Curriculum

Breast Pathology Fellowship

The Breast Pathology Fellowship Program with the department of pathology at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville is a one-year program that provides a thorough exposure to diagnostic surgical pathology of the breast, as well as the multidisciplinary management of breast disease. The main objectives of the program are to provide the fellow with optimal diagnostic skills, an appreciation of the implications of pathologic diagnoses in the management of breast cancer patients and a unique translational research experience. The program also provides the fellow with extensive exposure to the histopathologic entities that constitute benign and malignant breast disease. Upon completion, the fellow will be able to identify morphologic features of non-proliferative and atypical benign breast lesions and their associated risk for the future development of invasive breast cancer.

Goals and Objectives

The primary goal of the breast pathology fellowship program is to educate fellows in all aspects of breast pathology and breast disease so that they become competent in integrated and multidisciplinary breast health care. The program has three major goals with an emphasis on competency-based educational outcome assessment:

  • Development of skills in the diagnosis of breast disease through:
    • the diagnosis of non-neoplastic and neoplastic diseases of the breast and their mimics
    • the diagnosis of precursors of mammary neoplasia
    • the use of special techniques in the pathologic characterization of diseases of the breast
    • the diagnostic evaluation of patients, treatment algorithms and tumor staging parameters and prognostic indices
    • participation in a multidisciplinary team approach to the treatment of patients with breast diseases
  • Development of investigational skills: The fellow will participate in clinical projects and/or translational research projects that provide experience in research methodology and utilization of analytical techniques
  • Development of teaching and presentation skills through multidisciplinary interaction with cytopathology fellows, residents, students and faculty

At the completion of the 12-month program, it is expected that the fellow will have achieved a level of skill such that they can become effective members of a multidisciplinary breast health care team.

Research

The department of pathology at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville is committed to fostering research by the faculty and residents. Our institution has been engaged in clinically applied research for many years and is enriched by the presence of faculty who have demonstrated excellence in performing research and in training new investigators.

A Dean's Fund Research Award grant is available to residents and fellows. Every spring, Research Day is held, with residents and fellows from all disciplines presenting their work. An annual award for resident research is a reflection of the research in our training programs. Well-designed studies conducted in collaboration with the faculty have resulted in residents and fellows presenting their research at regional, national and international meetings. Funding is made available for these presentations and residents are strongly encouraged to publish the results of their scientific projects.