Although GYN pathology is covered at all hospital sites, the Juravinski Hospital pathology site affiliated with Juravinski Cancer Center is the primary training site having a large volume and variety of oncologic cases of diverse complexity including biopsies, gyn cytology/histology correlation and intraoperative consultations and external consultation service. The gyn pathologists at this site also sign out a large volume of non-neoplastic cases in the form of resections and biopsies and cytology/histology correlates generated from the HRLMP hospital sites and from consults generated from the community hospitals.

A fellow will also work on challenging and difficult consult cases referred to the pathologists from other hospital sites within HRLMP primarily from St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University Medical Centre (MUMC sites) and community hospitals in the Hamilton area. These cases will expose the fellow to a wide variety and spectrum of both benign and malignant lesions of the gynecologic tract including assessment on biopsies, resections and cytology specimens and correlate biopsies.

During the week, a fellow will participate in regular clinical activities which includes daily sign out of gynecologic surgical specimens in-house or consultation cases, perform or consult on frozen section of a gynecologic malignancy from the OR, present at gynecologic MCC rounds once a week.

A fellow will be expected to present a gyn pathology topic at one academic 1/2 day for residents and will participate in supervision of residents during their elective rotation for grossing and frozen sections.

A Gyn pathology Fellow will get adequate exposure to applied molecular diagnostics in gynecologic practice and learn about diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers and interpretation of molecular tests in the context of diagnosis and patient management.

The Gyn fellow is expected to complete one research project for publication or national or international presentation in the one year fellowship program. For this, the fellow will get 1/2 day off once a week for research activities.

Fellows will get ample opportunity and mentorship to take on clinico-pathologic projects and gain experience in methodology and evidence-based medicine working on independent or collaborative projects with pathologists and clinical colleagues.

There will be no competition for space or exposure to cases with residents as there is adequate space, high volume of cases and residents rotate at 3 other hospital sites including spending time away for elective rotations. There will be a maximum of only one fellow at a time in the fellowship program.

Presence of a fellow will also enhance the learning experience of residents as fellows will be participating in teaching of gyn pathology to AP, GP residents and residents coming for elective rotations from medical and radiation oncology. The Gyn Pathology fellows will also participate in teaching of fellows in the Gyn Oncology Fellowship program.

Successful completion of the fellowship will be achieved by the following:

1. Completion of a quality improvement (QI) or quality assurance (QA) project/ research project
2. Preparation of a portfolio
3. Preparation of presentations, including at least one academic half-day session and 6 MCC rounds
4. ITERs and on-call evaluations reflecting an assessment rating of satisfactory or above

The fellowship program is 12 months in duration and includes experiential and structured educational components.

Experiential components (70%)

The weekly schedule will be as follows:

• 4 days/week in the laboratory. If there are residents in the lab rotating through gynecologic pathology elective rotation, the fellow will contribute to resident teaching, where appropriate depending on their stage of training. The schedule may be adjusted to allow for more academic time to do quality improvement and research project work
• Work at the cytogenetics laboratory 2 days/2 weeks for molecular diagnostics lab work training.
• 1 day of academic time

Structured educational components (30%)

• Participate and present in Gross rounds for Gynecologic specimens to residents
• Participate in Gynecologic Oncology frozen section calls, with supervision at least one week per month once the trainee has demonstrated the knowledge and skills required to do this
• Design and conduct a research or QI project
• Participate in MCC rounds
• Attend DMP grand rounds
• Attend relevant Gynecologic Pathology AHDs
• Contribute to teaching residents rotating through Gynecologic Pathology elective rotation
• Contribute to teaching in Academic half days(AHD) for DMP and DCP residency programs

Gynecological Pathology fellowship is a one year fellowship program for individuals who have completed a 5 year residency program either in Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology (DMP) or Diagnostic and Clinical Pathology (DCP) with certification by RCPSC, American Board of Pathology or equivalent qualification.

All applicants must have verified sponsorship support for their fellowship that meets or exceeds the minimum funding requirement of Postgraduate Medical Education at McMaster University (currently: minimum of 60K per annum). Applicants must submit a letter of interest, a detailed CV, written verification of amount and duration of fellowship financial support from their sponsor (which should detail how the financial support will be paid, i.e., directly to the fellow or via transfer of funds to McMaster). The candidates must submit a minimum of two letters of reference that includes one from a prior supervising pathologist or from their Program Director.