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AP-CP Residency Program

The Department of Pathology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) is a fully accredited four-year training program in combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. A total of 16 resident positions are offered, divided among each year of training. Most new appointments are at the post-graduate year-1 level; however, advanced post-graduate year level appointments may be arranged.

UMMC's main campus is the only state-of-the-art tertiary care facility in the state and is the primary teaching facility where pathology residents train. Collaboration and interaction with other UMMC departments, as well as Mississippi Blood Services and the Mississippi State Department of Health afford a well-rounded training experience for each resident.

Programs offered

Our residency program is designed to provide a comprehensive curriculum that meets the requirements of the American Board of Pathology, yet allows our residents flexibility to pursue interests in various subspecialties. In addition to AP/CP core rotations, our program offers elective rotations which can be utilized for translational and/or basic science research as well as advanced training in selected areas of general and subspecialty pathology.

Our program is structured so that for each year of the 48-month curriculum, rotations are spent both in AP and CP, with increasing levels of responsibility and performance expected with each advancing post-graduate year.

All residents are expected to participate in scholarly activities and explore research interests with faculty members within or outside of the department. Institutional financial support for presenting papers at national meetings is provided.

Weekly conferences systematically cover the theory and practice of laboratory medicine and anatomic pathology. Residents are actively involved in interdepartmental conferences and in medical student small group teaching.

The faculty of the Department of Pathology is committed to the success of our training programs. They actively participate in the educational endeavors of each resident and fellow. With 16 residents and 15 staff members, there is ample opportunity for close interaction among trainees and faculty. A wide array of specialties are represented in our curriculum and are taught by scholars with expertise in their respective fields, including but not limited to autopsy, bone and soft tissue pathology, breast pathology, cytopathology, dermatopathology, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary pathology, genitourinary pathology, gynecologic pathology, neuropathology, pediatric pathology, pulmonary pathology, chemistry, coagulation, cytogenetics, hematopathology, immunopathology, microbiology, molecular pathology, transfusion medicine, and transplant pathology.

Didactic and practical exposure to laboratory management and informatics are incorporated into the training schedule. The department annually processes over 8 million clinical laboratory tests, approximately 25,000 surgical pathology specimens, over 11,000 cytology specimens (including gynecologic and nongynecologic specimens), approximately 1000 fine needle aspirates/cores, and around 100 autopsies. 

Residency training administration and evaluation

House staff training is supervised by the residency training director, departmental chairman and the departmental residency committee, which is comprised of the chief residents and faculty representatives from both Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. There is ongoing review of the effectiveness and content of the program, with modifications made as new knowledge and techniques evolve. Resident progress is formally monitored by monthly and semi-annual evaluations, whereas, the program and faculty are evaluated annually by each resident.

Resident appointments are for one year. Re-appointment is subject to the standards of the department and policies of the University of Mississippi Medical Center.