VA Health Care System, and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. In the first year, residents typically spend a majority of the year in basic surgical pathology and autopsy pathology rotations. Currently, our AP trainees have one month of elective time per year, which can be used to gain additional focused experience in subspecialties in both the Department of Pathology and the Department of Laboratory Medicine. Second-year AP residents have a variety of surgical pathology, cytology, dermatopathology, and molecular pathology rotations. Additionally, they serve as chief residents at ZSFG and SFVA. A structured didactic lecture series for residents is held three times a week to compliment the exposure to clinical material gained from weekly slide conferences and clinical rotations. Residents also have numerous opportunities to engage in clinical research projects during residency and present their findings at regional and national meetings.