The department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) and UVM Larner College of Medicine in Burlington offers an ACGME accredited one year fellowship in cytopathology. The goal of our fellowship is to produce well-rounded confident fellows prepared for a successful career in cytopathology, be it in private practice or within an academic setting. To achieve this goal, our program encompasses a blend of academic and practical training in the setting of a university health center with a large geographic referral area.
The fellow is exposed to a full range of cytology specimens in gynecologic, non-gynecologic and fine needle aspiration samples with ongoing exposure to surgical pathology; an important combination that fosters strong diagnostic skills. The fellow gains hands on experience in cytopreparatory techniques, specimen preparation and rapid on-site evaluations on our busy fine needle aspiration (FNA) service, performance of palpation-guided FNAs and ultrasound-guided FNAs at our biweekly thyroid FNA clinic.
In addition, fellows gain experience in quality assurance and regulatory issues by serving as assistant medical directors. The fellow learns in an environment supported by frequent one-on-one interactions and individualized mentorship from diverse faculty and experienced cytotechnologists. In order to support the development of professional independent cytopathologists, the fellow has increasing levels of responsibility commensurate with the level of performance throughout the year.
The program also offers the fellow comprehensive forums for teaching, discussion, clinico-pathologic presentation, dedicated time for research and an extensive library of resources to support educational activities.