Teaching and Research Opportunities

As laboratory medicine and pathology involves continual learning and the sharing of knowledge with colleagues, the residents and fellows regularly participate in multiple inter- and intradepartmental conferences and medical student teaching. Residents participate fully in the teaching of sophomore medical students, by participating in small group sessions either aiding the faculty or as a more senior resident, as a small group leader. Residents also teach medical students rotating through surgical pathology and with presentations of autopsies and elective teaching. Our residents are intimately involved with inter- and intra-departmental conferences. Each resident must present one 45-minute formal presentation for Pathology Grand Rounds yearly. In addition residents present to each other during Autopsy Conference and once per month residents present to a combined audience of medicine and pathology residents at a joint autopsy conference. More senior residents (PGY2+) present cases under direct faculty supervision at interdepartmental conferences such as ENT tumor board, Tumor Board, OB/GYN, Hematology Oncology teaching and patient care conferences, Pulmonary, Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Conference, and Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Conference.

While not required, the residents and fellows are encouraged to explore and participate in clinical, basic and/or translational research with a faculty mentor. The research program in Pathology at West Virginia University is emerging with several new faculty engaged in clinical, basic and translational research and with a new commercially funded tissue bank. All residents are required to submit at least one case report per year to our web-based “Case of the Month” series, which is both internally and externally peer reviewed.