There are 16 months of surgical pathology during the four years of the residency program. One-third of these rotations are in the first year of training, with the remainder spread out over the rest of the program. The faculty is subspecialized, with each faculty member participating in one to three specialty areas. Correspondingly for teaching purposes, surgical pathology is divided into six organ-based specialty areas (GI, GU/endocrine, breast, GYN, lung and skin/bone/soft tissue) and frozen section rotations.
Rotations are in half-month blocks, allowing for in-depth learning of gross and microscopic pathology and development of close working relationships with the faculty in each area. There are weekly subspecialty surgical pathology and gross conferences, and many study sets are available to keep physicians current in all specialty areas. The quantity and quality of surgical pathology specimens and expertise of the faculty ensure all residents become skilled in this area during the program.
Cedars-Sinai's surgical pathologists are always available for consultation, and due to the depth and breadth of the faculty, almost all cases are diagnosed using in-house expertise without need for outside consultation. Many faculty members are actively engaged in research projects with ample opportunity for resident research participation.
