Accredited residency training is offered in a combined anatomic/clinical program. The program provides four years of competency-based training to prepare residents for community or academic pathology practice. The program is designed to give residents a broad range of experiences. Included in the training is exposure to autopsy, surgical pathology, neuropathology, pediatric pathology, oral pathology, cytopathology (with fine needle aspiration), hematology, toxicology, clinical chemistry, clinical microbiology, clinical virology, immunopathology, immunohematology, immunocytochemistry, coagulation, forensic pathology, transplant pathology, and dermatopathology. Residents have the opportunity to work with subspecialists in pathology covering such areas as breast pathology, pediatric/perinatal pathology, neuropathology, gynecologic pathology, urogenital pathology, and head and neck pathology. Residents participate in consultative pathology for muscle, nerve, bone marrow, and FNA biopsy cases and are exposed to such techniques as flow cytometry, electron microscopy, and nucleic acid-based testing. Research opportunities are available with major departmental emphasis on the application of molecular, immunologic, biochemical, and morphologic approaches to the study of disease processes. Advanced training (fellowship) is offered in molecular genetic pathology, gynecologic pathology, surgical pathology, and research.
A total of 16 PGY1-4 positions are available in the program. PGY1 positions are filled through the National Residents Matching Program (NRMP) each year.
The primary site for resident training is the comprehensive, 200-acre OUHSC campus where the seven health related colleges of the University of Oklahoma, including the College of Medicine, are located. At OUHSC, the largest group of physicians in Oklahoma come together on one campus to provide patients with cutting-edge medical care. Two adult care hospital facilities, Oklahoma Children’s and Women’s Hospital, a departmental molecular pathology laboratory, the Oklahoma Blood Institute, and the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office are all in close proximity and easily accessible for resident rotations. The campus has undergone extensive expansion with many new facilities and programs that have been added, e.g. a comprehensive cancer institute, an adult outpatient clinic building, a pediatric outpatient clinic building, and an ambulatory surgical center.
OU Medical Systems is composed of two hospitals – OU Medical Center for adult services and Oklahoma Children’s and Women’s Hospital for pediatric and obstetrical care. The pathology and laboratory annual workload is as follows: surgical pathology accessions approximately 20,000; cytology accessions approximately 30,000; and clinical laboratory tests approximately 2.4 million.
The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System is located adjacent to the campus and is physically connected to the Oklahoma Medical Center. The pathology and laboratory annual workload for this hospital is as follows: surgical pathology accessions approximately 6,000; cytology accessions approximately 11,000; and clinical laboratory tests approximately 3.5 million.
Oklahoma Blood Institute is a large non-profit regional blood center. The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office is the site where the majority of forensic autopsies in the state are performed. Both facilities provide residents with excellent training venues. Residents also have additional opportunities to train at off-campus locations.
Rotating at the affiliated sites is an integral part of the training and provides exposure to additional practice settings. Integris-Baptist Medical Center is a large community hospital in Oklahoma City. Their annual surgical pathology workload is approximately 12,000 accessions; the annual cytology workload is 180,000 accessions. By rotating at this hospital, residents obtain additional training in surgical pathology/cytopathology and hematopathology. Dermatopathology training is provided at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The OUHSC campus is located in the thriving downtown area of Oklahoma City and is central to the surrounding suburbs. Oklahoma City is a growing, diverse community of approximately 600,000 with a metropolitan population in excess of one million. Its downtown area has been restored and transitioned into an exciting entertainment district with many restaurants, theaters, and sporting events. Oklahoma City is located in the center of the state and 20 miles north of the main campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman. The relatively mild four-season climate, the affordable cost of living, and the many attractive parks, lakes, and recreational opportunities make the area an ideal place to live.
