Post-Sophomore Fellowship

Overview

The Department of Pathology at Stanford offers a 12-month fellowship for up to two medical students between their pre-clinical and clinical years or after their first clinical year of medical school. 

The goal of the program is to offer fellows a broad exposure to the practice of pathology in an academic medical center.

A key feature of the program is flexibility to accommodate the individual interests of each student; however, the typical program consists of six months of research and six months of clinical service.

One of the clinical months is elective. This month may be used to explore an area of subspecialty interest.

Possible areas of elective study in anatomic pathology include dermatopathology, neuropathology, renal pathology, lymph node pathology, forensic pathology or cytology. Students interested in gaining exposure to clinical pathology (also known as “laboratory medicine”) may elect to rotate through clinical laboratories, focusing on:

  • “Wet” Hematopathology (peripheral blood smears, bone marrow aspirates and biopsies)
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Cytogenetics
  • Fluorescence in situ hybridization
  • Molecular Medicine
  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Transfusion Medicine
  • Microbiology
  • Virology
     

For Stanford medical students, the six months of research performed during the Pathology fellowship may in part satisfy the requirements of an approved Scholarly Concentration (SC).

Students are strongly encouraged to identify a research mentor and develop a research proposal that may be submitted to the Committee on Medical Student Scholarship (CMSS).

If approved, the student is awarded funds which can supplement the Pathology stipend.

The CMSS meets once a quarter to consider proposals. 

It is recommended that students apply in the quarter prior to the beginning of the post-sophomore year fellowship on July 1. The research mentor need not be in the Pathology Department.

The Department of Pathology will provide a stipend for the enrolled students, commensurate with first year graduate student stipend.

The students will receive $1,000 for their educational expenses upfront.

In addition, the students can request up to $2,000 for conference-related reimbursements (refer to Pathology Handbook: Conference Reimbursement Policy).

Health insurance will also be covered by the department.


Kelly Ernst, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor of Pathology (Cytopathology); Co-Director, Post Sophomore Fellowship Program

John Higgins, MD

Professor of Pathology
Director, Anatomic and Clinical Residency Training Program; Co-Director, Post-Sophomore Fellowship in Pathology

Deadlines

Applications should be received prior to February 15 for fellowships beginning the following July but will be accepted until positions are filled.

Applying

Applicants must have satisfactorily completed the preclinical curriculum and be interviewed by the faculty prior to starting the fellowship. The usual starting date is July 1, yet orientation activities may start up to 1 week earlier.

In order to apply, please submit a cover letter together with a curriculum vitae including three references to:

John Higgins, MD, & Kelly Ernst, MD

Program Directors
Department of Pathology
300 Pasteur Drive, Room L235
Stanford, CA 94305

Emailjohn.higgins@stanford.edu and kellyernst@stanford.edu