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Program Leadership:
Ron Balassanian, MD, Residency Program Director
Kristie White, MD, Associate Program Director
Administrative Staff:
Brittney Augerlavoie, Residency Program Coordinator

Address:
UCSF Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Residency Program
School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
505 Parnassus Avenue, M580
San Francisco, CA 94143
Phone:
415.514.3306
Email:
brittney.augerlavoie@ucsf.edu

Program Description

Introduction

The UCSF Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Residency Program is a 4-year ACGME accredited residency program. The Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine collaborate to support world-class training for residents in anatomic pathology (AP), clinical pathology (CP), combined anatomic and clinical pathology (AP/CP), and combined anatomic pathology and neuropathology (AP/NP). Trainees have numerous fellowship and postdoctoral research opportunities and have a track record of success in securing desirable jobs in academia, private practice and industry.

Educational Program (Basic Curriculum)

Multiple training tracks for education are available to trainees, including combined anatomic and clinical pathology (AP/CP), AP-only, CP-only, and AP/Neuropathology.

The Department of Pathology provides the UCSF-affiliated hospitals with diagnostic services in general surgical pathology and autopsy pathology, as well as in a variety of subspecialty areas, including cytopathology, hematopathology, dermatopathology, neuropathology, cardiac pathology, transplant pathology, gastrointestinal and liver pathology, renal pathology, and obstetric-gynecologic pathology. The diverse backgrounds and research interests of the faculty have led to many extramural awards, including funded projects in cancer biology, liver disease, immunology, molecular-cell biology, hematopathology, microbiology, biochemistry, parasitology and tropical medicine. It is this eclectic mix that forms the basis of the expert patient-care and research training offered by the Department of Pathology.

Residents in anatomic pathology rotate through the five university-affiliated hospitals: UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights, UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion, San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVA), and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG). In the first year, residents typically spend a majority of the year in basic surgical pathology and autopsy pathology rotations. Currently, our AP trainees have one month of elective time per year, which can be used to gain additional focused experience in subspecialties in both the Department of Pathology and the Department of Laboratory Medicine. Second-year AP residents have a variety of surgical pathology, cytology, dermatopathology, and molecular pathology rotations. Additionally, they serve as chief residents at ZSFG and SFVA. A structured didactic lecture series for residents is held three times a week to complement the exposure to clinical material gained from weekly slide conferences and clinical rotations. Residents also have numerous opportunities to engage in clinical research projects during residency and to present their findings at regional and national meetings.

In the Department of Laboratory Medicine, residents also rotate through the clinical laboratories of UCSF, the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, and the San Francisco VA Health Care System. These hospitals have diverse patient populations and provide a remarkably varied clinical experience for our training program. Rotations are available in microbiology, hematology/hematopathology, transfusion medicine, cellular therapy, clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics/cytogenetics, laboratory management, and immunology. Five months out of the two years is devoted to elective time and includes opportunities for electives at institutions other than UCSF. Residents also receive structured didactic training in clinical epidemiology, transfusion medicine, hematology, informatics, immunology, clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, microbiology and laboratory management.

Clinical responsibilities of residents include an “on call” system for clinical consultation on test indications, interfering factors and test interpretation, familiarization with analytical methodology and quality control, and teaching of medical students and technologists.

Teaching opportunities are also available to residents during their training. Housestaff assist the instructors in the laboratories in medical-student pathology courses, medical student small groups, and ongoing laboratory technician continuing education courses. Residents also present interesting autopsy and surgical pathology cases at a variety of intra- and interdepartmental conferences. All residents present cases and recent research findings on subjects of their choice once a year at the Department of Pathology Grand Rounds Conference.

Detailed Instructional Schedule

• Surgical pathology
• Autopsy pathology
• Cytopathology
• Dermatopathology
• Hematology and Hematopathology
• Neuropathology
• Microbiology
• Transfusion Medicine
• Chemistry
• Immunology
• Molecular pathology
• Laboratory Management

Instructors/Resources

The UCSF Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Residency Program has a wealth of clinical and research faculty distributed throughout UCSF and its associated hospitals listed below. Education within the program and supervision of trainees are the focus of the majority of the faculty.

Instructional Facilities

The main facilities, which offer a wide depth and breadth of clinical and research experiences and training, where the trainees practice and see patients are:

• UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights, San Francisco, California
• Mission Bay (UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, UCSF Betty Irene Moore)
• Women’s Hospital, UCSF Bakar Cancer Center, San Francisco, California
• UCSF Mt. Zion Hospital, San Francisco, California
• China Basin UCSF Campus, San Francisco, California
• Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, California
• Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California

Entrance Requirements

In accordance with ACGME requirements for graduate medical education, the UCSF School of Medicine GME eligibility policy applies to all residency and fellowship programs and may be found in the 2022-2023 Housestaff Information Booklet.

The program specific policies may be found at: pathology.ucsf.edu/training/residency/application.

Policies

Enrollment Policy

In accordance with ACGME requirements for graduate medical education, UCSF School of Medicine GME policies apply to all residency and fellowship programs and may be found in the 2022-2023 Housestaff Information Booklet.

Credit Evaluation Policy

In accordance with ACGME requirements for graduate medical education, the UCSF School of Medicine GME supervision, evaluation, and other policies apply to all residency and fellowship programs and may be found in the 2022-2023 Housestaff Information Booklet.

The program specific supervision, communication/escalation, and evaluation policies address the different levels of training and may be found at: pathology.ucsf.edu/training/residency/application. Each program has a multisource learner assessment program in accordance with ACGME, UCSF GME, and program policies and requirements.

All faculty and trainees are educated about fatigue in GME training and adept at recognizing fatigue in themselves and others. In accordance with ACGME requirements for graduate medical education, the UCSF School of Medicine GME fatigue mitigation policy applies to all residency and fellowship programs and may be found in the 2022-2023 Housestaff Information Booklet.

Attendance Policy

In accordance with ACGME requirements for graduate medical education, the UCSF School of Medicine GME leave policy, which addresses vacation, sick, parental, and other leave, applies to all residency and fellowship programs and may be found in the 2022-2023 Housestaff Information Booklet.

• Absence: Refer to the GME leave policy in the 2022-2023 Housestaff Information Booklet.
• Tardiness: Residents are expected to contact the program by 7:30 a.m. to indicate if they will be late or absent that day for any reason.
• Interruption for Unsatisfactory Attendance: Residents taking additional time off are required to make up all additional time to satisfy the American Board of Pathology’s requirements to graduate.
• Cutting Classes: Residents must attend a minimum of 70% of conferences during their fellowship and unsatisfactory attendance will be reviewed at the semi-annual Clinical Competency Committee. If needed the fellow will be put on a remediation plan until the situation is rectified.
• Make-up Work: Missed conferences are made up at the discretion of the program director.
• Leave of Absence: Refer to the GME leave policy in the 2022-2023 Housestaff Information Booklet. 

Policy on Academic Progress

The medical education of physicians to practice independently is experiential and necessarily occurs within the context of the health care delivery system. Developing the skills, knowledge and attitudes leading to proficiency in all the domains of clinical competency requires the resident and fellow physician to assume personal responsibility for the care of individual patients. For the resident and fellow, the essential learning activity is interaction with patients under guidance and supervision of faculty members who give value, context, and meaning to those interactions. As residents and fellows gain experience and demonstrate growth in their ability to care for patients, they assume roles that permit them to exercise those skills with greater independence. This concept – graded and progressive responsibility – is one of the core tenets of American GME. Supervision in the GME setting has the goals of assuring the provision of safe and effective care to the individual patient; assuring each resident or fellow’s development of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to enter the unsupervised practice of medicine; and establishing a foundation for continued professional growth.

The program director is responsible for the content and conduct of all educational activities at all teaching sites.

Trainee performance and progress are evaluated by program faculty verbally and in writing with progression consistent with ACGME milestones assessed twice yearly by the Clinical Competency Committee and further reviewed by the Residency Advisory Committee. These formal mechanisms are in place for monitoring and documenting each trainee’s acquisition of fundamental knowledge and clinical skills and overall performance throughout the academic year.

Trainees are supervised by faculty and given regular feedback on their performance in real-time and at regular intervals from the program director (or their designee) and the Clinical Competency Committee (CCC). If a trainee is not meeting expectations or experiencing difficulties, the program director will determine if remediation is needed.

In the event academic action is necessary, policies and procedures must follow the UCSF GME academic due process policy.

Trainee Responsibilities

UCSF residents and fellows are expected to:

• Develop a personal program of self-study and professional growth with guidance from the faculty;
• Participate in safe, effective, and compassionate patient care under supervision commensurate with their level of advancement and responsibility;
• Participate fully in the educational and scholarly activities of their program and as required, assume responsibility for teaching and supervising other residents, fellows, and students;
• Participate in institutional programs and activities involving the medical staff and adhere to established practices, procedures, and policies of the institution;
• Participate in institutional committees and councils, especially those that relate to patient care activities;
• Participate in evaluation of the quality of education provided by the program;
• Develop an understanding of ethical, socioeconomic, and medical/legal issues that affect graduate medical education and how to apply cost containment measures in the provision of patient care;
• Comply with established ethical behavior and practices;
• Adhere to federal, state, and campus deadlines and requirements regarding licensure and registration for the practice of medicine;
• Respond to the Office of GME (OGME) and the home program/department for information related to position/rank and function;
• Adhere to all departmental, School of Medicine, GME, and ACGME policies and procedures.

Benefits/Leave

UCSF residents and fellows are entitled to four (4) work weeks of vacation, 12 sick days, and eight weeks of paid parental leave annually. Find more information about trainee leaves.

Time spent away from the program may impact program completion per American Board requirements. Programs are required to provide timely notice of the effect of leave(s) on the ability of trainees to satisfy requirements for completion.

UCSF Hospital System Responsibilities

• Sleep rooms and lounges: Sleep rooms and lounges for residents and fellows are provided at rotation sites. They may use for overnight call and napping.
• Uniforms: One long white coat is issued to new residents.
• Work Hours: UCSF GME work hour policy applies to all residents and fellows and may be found in the 2022-2023 Housestaff Information Booklet.
• Communication: Pagers, email addresses, and access to the UCSF network are provided to all residents and fellows when they start their training.
• Library: All trainees have access to the UCSF library, both in-person and online. They also have access to libraries at the sites in which they rotate.

Salaries

Trainee salaries are determined through collective bargaining with CIR-SEIU Healthcare, the exclusive representative of UCSF residents and fellows. If program policy allows, trainees may elect to moonlight. Find the UCSF GME moonlighting policy in the 2022-2023 Housestaff Information Booklet.