The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School with its affiliated institutions offers fully accredited programs in anatomic (AP) and clinical pathology (CP), including AP/CP-4, AP-3, and CP-3. Also offered are fellowships in neuropathology, breast pathology, gastrointestinal and liver pathology, genitourinary pathology, gynecologic pathology, thoracic pathology, head and neck pathology, renal and transplant pathology, pediatric pathology, cytopathology, forensic pathology, hematopathology, molecular genetic pathology, transfusion medicine, clinical chemistry, clinical microbiology, and laboratory genetics and genomics, which speaks to the broad range of available material and the large faculty committed to teaching. The program is well balanced, providing the resident with a solid foundation for a career in either academic pathology or clinical practice. Knowledge and expertise are gained through a structured schedule of didactic and interactive conferences, service work with graduated responsibility, and instruction of medical students. Participation in the strong basic and translational research programs of the department is encouraged but not required. The AP/CP-4 program consists of core rotations through each of the basic AP and CP disciplines, supplemented by advanced rotations and electives, including molecular and translational pathology, flow cytometry, pediatric and perinatal pathology, cytogenetics, informatics, and laboratory management. Residents participate as discussion leaders in the sophomore pathology course at Southwestern Medical School. The AP/CP program includes 6 months of protected time for electives and/or research. Rotations for AP-3 or CP-3 residents are focused accordingly, with a two-year core and a flexible year of electives and/or research. Flexible programs can be constructed to meet the needs of those residents seeking opportunities in basic research, including a research track with residency and a funded Physician Scientist Training Program that extends beyond residency. Residents are able to engage in “away” electives, and they have funded support for presentations at state and national meetings.
The program is accredited for a total of 38 positions and typically offers 8-9 AP/CP positions in the National Residency Match each year. Once the match has concluded, the program allows residents to switch to an AP-only, CP-only or a research track at any time during their training.
Participating institutions include the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, the contiguous facilities of Parkland Health and Hospital System, Children’s Medical Center, and the UT Southwestern University Hospitals, all located on the main campus three miles from downtown, as well as the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center, located in south Dallas. These facilities serve both publicly funded and private patient populations. The main campus of the medical school offers marvelous new hospital facilities as a result of recent major construction projects. The William P. Clements University Hospital, which originally opened in 2014, has recently expanded to 760 beds. The new 862-bed Parkland Hospital opened in late summer 2015. The existing five hospitals together contain over 2400 beds with 75,000 admissions. There are 200 autopsies (excluding forensic cases), 47,000 surgicals and bone marrows, 2,500 fine needle aspirates, 69,000 cytology examinations, and over 7,100,000 clinical laboratory determinations per year. Additionally, the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences, which is associated with the Department and is located nearby, performs 3,400 medicolegal autopsies and 28,000 toxicologic examinations per year.
“Where the West begins” according to Will Rogers, the Dallas metroplex is home not only to the Mesquite Rodeo and the Texas State Fair, but also to professional football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, NASCAR, and horse racing. A downtown Arts District supports theater, art and history museums, a sculpture garden, and a variety of musical organizations including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, while the more eclectic nightlife of the nearby Deep Ellum neighborhood hosts jazz and popular musical fare. Dallas offers world-class shopping and boasts more restaurants per capita than New York City. Affordable housing is both suburban and urban, including privately owned and university-owned apartments and condominiums adjacent to the medical center. The city is ringed by recreational lakes, parks, and trails, and its central geography provides ready access to the Gulf of Mexico, both coasts, and the world.
