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Physician ID:

325

Hours:

Monday - Tuesday 9 AM to 5 PM; Wednesday 8 AM to 5 PM; Thursday - Friday 9 AM to 5 PM

Hours have been provided by the preceptor. Hours are subject to change at the preceptor’s discretion, but the minimum total hours will remain approximately the same.

Location: Houston

You will be rotating in a hospital approximately 120 miles from downtown Houston.

Inpatient US Clinical Experience in Pathology in Houston

Specialties: Pathology

Location: Houston

Price:

Hospital Letterhead: Yes

Faculty Appointment: No

Information about this clinical experience:

You will work with several physicians who are board-certified pathologists. Collectively, they have decades of experience in pathology and have completed fellowships in breast pathology, cytopathology, dermatopathology, and surgical pathology. The group services hospitals in several counties in Texas, including Jackson, Karnes, and Victoria counties.

You will be based at one of these hospitals located approximately 120 miles from Houston. Upon your arrival for the day’s activities, you will start by spending time in the clinical pathology department to understand the handling of specimens, workflow, and processes in hematology, microbiology, and chemistry. Rotators will see how patient samples are analyzed and results are communicated to clinicians to guide diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of disease.

At approximately 11 AM, you will join the pathologist for sign-out or the pathology assistant for grossing. Although grossing is done on site, the histology is performed at another facility. Therefore, sign-out will be digital. Digital pathology allows for the capture, management, and interpretation of pathology information from a digitized glass slide. As digital pathology is gaining a foothold in pathology, this will be an excellent opportunity to see how this technology is improving efficiency, enhancing productivity, and optimizing treatment decisions and patient care.

Exposure to grossing is an important part of this experience and is highly valued by pathology residency programs. Through this process, residents are able to visually assess the specimen for such characteristics as size, shape, color, and consistency, select appropriate tissue sections for microscopic examination, and properly prepare the tissue to allow for accurate interpretation. Time spent with the pathology assistant will serve as an excellent introduction to grossing.

On Wednesday mornings, rotators will be able to observe frozen sections of the skin. This experience will allow the learner to gain an understanding the frozen section process, its role in ascertaining malignancy-free margins, and the way in which results are communicated to clinicians in a timely manner.

Who should consider this rotation:

International medical graduates (IMGs) and students seeking US clinical experience in pathology should consider this rotation.

How to obtain a letter of recommendation:

The rotator should ask the preceptor for a LOR near the conclusion of the rotation. Dr. Desai has provided the physician with guidelines about best practices in letter writing that meet residency program requirements. In some cases, the preceptor may ask the rotator to write a letter of recommendation draft.

During the rotation:

Our team will be checking in periodically with you to ensure that you are having an optimal experience. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions during the rotation.

Testimonials

Dr. X is an amazing teacher and has all the qualities that a great teacher and doctor should have. Some of these qualities include:

1) Effective communication with colleagues, students and patients.
2) Fostering a friendly environment where I felt comfortable asking questions and discussing important cases with him.
3) Allowing me to accompany him to meetings with other healthcare workers, which helped me understand the importance of such consultations for the well-being of the patients.
4) Giving me the opportunity to participate in rounds with him and to interview patients.
5) Showed me how to write notes, place orders and admit new patients.
6) I have spent some time in the emergency department observing newly admitted patients.
7) He taught me how to manage and treat patients in critical condition and following protocols
for important diseases.

CONCLUSION: I thoroughly enjoyed this rotation and Dr. X prepared me well for my future as a physician.