Cytopathology Fellowship

About Our Fellowship

The Cytopathology Fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is an intensive and comprehensive one-year program devoted to advanced training in diagnostic cytopathology. Two fellowship positions are offered each year.

Our fellowship program is rooted in patient care. The variety and volume of cytology specimens at BIDMC form the foundation of the fellows’ education. The Cytology Laboratory evaluates approximately 32,000 specimens each year, including 9,000 non-gynecologic specimens and 23,000 pap tests.

Graduated responsibility is central to our curriculum. Fellows participate in multidisciplinary conferences, perform fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies, and provide on-site adequacy evaluations for minimally invasive biopsy samples obtained by interventional radiologists, pulmonologists, endocrinologists and gastroenterologists. As fellows gain diagnostic experience, they will assume increasing responsibility for leading case review with residents, managing workup of cases and preparing cytology reports prior to final review of cases by the supervising pathologist.

Fellows enjoy a rich academic environment at BIDMC that is committed to teaching the next generation of physicians and to moving the field of cytopathology forward. Dedicated ‘off service’ weeks are built into the fellowship to provide opportunities for research projects and other academic pursuits in the field of cytopathology. Attendance and participation in national pathology conferences is encouraged. The Department of Pathology’s robust Quality and Patient Safety program provides trainees with guidance for developing laboratory quality improvement initiatives. Fellows will also have the opportunity to interact with the broader cytopathology community of the Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals through a joint cytopathology journal club we host with Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.

We are looking for outstanding cytopathology fellows to join our vibrant community of pathology trainees, laboratory professionals and cytopathologists.

Requirements: At least three years of training in anatomic pathology or four years of combined training in AP/CP. Applicants must be eligible for a Massachusetts medical license.

Stipends: Commensurate with the level of training.

For application materials and information, please contact the Program Coordinator, Joan Allin, by email or calling 617-667-7284.

Application Process and Timeline

We are participating in the American Society of Cytopathology’s (ASC) unified recruitment timeline for cytopathology fellowship programs for the fellowship year starting July 1, 2024.

Applications will start being reviewed July 2022.

Interviews will be offered August – October 2022.

The earliest fellowship offer date is October 3, 2022. Applicants will have 72 hours to accept/decline for offers made on October 3. For offers made after that day, applicants will have 24 hours to accept/decline.