Pathology

Head and Neck Pathology Fellowship

Aims Statement

Provide a comprehensive program to educate fellows in becoming excellent practitioners of Head and Neck Pathology. Train the fellows with expertise in medical knowledge, communication skills, patient care, and professionalism to enter either academia, private practice, or research.

Overview

The UTSW Head and Neck Pathology Fellowship program is a one-year ACGME-accredited fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center, including William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and Parkland Health and Hospital System, that combines diagnostic pathology training in lesions of the human head and neck (oral cavity, pharynx, sinuses, larynx, salivary glands, neck, ear/temporal bone, and jaw) and upper endocrine organs (thyroid, parathyroid) with opportunities for clinical research. The Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center, the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Texas, is a major center for head and neck oncology and serves as a regional referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of Head and Neck cancers. Approximately 1000 Head and Neck oncology cases are seen annually.

Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community.  As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status. 

Program Description 

Program Description

Head and Neck fellow clinical responsibilities:

    • Sign out in-house biopsies and resections with residents (cases are then reviewed and finalized by a Head and Neck Pathology Attending)
    • Review all in-house and external head and neck consultation cases
    • Gross a predetermined number of routine and complex Head and Neck specimens at Clements University Hospital and Parkland Hospital and Health System
    • Provide head and neck grossing lectures to our Pathologists Assistants at Clements University Hospital and Parkland Hospital and Health Services
    • Provide preliminary intraoperative diagnostic information (frozens)
    • Present difficult and/or interesting cases at the tri-weekly Head and Neck Consensus Conference and weekly General Surgical Pathology Conference.
    • Conduct the ENT Resident Interesting Case Conference
    • Manage the UTSW Head and Neck Pathology Twitter account
    • Discuss pathologic findings with ENT surgeons, Head and Neck Oncologists, and Radiation Oncologists at the ENT Tumor Board, Thyroid Conference, and other inter-disciplinary conferences
    • Assist with Head and Neck unknown slide seminars for pathology residents
    • Present at the Head and Neck Pathology Journal Club held monthly
Research 

Research

Fellows are expected to perform clinical or translational research, to present their findings at national meetings, and to publish their work in appropriate journals. Funding is available through the Head and Neck Pathology faculty grants as well as the Pathology Department.

Requirements 

Requirements

  • Three years of Anatomic Pathology training in an ACGME-accredited pathology residency program or four years of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology training in an ACGME-accredited pathology residency program
  • Board-eligible or board-certified in Anatomic Pathology or Anatomic and Clinical Pathology by the American Board of Pathology
  • Eligible for a medical license to practice in the state of Texas
Benefits 

Benefits

  • Financial support to attend conferences
  • Educational funds
  • Laptop
  • Additional benefits dependent upon program
Faculty 

Faculty