Medical Student Elective Courses

Dr. Jim Fishback in KUMC SoM Year 2 Histopathology Laboratory

Chair: Lowell Tilzer, MD, PhD

Pathologists play many roles in medicine, from interpreting surgical biopsies to supervising clinical laboratory testing. It has been estimated that 70% of all medical decisions are based on data generated by pathology departments. The department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at KUMC plays an integral role in the core curriculum and also offers elective courses to medical students interested in learning more about laboratory practice. Students in elective rotations participate in daily teaching conferences and specimen "sign-out" at the University of Kansas Hospital. They receive hands-on exposure to pathology technical methodology in the surgical pathology suite, microbiology laboratory, and cytogenetics laboratory.

PAON 910: INTRODUCTION TO PATHOLOGY LABORATORY: CLINICAL AND SURGICAL 

Primary Instructors: Lowell L. Tilzer, MD, PhD and Ossama W. Tawfik, MD, PhD
Course Description: The student will rotate under supervision for two weeks in each of Clinical Pathology and Surgical Pathology/Autopsy in the daily work of the laboratories, and will be exposed to inpatient as well as outpatient cases. SURGICAL PATHOLOGY: The student will be responsible for gross description, cutting representative blocks for microscopic slides, and study of the material culminating in diagnosis and clinicopathologic reconstruction of individual cases. Potential participation in autopsy is also available. CLINICAL PATHOLOGY: The student will rotate through any/all of blood bank, hematology, microbiology, and clinical chemistry during the two weeks assigned to the module. There will be daily meetings, morning assignment of projects with the junior and senior staff and review of projects with senior staff in the afternoons. Module serves as prerequisite for PAON 912 and 918. Offered modules I - XII. Prerequisite: prior approval of course instructors.

PAON 911: AUTOPSY PATHOLOGY
Primary Instructor: Ivan Damjanov, MD, PhD
Course Description: The student will participate in the performance of autopsies diagnosis, completion of the protocol, and in department conferences. The autopsy will be used to demonstrate the morphologic basis of disease and to correlate these with the functional disturbances encountered clinically. Offered in Modules I-V and VIII-XI. Prerequisite: As permitting and under supervision the student will be introduced to special techniques such as cryostat sectioning, organ perfusion and gross and microphotography. Offered in Modules I - V and VIII - XII. Prerequisite: General and special pathology or equivalent and prior approval of instructor.

PAON 912: SURGICAL PATHOLOGY
Primary Instructors: Ossama Tawfik, MD, PhD; Rashna Madan, MBBS
Course Description: Participation under supervision in the daily work of the surgical pathology laboratory. Continuation and expansion of those tasks introduced in PAON 910, including gross description, cutting representative blocks for microscopic slides, and study of the material culminating in diagnosis and clinicopathologic reconstruction of original cases. Participation in Cytopathology is also available. This may be taken more than once. Offered in modules I - XII. Prerequisite: PAON 910 and prior approval of course instructors.

PAON 916: RESEARCH IN PATHOLOGY
Primary Instructors: Ivan Damjanov, MD, PhD; Kathy Newell, MD
Course Description: For those taking this elective for the first time, emphasis will be placed on training a student in the means by which to design an experiment and implement it by doing a small research project. Students taking this elective for the second or third time will be allowed to continue to pursue already established research projects in experimental pathology. Areas of research in the department include cellular pathology, carcinogenesis, immunopathology of tumors and other antigens, using conventional and monoclonal antibodies, and electron microscopy of disease states, particularly kidney, endocrine neoplastic and infectious disease. Offered in modules I - XII. Prerequisite: Prior approval of instructor.

PAON 917: ADVANCED TOPICS IN PATHOLOGY
Primary Instructors: Ivan Damjanov, MD, PhD; Kathy Newell, MD
Course Description: Enrollment is by permission of the chair and arrangement with the respective faculty member responsible for the area of study. A limited number of openings will be available for junior and senior medical students interested in pursuing a specialized program of study in pathological anatomy, clinical pathology or experimental pathology. Offered in Modules I - XII. Prerequisite: Prior approval of instructor.

PAON 918: APPLIED CLINICAL PATHOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
Primary Instructor: Lowell Tilzer, MD, PhD
Course Description: The student will be exposed to the application of the clinical laboratory for inpatients as well as outpatients. There will be daily meetIngs with the junior and senior staff from 8:00 - 9:00 in the morning. The student will rotate through blood bank, hematology, microbiology, and clinical chemistry during the four weeks they are assigned to the laboratory medicine module. The student will review general functions and 'trouble shoot" ward laboratory problems. The student will meet each afternoon with the senior staff to discuss what they have learned during the day from assigned projects. Offered in modules I - XII. Prerequisite: PAON 910 and prior approval of instructor.

PAON 919: PATHOLOGY OF THE KIDNEY
Primary Instructor: Ivan Damjanov, MD, PhD
Course Description: This course offers an opportunity to participate in the pathological diagnosis of kidney disorders. Students will participate in clinical consultations relative to need for renal biopsy. In some instances, they will observe the biopsy procedure. They will review and study biopsy specimens by light n'dcroscopy. electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, and on the basis of their interpretation of clinical and pathological findings, make and defend a diagnosis. Similar studies will be conducted with kidney specimens from autopsies, nephrecton des, and case study material in the department. Evaluation of the students win be based upon a seminar or case presentation as well as upon day today performance in the course. Offered in Modules I - Xii. Prerequisite: prior approval of instructor.