Director: Aida Valencia, MD
Description
The Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, offers a one-year ACGME-accredited fellowship in Genitourinary surgical pathology. The purpose of the Genitourinary (GU) surgical pathology fellowship is to provide advanced education in diagnostic skills concerning the area of surgical pathology with a primary focus on the genitourinary tract. Responsibilities include previewing cases and writing up diagnostic reports prior to review with the urological surgical pathology attending on service. Although the fellow is not required to gross surgical pathology specimens, resident education around general surgical pathology, including oversight of histologic diagnoses and guidance over resident grossing techniques are expected. The goal will be to achieve diagnostic excellence in GU surgical pathology. During the fellowship, all sign-out of GU surgical pathology cases will be performed with an attending pathologist. Responsibilities also include a research component with expectations of presentation at a national meeting and submission of at least one manuscript for publication prior to completion of the fellowship. Protected elective time (8 weeks) will be available for rotation on non-genitourinary surgical pathology services or research time. Choice of rotation on specific non-genitourinary surgical pathology services is scheduled in consultation with the Fellowship Director and the Director of Surgical Pathology. The weekly GU tumor board preparation will be the responsibility of the GU fellow when covering the GU service, but not when on a non-GU service. The daily caseload will be shared with any resident or Surgical Pathology fellow rotating on the GU service. Call coverage is not required.
Our team of surgical pathologists provides service for the Vanderbilt University Hospital, a 1,033-bed tertiary adult care hospital. Genitourinary surgical pathology comprises nearly 4000 specimens annually, including in-house and consult cases.
Goals and Objectives of the Program
About Vanderbilt Health
Vanderbilt Health is the largest comprehensive research, teaching and patient care health system in the Mid-South region. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt Health sees over 3.2 million patients, performs 79,000 surgical operations and discharges 78,000 inpatients from its eight hospitals and more than 180 clinics. Vanderbilt Health is the largest non-governmental employer of Middle Tennesseans, with more than 43,000 employees, including more than 3,000 physicians, advanced practice nurses and scientists.
Community
Vanderbilt Health's 21st Avenue campus is co-located with Vanderbilt University's campus in a sophisticated, diverse residential community about 1.5 miles from downtown Nashville, with numerous shops and restaurants within easy walking distance. Nashville, the capital of Tennessee, is the site of numerous colleges and universities, two medical schools, and several large teaching hospitals. The city has an extensive parks system, a symphony orchestra, opera, ballet, performing arts center, zoo, several museums, The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry. The city offers a wide variety of cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities, including a professional football, hockey and soccer teams. The Nashville Metropolitan area is home to about 1.5 million residents.
Faculty and Research Interests:
Faculty:
Jennifer B. Gordetsky, MD, Professor
Aida Valencia, MD, Assistant Professor
J. Cody Craig, MD, Assistant Professor
Daniel Shepherd, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor
Roshan Bhattarai, MD, Assistant Professor
Sairam Chattu, MD, Assistant Professor
Schedule:
First 6 months – Focus will be on the GU service with 2 weeks reserved for non-GU surgical pathology.
Second 6 months – On average 3 weeks of GU service, 1 week of non-GU surgical pathology per month.
Program Listing:
| Level(s) of training: | Postdoctoral |
| Duration of program: | 1 year |
Requirements
Completion of an ACGME accredited Pathology Residency training program.
Completion of a Surgical Pathology Fellowship Training Program is desired but not required.
Numbers of Available Appointments
One fellowship position per year
Prerequisites:
MD
Application Procedure:
The GU Pathology fellowship program is currently filled through June 30, 2028.
For fellowships starting July 1, 2028, we are currently accepting applications.
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, application*, CV, personal statement, three letters of recommendation and ECFMG certificate (if applicable) to:
Tapherine DeVany
Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
CC-3322 MCN
1161 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37232
*Application and pertinent information can be found under Graduate Medical Education
