Gastrointestinal Clinical Fellowship Program

Note: All positions for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 are filled.

Our Gastrointestinal (GI) Pathology Center of Excellence (COE) training program provides core clinical diagnostic training in disorders of the luminal GI tract and pancreas. Training is also provided in both hepatic pathology (through our Transplant & Hepatic COE) and molecular pathology (through our Molecular Anatomic Pathology Laboratory). Our program now offers an option for independent case sign-out. For candidates who are hired as junior faculty members (Clinical Instructors), the 1st half of the year consists of traditional fellowship training, while in the 2nd half of the year, the Clinical Instructor signs out GI biopsies and GI resections under the guidance of a GI pathology attending. The GI pathology fellow is encouraged to perform research and has the opportunity to attend and contribute to numerous didactic and clinical conferences. Six GI pathologists and additional general surgical pathologists with subspecialty interest in GI provide clinical service, contribute to the research program of the GI section, and support the GI Pathology training program.

The mission of this training program is:

• To teach the fellow the proper means of examining a comprehensive spectrum of gastrointestinal surgical specimens, including specimens from the luminal GI tract and pancreas, ranging from small biopsies to extended radical procedures, as well as hepatic specimens reviewed in our Hepatic & Transplant Pathology COE.
• For the fellow to:
  • gain confidence in performing operating room consultations (frozen sections) and interacting with surgeons.
  • understand the necessity of clinical-pathological correlation of surgical pathology specimens in order for the pathologist to become a respected member of the "health care team".
  • be aware of and provide new techniques and methodologies that might impact on patient care and prognosis.
  • improve presentation skills.
  • integrate information technology into the practice of pathology.

The fellow spends nine months on clinical service. The rotations during these nine months include "GI Bigs" ("GIB" = large resections), "GI Quicks" ("GIQ" = GI biopsies), Transplant/Liver Pathology (biopsies and resections; 6-8 weeks) and Molecular Anatomic Pathology (4 weeks; optional). In the remaining three months, the fellow is encouraged to participate in at least one research project and educational activities; there is also an option to spend this time non-GI related elective rotations within the department. Numerous teaching, clinical and research conferences are held both within the department and within the institution. Extensive clinical and research collaborations exist with other members of the pathology department as well as members of Gastrointestinal Medicine, Transplant Surgery and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.