Histopathology

RIE
WGH
 
 

Educational information

Histopathology mandatory induction

Local teaching programme

The Clinical Supervisors on both sites organise and deliver regular teaching several days per week. This is delivered via the multiheader microscope or via Microsoft teams.

Regional teaching programme

The Regional Teaching rotates between Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons during term time. This is mapped to the curriculum and is delivered via Microsoft teams and comprises a mixture of slide seminars and lectures from consultants and other staff groups.

National courses and assessments for ST1

  • Introductory block teaching, Glasgow – August

  • Introduction to cervical cytology, Edinburgh – September

  • Scottish Histopathologist in Training symposium, annually, rotates between four Scottish programmes

  • Neuropathology training course for stage A & B trainees, Edinburgh – two weeks in late November/early December, alternate years

  • Non-gynaecological cytology course, Aberdeen – 2 days in January

  • ARCP arranged for June/July

 
 
 

Online educational resources

There are a huge number of on-line educational resources which you might find helpful as you progress through your training in pathology. Here are just a few:

Trainee representative at meetings

There is a regular Head of Specialty/Trainees meeting 4 times a year, via Microsoft teams. This allows regular feedback and ongoing enhancement of the training environment

The Histopathology Specialty Training Committee meets via Microsoft teams 3 times a year.

The senior trainee representative who attends on your behalf is currently Dr Raluca Grigorescu, and the junior representative is Dr Flora Campbell. Please make either of them aware of any issues you’d like to raise.

There are also several management groups within the Department where trainee representation is required, e.g. Clinical Governance Committee, the Immunohistochemistry Group. Please discuss this with your Educational supervisor if you are interested in these.

Educational opportunities

Teaching

The Pathology department contributes to the undergraduate teaching of Year 1 and 2 medical students and also to some of the modules placed within Years 4, 5 and 6 of the curriculum. We welcome and support any trainee who wishes to improve their teaching skills via the Clinical Educator Programme (www.sefce.co.uk).

Research

The Division of Pathology contributes to research and teaching across the School and the College. Research activities are based at a number of locations, including at the Western General Hospital (Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, IGMM, Division of Pathology Laboratories and the NHS Pathology Department), the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (NHS Pathology Department), the Queen's Medical Research Institute at Little France, the central area and the Centre for Comparative Pathology which is partly based at the Vet School and the Roslin Institute, Easter Bush and partly based at IGMM, Western General Hospital. Please contact Professor Mark Arends for further information.

Professional societies and associations

You may wish to consider joining one or more of these – reduced rates for trainees.

  • Association of Clinical Pathologists - www.pathologists.org.uk

    Trainee membership (£50, or £25 with online journal)

    Benefits include the Journal of Clinical Pathology (monthly), ACP news (quarterly), Programme of Postgraduate Education and access to grants and funding.

  • Pathological Society of Great Britain & Ireland - www.pathsoc.org

    Trainee membership (£10 a year)

    Includes online access to the Journal of Pathology, a subscription to Diagnostic Histopathology, membership of the ESP, plus online access to Virchow's Archive and a copy of Diagnostic Criteria Handbook in Histopathology: A Surgical Pathology Vade Mecum.

  • British Division of the International Academy of Pathology – www.bdiap.org

    Trainee membership £10 (5 years maximum, includes Histopathology)

 

Department information

Annual leave and study leave arrangements

  • The departmental combined form for annual leave and study leave is held in electronic form on the ‘L’ drive at L:\Laboratory Specialties\Pathology\Trainees' Teaching Lectures. A copy is also presented here as Appendix 5. The annual leave and study leave years for trainees run from August to August, with pro-rata arrangements for less than full time trainees or out of synch trainees. Study leave funding runs within the financial year, April to April.

  • Applications for study leave and associated funding should be submitted via the NES Turas website

  • Leave forms should be submitted to the Head of Specialty for sign off at least 6 weeks before the planned leave (where possible). All claims from the study leave budget must be made within 3 months of completing the activity.

Sick leave

If you are unable to come to work, please telephone the pathology office at the site you are working on. Office staff will record your absence and let supervising consultants know that you are ill.

 
 

Contacts

Contacts

The following people will provide you with advice and support when needed, in addition to your named Clinical & Educational Supervisors.

 

Curriculum information

Royal College of Pathologists

  • You must register as a specialist trainee with the college here.

  • The college website also has all the information you need about examinations and the 2015 histopathology curriculum.

  • You will need to maintain an e-portfolio on the RCPath system, as this will be the primary source of information for the ARCP panel at the end of the training year.

  • The RCPath e-portfolio can be found here.

ARCP guidance