Hartford Hospital is an 867-bed general and tertiary care hospital with a nationally recognized cancer center, an active surgical division (including busy Level I trauma service) with a highly successful robotic surgery program, busy gastroenterology and neurosurgery services, and an experienced transplantation center. Hartford Hospital is a teaching affiliate of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine; on Hartford Hospital’s campus, there is the additional 128-bed Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Finally, Hartford Hospital is the flagship of Hartford Healthcare, one of the largest networks of hospitals and clinics in the state of Connecticut. The fully approved combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology program begins with a strong anatomic pathology emphasis in PGY-1 that includes an initial 8-week structured, supervised orientation to anatomic pathology followed by scheduled rotations in surgical pathology, autopsy and pediatric pathology. The remaining three training years are each scheduled with a 50:50 ratio of AP:CP with more scheduling flexibility in the senior years.
The pathology material is a blend of high volume, high complexity, inpatient and outpatient cases from the Hartford Hospital and from the network. Additionally, sophisticated subspecialty services, headed by MD or PhD directors (e.g. cytogenetic, molecular, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, hematology, transfusion medicine) are part of the rigorous training program. Numerous opportunities for learning, both in AP and CP, exist throughout the department, and there is scheduled time for residents to take advantage of them. Three didactic lecture series include: Anatomic Pathology (weekly), Clinical Pathology & Laboratory Management (weekly) and Autopsy & Neuropathology (twice monthly). Residents also participate in scheduled AP and CP case-based conferences, present at numerous interdisciplinary conferences, and are encouraged to take advantage of many clinical-based research projects occurring within the Department. Our program’s philosophy focuses on patient care, and therefore residents obtain the required patient care skills to practice independently. Although the institution is affiliated with the University of Connecticut, the AP/CP program itself is independent; therefore, the education focus of our faculty is centered solely on resident education and success. Our graduates are equally prepared for either academic or community hospital-based careers. Many graduates have obtained fellowship training at prestigious cancer institutions, while others have chosen to remain in one of the three Hartford Hospital sponsored fellowship programs.
A total of twelve resident positions are offered in pathology. These are distributed over a four-year period with three first year positions available each year. Fellowships are available for one year in surgical pathology, hematopathology and cytopathology. (See Specialized Area Section).
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine processed 27,710 surgical specimens in 2018 including 2,574 intraoperative consultations. In addition, there were over 2,449 Hematopathology cases and 2,205 referred consultations from surrounding hospitals. The cytology division handled approximately 2,027 gyn specimens and 4,640 non-gyn specimens in 2018. There were 94 medical autopsies preformed at Hartford Hospital in 2018 with an additional 10-15 autopsies performed at the University of Connecticut and 1,740 medicolegal autopsies/examinations at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington, CT. The clinical laboratories are well equipped and automated with active research and development sections. Over 3 million tests were performed in the Hartford Hospital laboratories during 2018 with active Hematology, Transfusion and Molecular Pathology services. Individual personal computers are provided for resident use. Career counseling and seminars in practice management, stress and risk are provided. Parking is free for residents. In addition to the excellent departmental library, the Hospital’s Robinson Health Science library contains 10,000 textbooks, more than 3,000 unique full-text electronic titles, 1,500 print journals, and professional evidence-based databases.
Hartford is the state capital of Connecticut, and as such offers extensive cultural opportunities. Hartford is located in the north central portion of Connecticut and is midway between Boston and New York. Hartford’s population is 125,000.
