Cytopathology

Jianyu Rao, MD, Program Director(Link opens in new window)

The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Pathology offers a one-year fellowship program in cytopathology. The core responsibilities include performing superficial fine needle aspirations and on-site assessment of guided deep aspirates on both pediatric and adult patients, gaining advanced experience in diagnosis, teaching, and research in clinical cytopathology. Diagnostic material consists of a wide variety of gynecologic and non-gynecologic specimens.

Fellows are given increasing responsibility in cytopathology sign-out as they acquire experience and participate in teaching pathology residents, medical students, and cytotechnology students. They also gain experience with palpation-guided and ultrasound (US)-guided fine needle aspirations (FNA) in the department's FNA clinic. Research opportunities in immunocytochemistry, morphometry, and applied molecular pathology are available. Goals of the program are to provide advanced training in cytopathology and FNA using state-of-the-art supportive diagnostic techniques, to prepare for a career in academic or community cytopathology, and to prepare for the American Board of Pathology Added Qualification in Cytopathology exam. A variety of local and national educational conferences are available. There is an academic fund for each fellow to attend local or national meetings to present research endeavors.

We are participating in the American Society of Cytopathology (ASC) unified recruitment timeline for cytopathology fellowship programs for the 2025-26 fellowship year starting on July 1, 2025. Applications will start being reviewed July 1, 2023. Interviews will begin the week of August 14, 2023. Formal offers to applicants will begin October 2, 2023. Applicants offered a position will have 24 hours to accept or decline the offer.

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