The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine offers a one-year fellowship in Cytopathology. The ACGME-accredited program is based primarily at the Moffitt Cancer Center with a one-month rotation at the James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital. All laboratories are accredited by the College of American Pathologists and the Joint Commission for American Hospital Organization.

The Cytopathology Department at Moffitt acquires over 10,000 specimens annually: approximately 4,300 exfoliative specimens, 3,000 fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens, 1,400 gynecologic/Pap tests, 450 intraoperative cytology consultations and 1,000 outside review/consultation cases.

The Cytopathology Fellowship Program emphasizes basic and advanced principles of exfoliative, aspiration cytology and intraoperative cytology as well as the application of ancillary techniques such as immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, chromogenic in-situ hybridization (CISH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and molecular Pathology to cytological specimens.

The goal of the program is to help the fellow develop:

Advanced diagnostic skills in the workup and interpretation of cytological specimens.

Proficiency in the performance and interpretation of fine-needle aspirations from palpable tumors.

Educational and administrative skills in the area of cytopathology.

Curiosity and basic research skills in clinical, translational, or basic cellular sciences, or any combination of these three.

Research

The fellows are expected to complete one research project before the end of their fellowship year and to present it at a local or national meeting. Support for the research activity of the fellows is provided by the Moffitt Cancer Center GME office and the research coordinator. Funding for the fellows’ research is also available through the USF GME office.

The fellow has one month of protected time for research. The time for research is not given in a one-month block, but rather at times that are convenient to the fellow and suit the needs of the research project being done.

The fellow is not excused from attending required lectures, but fellows will be fully relieved of patient care issues. Depending on the level of interest in research, the fellow could be allowed more time, that is, an extra week or two during the year.