Teaching Conferences

Considerable emphasis is placed on the development of skills in oral communication and teaching, since an essential component of Neuropathology is the ability to communicate effectively with clinicians and to educate students. This competence is developed in three ways. First, the trainees have the opportunity to acquire skills in the demonstration of neuropathologic data by preparing and presenting intra- and inter-departmental conferences (listed below) under the close guidance of the Neuropathology faculty. Second, the neuropathology trainees are assigned tutorial sessions with the second year medical students in the neuropathology section of the Pathology Course. The trainees also serve in a supervisory capacity in the description, processing and signing-out of neuropathological post-mortem cases with the more junior residents in anatomic pathology. Third, the trainees are also provided opportunities to present their work at national meetings and to submit manuscripts of their work.

 

  1. Surgical Neuropathology Slide Conference - This conference is especially aimed at a more introductory level for anatomic residents and clinical rotators. Didactic microscopic demonstrations of common types of neuropathologic features and processes are provided by the faculty, in combination with unknown specimens. The neuropathology trainees get strong reinforcement of the same information that is also discussed during the signout of individual cases.

     

  2. Autopsy Neuropathology Dissection Conference - The gross examination and dissection of the brain and spinal cord are performed on pending autopsy cases. There is an emphasis on the review of normal and pathologic macroscopic features of the central nervous system. This working conference is attended by pathology, neurology, and neuropsychology residents and faculty.

     

  3. Neuromuscular Conference - In this microscope-based conference, attended by both neuropathology and neurology residents/ faculty, the Neuropathology trainee presents pathologic findings of current cases of nerve and muscle biopsies in combination with clinical and EMG correlations. Management strategies are discussed for final diagnoses.

     

  4. Clinicopathologic Pituitary Conference - This multi-disciplinary conference is jointly held between the Divisions of Endocrinology, Neuropathology, Neuroradiology and the Department of Neurologic Surgery. The format is a clinicopathologic style with a thorough presentation and discussion of the clinical, neuropathologic and neuro-imaging data. Formulation of the final diagnoses and the post-operative therapeutic managements of the patients are then discussed.

     

  5. Neuropathology Case Club -The neuropathology trainees choose both interesting and challenging cases for microscopic demonstration and discussion with the Neuropathology faculty. In this informal, microscope-based conference, the trainee's development of techniques for slide demonstration and the interpretation of special histopathologic techniques is emphasized.