Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship

Overview

The ACGME-accredited Molecular Genetic Fellowship in the Department of Pathology currently has three funded fellowship positions per year.

The Stanford Molecular Genetic Pathology program serves the adult and pediatric populations at Stanford and also sees referrals from Northern California and the rest of the nation.

The program is interdisciplinary and includes participation of faculty in the Departments of Pathology, Medicine, Pediatrics (Division of Medical Genetics) and Genetics. Laboratory rotations include formal training in Molecular Genetic Pathology, Biochemical Genetics, Cytogenetics, and Molecular Microbiology/Virology.

Fellows will be trained in assay development, quality assurance, and results interpretation in the Molecular Pathology Laboratory at Stanford and the Kaiser-Permanente Regional Molecular Diagnosis Laboratory, a large reference laboratory for the Kaiser system which offers a testing menu that is complimentary to that of Stanford.

Fellows are expected to complete a translational research project resulting in a clinical test for patient care during the fellowship.

Stanford University offers an outstanding environment for research opportunities in medicine, technology, and computational data sciences relevant to molecular pathology.

Eligible candidates for the Molecular Genetic Pathology fellowship must be board certified or board-eligible by the American Board of Pathology.

Stanford establishes PGY levels for new fellows based on the successful completion of all prerequisite training required for entry into your fellowship program. Stanford does not recognize additional training beyond the prerequisite training requirements when establishing the PGY level for entry into the program.

James Zehnder, MD

Professor of Pathology and of Medicine (Hematology)
Director of Cinical Pathology
Director, Coagulation and Molecular Pathology Laboratories
Director, Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship

Foreign Students & Visa Sponsorship

Canadian Visa Requirements

Graduates of Canadian medical schools will be placed on ECFMG sponsored J-1 visas. They are not required to take the qualifying examinations such as FMGEMS, NBME, and USMLE in order to obtain their visas.

Note: At this time, the government of Canada is restricting approval of physicians wishing to obtain clinical training outside Canada. SHC is unable to obtain a J-1 visa without the consent of the Canadian government.

Non-Canadian Visa Requirements

All trainees in residency and clinical fellowship programs will be placed on ECFMG sponsored J-1 visas.

Stanford Hospital and Clinics (SHC) does not sponsor such trainees for the H-1B visa. ECFMG requires a valid ECFMG certificate obtained by successful completion of their qualifying examinations (VQE, FMGEMS, NBME, or USMLE) coupled with the appropriate English language examination to be eligible for a visa.

Allow 120 working days for ECFMG to process an initial visa.

For further information, please contact:
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
3624 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685
Tel: [215] 386-5900

California Medical License

California law states that all U.S. and Canadian graduates are required to obtain a California medical license before starting a fellowship at Stanford.

If you have any questions please visit the Stanford Medicine Graduate Medical Education (GME) and/or the California Medical Board website for more information.

Stipends

2022-2023 Stanford Stipends and Bonuses (Effective 9/5/22)

Year	Annual	Per Month
I	$74,027.20	$6,168.81
II	$77,771.20	$6,480.81
III	$83,657.60	$6,971.33
IV	$88,400.00	$7,366.53
V	$93,953.60	$7,829.32
VI	$98,092.80	$8,174.24
VII	$103,604.80	$8,633.57
VIII	$108,326.40	$9,027.03

All pathology clinical fellows will annually receive a taxable housing allowance in the amount of $10,000 from the Department of Pathology. Fellows will receive the first half of the pathology housing allowance in their September paychecks and the second half of the allowance in their February paychecks.

From the Stanford Health Care GME Office, new fellows will receive a one-time $3,000 payment to assist with moving expenses, a one-time $1,000 for cell phone allowance, an annual educational allowance of $2,000, and a 1% annual bonus based on completion of a Quality Improvement project. A housing allowance of $7,200 (paid monthly at $600) per year is also provided. All allowances are subject to appropriate taxes.

Stipends depend upon the postdoctoral level of training and are equal to the general residency stipends at Stanford University Hospital.

Bonuses

*All allowances are subject to appropriate taxes.
+ Housing allowances will not be provided during any period of extended training.

Item	Detail
Annual educational allowance $2,000*	Paid in November providing, all required HealthStream and EPIC/LINKS modules are completed by house staff's assigned deadline
Cell phone allowance $1,000*	Automatically added to paycheck in July
Food allowance $10 per day (shifts of 12 hours or longer for clinical rotations only at SHC & LPCH)*	Payments made on last paycheck of each month Meal money is taxable income
Housing stipend $7,200 per year (paid as $600 monthly)*+	Automatically paid on 1st paycheck of each month
Medical, dental, vision, and long-term disability insurance provided	Eligible to participate on house staff's hire date
Moving allowance (new hires only) $3,000*	Automatically added to a paycheck in August
1% annual bonus based on completion of a Quality Improvement Project*	Automatically paid at the end of each academic year in June
Cost of initial CA MD license and renewals	Paid upon reimbursement submission for academic year expense occurrence
Cost of initial DEA and renewals	Paid upon reimbursement submission for academic year expense occurrence
Cost of USMLE Part Ill for Interns	Paid upon reimbursement submission for academic year expense occurrence

For more information please go to: Stanford Healthcare/Stipends & Bonuses

Applying

Deadlines:

Fellowship positions for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 have been filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Required Materials:

Completed Standardized Application for Pathology Fellowships form (CAP with supplemental available below) with your signature
Updated Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Cover letter and/or personal statement
3 letters of recommendation
Photo

Please submit application and letters electronically (pdfs) to:

James Zehnder, MD
Professor of Pathology and Medicine
E: Zehnder@stanford.edu

and in the email please cc:

Mirela Puljic
Administrative Associate
T: [650] 725-5604
E: mirelap@stanford.edu

CAP Standardized Application (w/supplemental) for Pathology Fellowships

Visit the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for more information on the application process

Contact

Molecular Genetic Pathology Faculty

Wei Gu, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Pathology (Clinical Genomics)

Wei Gu, MD, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Pathology at Stanford University was trained as a physician, engineer, and scientist. He pioneered technologies in cell-free DNA 'liquid biopsy' testing, CRISPR diagnostics, clinical metagenomic sequencing, non-invasive prenatal testing, and COVID diagnostics. He has been awarded multiple extramural grants, including the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award, and a K08 from the National Cancer Institute. He is also a board-certified molecular and clinical pathologist and has a clinical practice within Stanford Healthcare.

Stanford Profile

Christian Kunder, MD, PhD

Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology
(Surgical Pathology and Molecular Genetics Pathology)
Associate Director of Molecular Genetic Pathology Laboratory

My main interest is in understanding the biology of human neoplasms, using traditional histopathology, molecular genetic techniques, and other modalities. In particular, I am interested in soft tissue and genitourinary neoplasms, especially prostate cancer.

Stanford Profile

Carlos Jose Suarez, MD, MSc

Clinical Associate Professor of Pathology
Director, Molecular Genetic Pathology Laboratory
Co-Director, Genetic Testing Optimization Service (GTOS) Laboratory

Dr. Suarez is a board-certified pathologist specializing in anatomic, clinical and molecular genetic pathology. He received his M.D. degree with the highest honors (summa cum laude) from the University of the Valley (Universidad del Valle), Cali, Colombia. After medical school, he was a research fellow at a WHO-collaborating center investigating pattern of nosocomial antibiotic resistance, and later joined the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) as postdoctoral research fellow in cancer and lung immunology laboratories. He completed an anatomic and clinical pathology residency at the University of Washington, Seattle, and a Molecular Genetic Pathology fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Suarez is currently Clinical Assistant Professor of Pathology at Stanford University, and he is also Co-Director of the Genetic and Genomic Testing Optimization Service and Associate Director of the Molecular Pathology Laboratory at the Stanford University Medical Center.

Stanford Profile

James L. Zehnder, MD

Professor of Pathology and of Medicine (Hematology)
Director of Cinical Pathology
Director, Coagulation and Molecular Pathology Laboratories
Director, Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship Program

Dr. James Zehnder is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Hematology. He completed Internal Medicine residency, was Chief Resident in Medicine, completed Hematology and Oncology fellowships and a K08 sponsored research postdoctoral fellowship - all at Stanford. He is the founding director of the Stanford Molecular Pathology Laboratory (in 1995). His current roles are Director of Clinical Pathology, Director of the Molecular Pathology Fellowship, Director of the Coagulation Laboratory, attending pathologist on the molecular pathology service and the attending physician on the clinical hematology service. His main research and clinical interests include molecular pathogenesis of acquired cytopenias, genetic testing for inherited non-malignant hematologic disorders, next-generation sequencing approaches to T and B cell clonality testing, somatic mutations in cancer and assessment of minimal residual disease in cancer patients.

Stanford Profile

Melody Bing Zhang, MD

Clinical Associate Professor (HLA and MGP)
Associate Performance Improvement Leader for Cinical Pathlogy and HLA
Co-Director, Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Laboratory
Associate Section Director, Molecular Pathology Laboratory

Dr. Bing Melody Zhang is board-certified in Clinical Pathology and Molecular Genetic Pathology. She completed Clinical Pathology residency and Molecular Pathology as well as Clinical Genomics fellowships at Stanford. She is an attending pathologist at the molecular pathology service and the assistant director of the HLA lab. Her main research interests include genetic/genomic testing for inherited non-malignant hematologic disorders, NGS-based TCR/Ig clonality/MRD diagnostic testing, molecular testing for BMT/solid organ transplantation, and HLA-related disease association and pharmacogenetic testing.

Stanford Profile

Current Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellows [2023-24]

Fabian Grubert, MD, PhD

Medical School: Charite Medical School of Berlin
Residency: Stanford University

Rebecca Rojansky, MD, PhD

Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles, Geffen School of Medicine
Residency: Stanford University

Timothy Miller, MD, MS

Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Residency: University of Michigan Medical School

TBD (please check back soon)

Graduated Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellows

Class of 2023

Danica Wiredja, MD, PhD
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
Residency: Stanford University School of Medicine

Fei Fei, MD
Medical School: South East University, China
Residency: The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Hematopathology Fellowship: Stanford Unversity School of Medicine

Iny Jhun, MD, ScD
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Residency: Stanford University School of Medicine
Gastrointestinal & Hepatobiliary Pathology Fellowship: Stanford Univeristy School of Medicine

Class of 2022

Maggie Black, MD
Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Residency: NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Surgical Pathology Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine

Jyoti Kumar, MD
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Residency: Stanford University School of Medicine
Hematopathology Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine

Lauren Lawrence, MD
Medical School: University of California Keck School of Medicine
Residency: Stanford University School of Medicine
Hematopathology Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine

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