About the Residency Training Program
The Pathology Residency Training Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) provides a full range of accredited postgraduate training in Anatomic and/or Clinical Pathology leading to certification by the American Board of Pathology. The program provides comprehensive training that can prepare trainees for careers in academic, community, government or industrial positions.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is part of the 330-acre Vanderbilt University campus, situated 1.5 miles southwest of the heart of Nashville in an upscale residential neighborhood filled with shops and restaurants of all descriptions. Vanderbilt University Medical Center is the largest tertiary medical facility in Tennessee, and is comprised of Vanderbilt University Hospital (VUH), the Vanderbilt Clinic (TVC), The Monroe Carell, Jr. Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital (VCH), and the adjacent Nashville Department of Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (VA). The Vanderbilt University Medical Center also houses the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. In addition to their rotations at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, residents also rotate for several months at nearby St. Thomas Hospital for anatomic and clinical pathology experiences in community practice, and at the Nashville Medical Examiner’s Office for experience in forensic pathology.
The Department of Pathology is led by Chair, Samuel Santoro, M.D., Ph.D., who oversees all clinical, research, and educational endeavors of the Department. The Residency Training Program is directed by Robert D. Hoffman, M.D., Ph.D., with the advice and assistance of the Residency Training Program Managers and the Housestaff Committee, composed of key program faculty. Residency training at Vanderbilt Medical Center involves each of the service divisions, Anatomic Pathology (Surgical Pathology, Cytopathology, Autopsy Pathology and Pediatric Pathology), Laboratory Medicine (Hematology/Hemostasis, Transfusion Medicine, Microbiology, Virology/Molecular Infectious Diseases, Clinical Chemistry, Molecular Pathology, and Immunopathology), Hematopathology, Renal Pathology/Electron Microscopy and Neuropathology. The service divisions are directed by internationally recognized expert members of the faculty who have close personal engagement with residents throughout their training
The faculty of the Department of Pathology includes pathologists with interests in patient care, teaching and laboratory management, as well as scholars in all subspecialty areas within Pathology The faculty has grown considerably in the past few years, with the addition of nearly a dozen enthusiastic new junior and senior faculty members. The broad range of interests of the faculty strengthens the Residency Training Program, and many residents desire to participate in individual research projects in addition to developing outstanding patient care skills. Residents are regular participants with the faculty in teaching activities within the Residency Program, and also in teaching activities in the pathology curriculum at Vanderbilt Medical School. Residents also have an extracurricular opportunity to give pathology lectures for physical therapy students at nearby Belmont University as a part of a long-standing arrangement.
For residents with exceptional achievements and commitment to a career in laboratory investigation, the Physician Scientist Training Program in Pathology provides desirable program flexibility, financial support and career development resources designed to seamlessly bridge the transition from newly graduated physician scientist to independently funded investigator. The Department of Pathology also provides ample fellowship opportunities for residents desiring advanced training in Surgical Pathology, Hematopathology, Neuropathology, Renal Pathology, Molecular Diagnostics, Medical Microbiology with Cytopathology soon to be added. Fellowship training in Forensic Pathology is available from the Nashville Medical Examiner’s Office.
Living in Nashville offers trainees numerous advantages, including affordable housing, abundant extracurricular activities, and a mild climate. Nashville has a vibrant performing arts scene that hosts theater, opera and ballet in addition to solo performances of all kinds. In addition to Nashville’s reputation as an epicenter of country music, there is a wide range of live music spanning genres including classical, rock, jazz, folk and bluegrass. Nashville hosts major professional hockey and football teams as well as NCAA Division 1 Southeastern Conference college athletics at both Vanderbilt University and University of Tennessee. There are abundant open public spaces in the area surrounding Nashville that make the best advantage of rolling, hilly wooded terrain and ambling waterways.
Applications for PGY1 residency positions are received exclusively through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Applications should include three letters of reference in addition to the Dean’s Letter (Medical Student Performance Evaluation), medical school transcript, all available USMLE or COMLEX scores and a personal statement. Graduates of international medical schools must provide valid certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) or completion of Fifth Pathway training before the application will be considered. Vanderbilt University Medical Center routinely sponsors foreign nationals for J-1 visas, although other visas may be offered by the program at its discretion. All applications are reviewed to select on a rolling basis those candidates who will be invited for personal interview at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Candidates appearing for interview are selected for training on the basis of commitment to a career in pathology, medical knowledge, effective communication skills, maturity and personal achievements. All application materials should be received before December 1 the year before training is to commence.
Questions about the Residency Program should be directed to the Residency Office at pathres.prog@vanderbilt.edu.
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