General Program Information

The residency program's mission is to provide strong basic training in anatomic and clinical pathology and its subspecialties. The program's philosophic objective is to develop a sturdy medical knowledge/skill base and professional attributes that allow a resident/fellow to independently and competently practice pathology with a life-long commitment to continued learning and excellence. In-depth training is offered in both Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, separately or as a combined program. Programs are available for new graduates, as well as to those with post-doctoral experience. Training is offered at three sites: an academic, tertiary care referral center (West Virginia University), and a large community hospital (Charleston Area Medical Center). Although the program is geared to produce well-rounded community hospital pathologists, residents are encouraged to explore a career in academic pathology as well.

Training in anatomic pathology encompasses surgical pathology, cytopathology and autopsy pathology. Embedded in these rotations is exposure to patients with diseases in the areas of dermatopathology, pediatric pathology, nephropathology, and neuropathology, as well as utilization of immunohistochemistry and forensic pathology. Electron microscopy is part of the surgical pathology curriculum at CAMC. Clinical Pathology training includes hematology and coagulation, lymph nodes/bone marrows/flow cytometry, blood banking and transfusion medicine, clinical chemistry and immunology, medical microbiology, cytogenetics and molecular pathology, and laboratory management. Residents also participate in the outreach activities of a reference laboratory/outreach program that serves small rural West Virginia hospitals.

The department is highly computerized with advanced digital imaging systems and numerous opportunities to develop expertise in the use of information technology. Opportunities for teaching and research are also available and encouraged, with emphasis on clinically related topics. Residents also participate in the department’s teaching programs.

Residents are expected to develop competencies in the six areas mandated of new practitioners by the ACGME, as outlined below. In order to foster a self-improvement and practice-based learning, residents are provided with several forms of evaluations, including practice-based portfolios in surgical pathology, autopsy, cytopathology, and hematopathology rotations, faculty rotation evaluations, semiannual global evaluations and yearly 360o evaluations.