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Medical Students Longitudinal Clinical Clerkship

Goals and Expectations

The medical student Longitudinal Clinical Clerkship rotation in neuropathology is a 20 half day elective designed for students considering residency training in pathology or fellowship training in neuropathology. Prior to start of rotation student should email CV to Karen Weber (weberkm@upmc.edu) and set up appointment to meet with Rotation Director.

Intake Interview:
Review training history
Long range career objectives
Short range objective on NP rotation
Review website (especially Educational Objectives)

20 Half days: Define attending, fellow or resident

Thursday

7:45 AM Review OR schedule and prepare for morning cases

9:00 AM Experimental Neuropathology Conference (present one paper)

10:00 AM QA conference (present 1 case/wk for final 5 weeks)

10:00 AM – Noon Participate in sign out and intraoperatives

Friday

Noon (alternate weeks) Participate in Neurology residency conference

Participate in Neonatal, Pediatric and adult brain cutting

  • Cut in 10 brains
  • Write Gross descriptions of 5 brains
  • Review autopsy slides

HONORS: Write microscopic descriptions and take pictures (bookmarks) of 5 brains
Participate in surgical service in available time.

Reading

Optional

Exit interview:

  1. Participation on service and QA
  2. Review of Autopsy gross descriptions
  3. Assessment of rotation
    • Readings, web, conferences, didactic materials (Quizzes)

At end of rotation you should be able to:

Review routine neurosurgical cases and identify pertinent clinical information
Create a differential diagnosis for clinical findings
Know histopathological findings of common neuropathology entities:

  • glioma, metastases, meningioma, reactive conditions

Create diagnostic evaluation panel for clinical differential diagnosis
Know purpose of molecular analysis of common neuropathology entities
Know how to use neuropathology texts to discover methodology for evaluation of uncommon neuropathological entities.
Perform gross review of autopsy brain, sample and create gross description