General Surgery Oncology
PATHOLOGY Rotation Goals and Objectives
Medical Expert
By the end of the rotation the General Surgery Oncology resident will be able to
demonstrate understanding of:
1. The principles and techniques of gross specimen handling, including the principles
of fixation, block selection, block processing, etc.
2. The principles and techniques of microscopic specimen interpretation, including
strategies to differentiate tissue and tumor types and distinguish between benign
and malignant processes
3. The indications, technique and analysis of frozen section specimens
(a) principles including indications and limitations of frozen section
(b) technique of preparing a specimen for frozen section analysis from gross tissue
handling to cryostat preparation to microscopic diagnosis
(c) techniques and limitations of making diagnosis on frozen section microscopic
slides / sections.
4. The strategies used to differentiate tissue and tumour types
(a) principles of special stains as they pertain to narrowing a differential diagnosis or
determining etiology
(b) principles of immunohistochemical staining and its contribution to determining
cell type or in its provision of prognostic and predictive information
(c) principles of advanced techniques for tissue diagnosis and/or prognosis: PCR,
FISH, flow cytometry.
5. The contribution of the surgeon to optimizing the accuracy of the final pathological
analysis:
(a) reasoning and methods of maintaining specimen orientation
Communicator
By the end of the rotation the General Surgery Oncology resident will be able to:
1.1 Communicate effectively with the health care team, including pathology
assistants, pathologists, residents and surgeons
Collaborator
By the end of the rotation the General Surgery Oncology resident will be able to:
1.1 Work effectively in a team environment with pathology assistants, pathologists
and other members of the health care team.
1.2 Recognize the important role the anatomic pathologist plays in the health care
team
1.3 Establish effective working relationships with other trainees, both junior and
senior
Manager
By the end of the rotation the General Surgery Oncology resident will be able to:
1.1 Demonstrate time management skills to reflect and balance priorities
for patient care, sustainable practice and personal life
Health Advocate
By the end of the rotation the General Surgery Oncology resident will be able to:
1.1 Advocate effectively for the needs of patients based on the findings
of the pathologic specimens and communicates those findings
accurately and in a timely fashion to the requesting physician.
Scholar
By the end of the rotation the General Surgery Oncology resident will be able to:
1.1 Critically evaluate medical information and its sources, and applies this
appropriately to practice domains.
1.2 Pursues self-directed learning and demonstrates the spirit of continuous
improvement and learning
1.3 Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of adult learning and
help others learn by providing guidance, teaching and by giving
constructive feedback
1.4 Research in appropriate depth around his or her cases, using up to date
materials
Professional
The General Surgery Oncology resident will
1.1 Exhibit proper professional behavior (e.g. being reliable and punctual,
responsible for appropriate tasks)