Pathology consultation in the gross anatomy laboratory–rationale and process

Abstract

The gross anatomy laboratory is a rich environment for learners to be exposed to a variety of pathology. In the course of dissection, students and anatomy faculty frequently encounter challenges in determining whether a finding is a normal variant or pathologic process that may or may have not led to the demise of their cadaver donors. The presence of a practicing pathologist faculty is an excellent adjunct to the learning environment, as they provide much needed context to help determine if a finding is normal or abnormal. The pathologist faculty guide the students in forming a differential diagnosis for the cause of death (COD), develop the rationale and indication for tissue biopsy and correlate histopathological with dissection and medical imaging findings. The pathologist also assist the learners in prioritizing all of the pathologic abnormalities as they relate to the COD (terminal, intermediate, and primary diagnoses) simulating a death certificate. Finally, the pathologist faculty facilitates the preparation of a clinico‐pathologic conference style format for student presentations. This mode of education provides an excellent opportunity to link the fundamentals of normal anatomy, learned traditionally in the first year of medical school, to the pathophysiology introduced in the second year of a four‐year curriculum. The process of pathology consultation in the gross anatomy laboratory will be discussed with respect to common scenarios, resources required, and successful communication strategies between the students and the pathology consultantSupport or Funding InformationNone.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.