Faculty: Rosanna Lapham, M.D. - Course Director

Institution: Spartanburg Regional Health Care System

Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Duration: 2-4 weeks

Course Offered: Throughout academic year

Number of Students: 1 to 2  per rotation

Students Report To: Please contact Delilah Goode, Continuing Medical Education Office, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, prior to the first day of the rotation (864) 560-6748 or dgoode@srhs.com

*USC SOM Third Year Elective

The student will spend a major portion of each day in the laboratory observing and participating in examination of surgical specimens. The student will be assigned to one or more pathologists and most of the teaching will be of preceptor, one-on-one relationship. Daily duties will include assisting with frozen section examinations of breast, lymph node, thyroid, pulmonary, hepatic, pancreatic, gastrointestinal, and reproductive specimens received from one large community hospital and two ambulatory surgery centers with a total of 31 operating rooms. The student will initially observe and later directly participate in examination and description of the gross and microscopic features of surgical pathology specimens. Correlation between surgical pathology, cytology, and clinical laboratory results will be stressed.  The anatomic and clinical pathology departments are closely integrated, and the student will be urged to pursue personal interests involving many phases of pathology.

Objectives:

The basic objective is an introduction to the practice of pathology in a community hospital, but after the first two weeks the student will be free to maintain a broad approach to laboratory medicine or to study any phase in greater detail.  For students who plan to remain in pathology, emphasis will be placed on the mechanical and technical skills necessary in the day-to-day practice of pathology.  In the case of students headed for other specialties, the emphasis will be upon full utilization of laboratory medicine in inpatient care.