Week 2

This week I was able to meet my mentor, Dr. D’Alfonso, and begin acquainting myself with his work.  I was given a tour of the surgical pathology floor and introduced to many of the other doctors there, as well as to the resident I would be following more closely.  I was struck again by how personable everyone was, how willing to help me with any questions I had and to make sure I had the experience I was hoping for.

My time was mostly split between the gross room and sign-out rooms.  In the former I would watch the residents gross samples—primarily breast, but also a colon and even a leg amputated as a result of gangrene—or prepare frozen sections.  In one instance the pathologist discussing the sample of interest stopped to ask me if I was able to follow the discussion, and when I said there were parts I did not understand he proceeded to explain in great detail what was occurring and why.  I hadn’t wanted to interrupt him while he was speaking, and I appreciate that he went out of his way to make sure I was able to understand what was being discussed before I became too lost.  During sign-out I was able to sit in on discussions between residents and pathologists as they examined slides in order to decide upon a diagnosis—again, primarily breast but also GI and GYN, as I was welcomed in any and all sign-outs I asked permission to join.  On certain days I was also able to sit in on conferences where pathologists of different areas of expertise presented particularly interesting cases they had examined.  I enjoyed these sessions because they allowed me to see how different doctors approached resolving the same issue, as well as the problem solving techniques from each that contributed to reaching a consensus.

In the following weeks I hope to familiarize myself further with the work being done in surgical pathology and to begin examining the research options available to me with Dr. D’Alfonso.