Didactics

Resident Educational Conferences

Educational conferences are scheduled throughout the week on mornings (8 - 9 AM), or at lunch time (12-1 PM). These conferences consist of a series of a variety of talks, including lectures, interactive slide sessions, and opportunities for trainee presentations. Resident didactic time is protected, and therefore residents are excused from routine clinical duties during conferences. Residents also have access to a vast collection of previously recorded lectures to utilize as an additional educational resource.

Example Conferences Include:

Weekly Anatomic Pathology Didactics: Sessions include lectures from our own UCLA faculty, guest speakers, and interactive surgical pathology “unknown” slide sessions

Weekly Clinical Pathology Didactics: Sessions cycle between Blood Bank/Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Chemistry/ Toxicology, Coagulation/Hematology, and Hematopathology, giving residents year-long exposure to these complex topics.

Bi-Weekly Autopsy Conference: Case presentation prepared by the resident on autopsy service, with a focus on gross pathologic findings and clinical-gross pathologic correlation. We are joined by our radiology colleagues who present pertinent imaging findings.

Bi-Weekly Frozen Section Conference: Unknown frozen conference, run by the attending, who presents real life intraoperative consultation cases they have recently encountered. There is an emphasis on understanding not only diagnostic frozen pitfalls, but how the gross appearance aids in your frozen diagnosis, education on how and where to sample various tissues for frozen section, the limitations of frozen sections, as well as understanding the surgical implications of the frozen section diagnosis and how to communicate the results with our surgical colleagues.  

Weekly Housestaff Rounds: This “interesting case conference” was created directly by the residents and is an opportunity for residents to show each other interesting cases, in an informal setting. We teach each other everything from normal histology, bread-and-butter diagnoses, and the zebras! Emphasis is placed on the diagnostic though process, work up, and differentials, as well as practicing presenting and describing slides in a low-stress audience of your peers.

Monthly Rush DermPath Clinicopathology Correlation: This conference, led by our dermatopathology fellows, is focused on dermatopathology cases submitted as rush specimens from our clinical dermatology colleagues. Our clinical colleagues attend the conference and provide clinical information, including clinical photographs, for clinicopathologic correlation.

Other Conferences Include: Pathology Grand Rounds, Journal Clubs, Professional Development Sessions, Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance, and many more.