Fellowship and Special Training

Duration:

1 year

Prerequisites:

Candidates should be board-eligible or board-certified by the American Board of Pathology. One position is available annually.

Salary:

Fellow will be paid according to the scale listed in the general Cleveland Clinic program entry.

Description:

This fellowship offers advanced training in neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of bone and soft tissue as well as mesenchymal neoplasms of the skin and viscera. The fellow will participate in daily bone and soft tissue sign-outs comprised of “in-house” cases as well as extensive consultation material. Histological differential diagnosis as well as the role of ancillary testing including immunohistochemistry and molecular testing is emphasized. The fellow will take a lead role in conducting a weekly multidisciplinary sarcoma conference. Research projects are strongly encouraged.

Faculty:

The Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology fellowship takes advantage of the world class faculty at Cleveland Clinic including John Goldblum, MD (soft tissue), Brian Rubin, MD, PhD (bone and soft tissue, Director - Soft Tissue Pathology), Thomas Bauer, MD, PhD (bone, Director - Orthopedic Pathology) and Steven Billings, MD (soft tissue, Co-Director- Dermatopathology).

Application Deadline:

October 31st – two-years prior to the start of the fellowship (i.e. October 2011 for July 2013 start).

• Download Application

Director:

Brian Rubin, MD, PhD

• rubinb2@ccf.org

Contact:

Karen A. Hodous

• hodousk@ccf.org

Cleveland Clinic's Department of Anatomic Pathology of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute offers a new one or two year fellowship in Cardiovascular Pathology starting.

Cleveland Clinic has very strong, highly ranked clinical programs in cardiovascular medicine and cardiothoracic surgery in adults and children, as well as in heart transplantation. Thus the successful applicant will have exposure to approximately 6000 surgical cardiac and vascular specimens and 300 autopsies per year (60% of which are cardiac and vascular cases). There is a rich environment for learning and to become engaged in ongoing clinical and basic research activities within the institute or in collaboration with many departments (Cardiovascular Medicine, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Clinical Pathology (Microbiology and Thrombosis and Hemostasis), Rheumatology, Molecular Pathology, Transplant Center, Molecular Cardiology, Basic Immunology, Genetics and Biomedical Engineering).

Numerous conferences take place during the academic year, which include adult and pediatric cardiac and vascular issues. The fellow will participate in these scholarly and research activities. The curriculum can be tailored for a minimum of one year training or ideally two years. The applicant should be board eligible or board certified in Anatomic Pathology or Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and eligible for licensure in Ohio.

Application, C.V., bibliography and names of 3 references should be sent to the E. Rene Rodriguez, MD, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue / L25, Cleveland, OH 44195.

• Download the application.

Program Director:

E. Rene Rodriguez, MD
rodrigr2@ccf.org

Contact:

Karen A. Hodous
hodousk@ccf.org

Cleveland Clinic's Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute, Section of Transfusion Medicine is pleased to announce its sponsorship of a new one-year ACGME accredited fellowship in Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine (BB/TM) beginning with the academic year 2012-2013.

Objective:

The objective of the Cleveland Clinic Fellowship in BB/TM is to provide the fellow with broad-based training in Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine in preparation for independent clinical practice of BB/TM at an academic medical center, community hospital blood bank or blood center, and participation in Transfusion Medicine related research.

Description:

Cleveland Clinic, which is consistently ranked among the nation’s top hospitals, is a large (>1,000 bed) teaching hospital with an annual volume of approximately 165,000 patient admissions, 4.2 million outpatient visits and 73,000 surgical cases. Specialized services at Cleveland Clinic include a very active cardiovascular surgery service and active adult and pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and solid organ (liver, kidney, heart, lung, pancreas, small intestine) transplantation programs.

Cleveland Clinic's Section of Transfusion Medicine, which is the principal training site for the BB/TM fellow, includes a transfusion service that issues approximately 54,000 units of RBCs annually and performs advanced manual and automated compatibility, immunohematology and molecular testing. The Section also includes a state-of-the-art progenitor cell processing laboratory, an active perioperative auto-transfusion service and a therapeutic phlebotomy service. While rotating in the Section of Transfusion Medicine, the fellow will gain hands-on experience in the clinical and laboratory operations of the Section and act as an educational and operational resource for rotating residents and trainees, as well as filling a consultant role for clinical colleagues through daily work and while on call.

The fellow will receive training in therapeutic apheresis in the Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders Department of Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Center, which performs >1,600 therapeutic apheresis procedures and > 500 peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell collections annually. Specialty training in coagulation testing and interpretation is provided through the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute (PLMI) Section of Hemostasis and Thrombosis, while specialty training in HLA and histocompatibility testing is provided through Allogen Laboratories, an ASHI-certified histocompatibility laboratory affiliated with CC. Blood center and donor management experience is provided through the nearby American Red Cross, Northern Ohio Region (ARC-NOR), which is a major regional blood center that collects and processes approximately 220,000 whole blood and apheresis units each year. The ARC-NOR also has an active onsite AABB-accredited immunohematology reference laboratory which will provide the fellow with further exposure to complex immunohematology testing.

In addition to excellent clinical training, Cleveland Clinic, which sponsors 62 accredited training programs and over 1,000 residents and fellows, also provides a multitude of opportunities for personal and administrative development, as well as resources for training in research, business management and medical education. Cleveland Clinic's Education Institute and PLMI also provide funding for fellows to attend qualifying meetings where they will be presenting results of their scientific work.

Eligibility Requirements:

1. Previous training: fellowship applicants should meet current eligibility criteria for American Board of Pathology (ABP) certification in BB/TM upon completion of the fellowship program.
   • Examples: Board eligible or Board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology (AP/CP), Clinical Pathology (CP) only, Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics or Surgery. Please refer to the current American Board of Pathology guidelines for a complete listing.
   • Applications from trainees who would have completed at least 2 years of training (for CP only) or 3 years of training (for AP/CP) in an ACGME-accredited Pathology residency program prior to beginning their fellowship will also be considered.
2. Appointment will be contingent upon successful completion of required documentation and conditions of employment for clinical residents and fellows at Cleveland Clinic, which include eligibility for an Ohio training certificate. Please refer to the Cleveland Clinic Graduate Medical Education (GME) website for further details.

Stipends and Benefits:

Stipends are commensurate with the applicant’s level of training. Current Cleveland Clinic salary and benefits information for clinical trainees is available at Cleveland Clinic's GME website.

Faculty:

Medhat Askar, MD, PhD, HLA and Histocompatibility
Suzanne Bakdash, MD, MPH, Transfusion Medicine and Hemostasis and Thrombosis
Priscilla Figueroa, MD, Section Head Transfusion Medicine and Director Progenitor Cell Processing
Anna Koo, MD, Therapeutic Apheresis
Kandice Kottke-Marchant, MD, PhD, Chair, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute, Section Head Hemostasis and Thrombosis
Claire McGrath, MT(ASCP)SBB, Transfusion Medicine
NurJehan Quraishy, MD, Transfusion Medicine
Heesun (Joyce) Rogers, MD, Hemostasis and Thrombosis
Suneeti Sapatnekar, MD, PhD, Transfusion Medicine
Karl Theil, MD, Hemostasis and Thrombosis
James Westra, MD, Medical Director American Red Cross, Northern Ohio Region

Application:

For more information about the Cleveland Clinic BB/TM fellowship, please contact the program director. Please submit applications and any administrative questions (including questions about visa sponsorship) to the program coordinator.

• Download the application form

Contacts:

Program Director:
Suzanne Bakdash, MD, MPH
Section of Transfusion Medicine
Department of Clinical Pathology
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue, Mail code: Q6-2
Cleveland, OH 44195
Email: bakdass@ccf.org

Program Coordinator:
Karen Hodous
Administrative Education Coordinator
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute
Email: hodousk@ccf.org

Fellowship Program in Clinical Microbiology, 1 year base program.

Primary area of knowledge addressed

The program provides training in the laboratory aspects of the diagnosis of infectious diseases. Training is provided in all areas of clinical microbiology, including the isolation and identification and antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, and viruses, and the identification of parasites.

Also included in the training are immunodiagnostic procedures for the diagnosis of bacterial, spirochetal, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections. Fellows are provided training in the use of molecular diagnostic techniques including probes, amplification techniques, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis.

Special emphasis is placed on clinical-laboratory correlation, interpretation of laboratory results, and the planning, organization, performance, and analysis of projects.

Goal for cognitive improvement

• Understand preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical factors affecting the interpretation of microbiology results.
• Understand requirements for specimen collection.
• Know what organisms are indigenous flora by anatomic site.
• Know what organisms are potentially pathogenic by site/source.
• Know the common infections and the most appropriate tests/methods for their diagnosis, including:
  • Most frequent etiologic agents
  • Pathogenesis
  • Specimen requirements
    • type(s)
    • number
    • volume
    • timing
    • specimen collection requirements
    • specimen transport requirements
• Be able to consult with clinical services regarding selection of test appropriate to type of specimen received and type of infection suspected.
• Be able to consult with clinical services regarding the most cost-effective test(s) for the laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases.
• Understand the limitations of available tests for the diagnosis of infectious diseases.
• Be able to assist the Central Processing Area personnel in resolving issues and problems relating to inappropriate test requests and inadequate or improperly collected specimens.
• Be able to determine how specimens should most appropriately be processed.
• Be able to consult with the prosecutor of an autopsy regarding specimen requirements for microbiologic examination and appropriateness of test requests.
• Be able to assist laboratory personnel with questions regarding the extent of culture work-up.
• Be able to evaluate and implement revisions of existing procedures as necessary and new test procedures and technologies.
• Understand and be able to perform and interpret routine and standard microbiologic procedures in bacteriology, mycobacteriology, mycology, virology, and parasitology.

Procedural skill acquisition

The Fellow is given assigned rotations over the course of the year in the Bacteriology, Mycobacteriology, Mycology, Virology, Parasitology, and Serology laboratories with a checklist of procedures, tests, and other items to be completed during the rotation

In addition, the Fellow is responsible in rotation with other residents in the Section for contacting clinical services concerning medically urgent, important, and unusual results and for presenting the pertinent clinical history of these cases at daily laboratory rounds with other residents and with the faculty.

The Fellow is also expected to spend a minimum of a month on a clinical rotation with the Infectious Diseases service to learn clinical-laboratory correlations (an exception to this requirement is made for Fellows in the program who have completed their training in the subspecialty of Infectious Diseases).

In addition, Fellows are expected to spend a minimum of 2 weeks on a rotation with the Infection Control program.

Fellows are expected to carry out one or more projects in which they plan, organize, perform, analyze and present the project and its results to the faculty, and if appropriate, at a scientific meeting. All such projects must be under the direction of a faculty member in the Section.

Special emphasis

Special emphasis is placed on the acquisition of technical proficiency in the field of clinical microbiology and one the interpretation of microbiologic results.

Literature familiarization

• Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods
• Koneman's Color Atlas and Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology
• Mandell's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases

Requirements

Eligible for certification in Clinical Pathology or Infectious Diseases. Successful completion of ACGME accredited training program in CP, AP/CP or Infectious Diseases.

Miscellaneous

Fellows are expected to serve in a leadership role and provide orientation and direction for Pathology residents rotating in the Section, assume responsibility for solving technical problems, provide an interface between the laboratory and clinical services, and assist the faculty in addressing issues related to the most cost-efficient delivery of laboratory services.

Download Application

Program Director:

Sandra Richter, MD, D(ABMM)
Clinical and Molecular Microbiology
Department of Clinical Pathology
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue / L40
Cleveland, OH 44195
richtes@ccf.org

Contact:

Karen Hodous
Administrative Education Coordinator
Path and Lab Medicine Institute
hodousk@ccf.org

Cleveland Clinic's Cytopathology Fellowship is a one-year fellowship designed to train outstanding cytopathologists in all aspects of cytopathology. The cytology section diagnosis a wide variety of specimens including gynecologic (75,000) and non-gynecologic (10,000) that represent of spectrum of body sites and disease processes. The fellow will have ample opportunity to become competent in diagnosing cytologic specimens from numerous body sites through daily sign-out and teaching.

There is an active cytopathologist-performed fine needle aspiration (FNA) service that provides ample opportunity to perform FNA on superficial lesions, in addition to developing competency in FNA interpretation and triage for any necessary special studies such as flow cytometry or molecular studies.

The cytology laboratory is staffed by 10 cytotechnologists and 5 board-certified cytopathologists who have nationally recognized expertise in research and teaching in areas of gynecologic, breast, respiratory, and lymph node cytology.

The laboratory is committed to incorporating cutting edge technology and molecular techniques into the traditional systems of morphologic cytology diagnosis. Some areas of active interest include: implementation of the ThinPrep® Imager system into the lab to improve pap smear turn around time, ancillary testing of urine cytology of bladder cancer patients with Urovysion FISH for early detection of recurrence, and reflex HPV testing.

The fellow will have opportunities to obtain hands on experience with new technologies, laboratory management, quality assurance, teaching of residents and clinicians and research if interested.

• Download Application

Christine Booth, MD
Program Director
Cleveland Clinic
Department of Anatomic Pathology
9500 Euclid Avenue, L-25
Cleveland, OH 44195
Ph: 216.444.2845
Fax: 216.445.6967
email: boothc1@ccf.org

Contact:

Karen A. Hodous
hodousk@ccf.org

Cleveland Clinic’s Dermatopathology Fellowship is an ACGME-approved fellowship that includes a year of dermatopathology with concurrent training in clinical dermatology or anatomic pathology. Each fellow is exposed to a wide variety of dermatopathology diseases, including special studies and techniques.

Major emphasis is placed on inflammatory disease, cutaneous tumors, lymphoma, pigmented lesions, laboratory procedures, immunopathology, and molecular diagnostic techniques. Research projects, teaching, publications, and local and national presentations are encouraged and expected. The Dermatopathology Fellowship emphasizes interaction between dermatology and pathology.

Candidates for fellowship should be board-eligible or board-certified by either the American Board of Dermatology or the American Board of Pathology. One position is available annually.

The fellow will be paid according to the scale listed in the general Cleveland Clinic program entry.

Applications should be submitted well before October for a July entry to:

Wilma F. Bergfeld, MD,
Head, Section of Dermatopathology
Department of Anatomic Pathology
The Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue, L-25
Cleveland, OH 44195
Ph: 216.444.2168
Fax: 216.445.6967

Duration:

1 year

Prerequisites:

3 years anatomic pathology or 4 years combined anatomic - clinical pathology residency

Salary Source:

Institution or Outside residency

Program description and responsibilities:

Cleveland Clinic's Gastrointestinal, Hepatic and Pancreaticobiliary Pathology Fellowship program is an intensive one-year program that provides a thorough exposure to diagnostic surgical pathology and current molecular techniques used clinically in the management of gastrointestinal, hepatic and pancreaticobiliary diseases. The program also provides insight into the multidisciplinary management of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic inflammatory conditions. The main objective of the program is to help the fellow develop proficient diagnostic skills, in-depth understanding of the implications of pathologic diagnoses in the management of patients, and provide a unique translational research experience. The department currently accessions over 40,000 gastrointestinal, pancreatic and hepatobiliary cases which include complex surgical resection specimens, endoscopic mucosal resections, mucosal and liver biopsies, and outside referrals. A busy consultation service with over 3,000 cases that includes a wide variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions is an integral part of this fellowship.

The fellow will spend a limited amount of time in the gross room overseeing and aiding residents with complicated specimens. The majority of the fellow’s time is spent in the previewing and generation of reports for consultative and in-house material. The fellow is responsible for preparing case presentations and discussing cases at the Multidisciplinary Colorectal Cancer Conference, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Conference, Liver Transplant Conference, and Pediatric GI Conference which provide a unique learning experience. The fellow is also responsible for the interpretation, trouble-shooting, and preparation of reports for the commonly employed clinical molecular tests including microsatellite instability, KRAS and BRAF mutational analysis, as well as DNA fingerprinting. The research aspect of the fellowship is tailored to meet the individual fellow’s interest. He/she has the opportunity to conduct clinical projects, translational research projects, or spend time in a research laboratory focusing on gastrointestinal, hepatic and pancreaticobiliary related basic science research.

Faculty:

John Goldblum, MD; Ana E. Bennett, MD; Erinn Downs-Kelly, DO; Lisa Yerian, MD; and Rish Pai, MD, PhD

Co-Directors:

Ana E. Bennett, MD, and John Goldblum, MD

Mailing address:
Cleveland Clinic
Department of Anatomic Pathology L-25
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195

Email: benneta@ccf.org
Ph: 216.444.3796
Fax: 216.445.6967

Contact:
Karen A. Hodous
hodousk@ccf.org

Cleveland Clinic's Department of Anatomic Pathology in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute is offering one position in a newly established one-year fellowship program in Genitourinary Pathology.

Cleveland Clinic's Glickman Urological Institute, ranked second in the nation in 2009 by US News and World Report, serves a large and diverse patient population, with major interests in GU oncology (prostate, kidney, bladder, and testicular cancer) and ample opportunities for clinical/translational research. The pathology training program has a high specimen volume, including more than 900 prostate biopsy, 300 bladder biopsy, 350 radical and 300 partial nephrectomy, 700 radical prostatectomy and 160 radical cystectomy specimens, annually. The Department of Anatomic Pathology handles more than 90,000 surgical specimens and over 80,000 cytology specimens annually.

Faculty members in GU pathology include Drs. Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, Ming Zhou, Donna Hansel, and Howard Levin with research interests in prostate, kidney, bladder, and testis, respectively. The Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute is staffed by more than 50 faculty, 34 residents and 9 fellows in anatomic and clinical pathology.

Requirements:

Applicants should have successfully completed 3 years of training in Anatomic Pathology or 4 years of training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology in an ACGME-approved residency training program before the start date.

Application Deadline:

December 31st two-years prior to the start of the fellowship (i.e. December 2010 for July 2012 start).

Download Application (PDF)

Director:

Christina Magi-Galuzzi, MD, PhD
magic@ccf.org

Contact:

Karen A. Hodous
hodousk@ccf.org

The Hematopathology Fellowship is a one or two-year program offered by the Section of Hematopathology in Clinical Pathology.

Primary area of knowledge

The program is designed to provide the fellow with balanced training and exposure to neoplastic and non-neoplastic disorders.

The fellow will receive training in all areas of Hematopathology including: bone marrow, peripheral blood, lymph node and body fluid morphology and interpretation, molecular genetics, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, bone marrow transplantation, thrombosis and hemostasis, automated hematology, and special red cell studies.

The development of technical, managerial, research and teaching skills are integral to the design of this program. Upon completion of the program, the fellow will have the necessary skills and experience to successfully enter either a community hospital practice or pursue an academic career.

Goals for cognitive improvement

1. Understand hematopoiesis and its regulatory mechanisms.
2. Have a thorough understanding of non-neoplastic hematologic disorders, including the various anemias, hemoglobinopathies, other red cell disorders, reactive lymphocytic disorders, and granulocytic disorders.
3. Have a thorough understanding of neoplastic and preneoplastic hematologic diseases, including acute and chronic leukemias, myeloproliferative disorders, myelodysplastic syndromes, plasma cell dyscrasias, mast cell disorders, histiocytic diseases, lymphoproliferative diseases, and non-hematologic malignancies involving the bone marrow.
4. Be conversant with the technology and procedures involved in automated blood cell count analysis, including: the methodologies for performing the WBC, RBC, platelet, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, and differential count. The fellow will also understand the manual and automated methodologies for reticulocyte analysis.
5. Develop expertise in the morphologic interpretation of bone marrows, blood smears, lymph nodes, body fluids, and the interpretation of cytochemical stains, flow cytometric studies, molecular studies, and immunohistochemical stains.
6. Understand the diagnostic strategies and interpretation of flow cytometric studies for acute leukemias, chronic lymphoid leukemias and circulating lymphomas.
7. Be able to interpret the Southern blot and PCR analyses involved in the molecular diagnosis of hematologic disorders, including: immunoglobulin gene rearrangements, T-cell receptor gene rearrangements, BCR analysis and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs).
8. Understand the biochemical mechanisms of coagulation and the diagnostic approach to hemostatic and thrombotic disorders: protein deficiencies, coagulation protein inhibitors, fibrinolytic disorders, quantitative and qualitative platelet abnormalities, abnormalities of natural anticoagulants, fibrinolytic disorders, and lupus anticoagulants.

Procedural skill acquisition

1. Be able to prepare, stain and interpret blood smears for hematologic disorders and be proficient in the performance of leukocyte differential counts in bone marrow and peripheral blood.
2. Be able to acquire bone marrow aspirate and biopsy specimens, prepare aspirate smears and touch preparations, fix and process bone marrow specimens, and understand the principles of routine and cytochemical staining of bone marrow aspirates.
3. Be able to appropriately process lymph node and spleen specimens for the evaluation of lymphoproliferative disease.

Special emphasis

The program offers particular expertise and training in the following areas with emphasis tailored to the fellow's interests:

1. Morphologic hematopathology with clinicopathologic correlation.
2. Effective use of ancillary diagnostic laboratory testing (i.e., molecular pathology, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, and immunohistochemistry).
3. Development and pursuit of clinical research projects.
4. Thrombosis and Hemostasis.
5. Cost-effective management of the hematology laboratories.

Literature familiarization

The Section of Hematopathology maintains a library of standard hematology and hematopathology textbooks. In addition, the journals Leukemia, Leukemia and Lymphoma, Blood, British Journal of Hematology, American Journal of Clinical Pathology, Thrombosis and Hemostasis, and New England Journal of Medicine are circulated within the section. Additional reading will be guided by case material and special projects.

Miscellaneous

1. The fellow is provided time to pursue research projects with the goal of presenting the project at a national meeting with subsequent publication.
2. There are opportunities to become involved in the implementation and application of molecular techniques to diagnostic hematopathology and the development of new tests in other laboratories.
3. Collaborative and consultative skills are developed through extensive interaction with the clinical hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplant programs.
4. The fellow receives exposure to point-of-care hematologic testing.
5. An extensive study set of interesting and unusual cases is available for review. A series of educational computer programs are also available to the fellow for review.
6. The fellow actively participates in conferences and the education of pathology residents and clinical hematology fellows.
7. The fellow is given the opportunity to attend a lecture series on laboratory management given by the Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

Applications

Early application (no later than March 31 for positions the following year) is encouraged. Applicants may contact the program director at the below address:

Dr. Eric Hsi
Department of Clinical Pathology L-11
The Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue 
Cleveland, OH 44195
Ph: 216.444.5230
Fax: 216.444.4414

• email: hsie@ccf.org

Contact:
Karen A. Hodous

• hodousk@ccf.org