Medical Student Coordinator
6100 Optometry Clinic & Health Sciences
Faculty Office Building
1664 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
M3 SELECTIVES
Within the Surgery/ObGyn block, the pathology department offers 1 week electives to the M3 students (called “selectives”). Our department began offering 1 week M3 pathology selectives in September-December 2015 block with 9 students enrolled and 5 selectives offered. We now offer 10 M3 pathology selectives including Autopsy/Intraoperative Pathology, Cytopathology, Dermatopathology, ENT Pathology, Neuropathology, Pathology Informatics, Pediatric Pathology, Renal Pathology, Transfusion Medicine and Urologic Pathology. Enrollment has increased through the 10 years that our department has offered these M3 pathology selectives (see figure). In recent years, approximately 20% of the M3 students take a pathology 1 week selective. For example, 16 students enrolled in M3 pathology selectives during the September-December 2025 block.
Autopsy/Intraoperative Frozen Section at DHLRI/James Cancer Center
• Assist in performing adult autopsies and intraoperative frozen sections.
• Work with autopsy attendings, frozen section service attendings, pathology assistants, pathology residents and other rotating medical students.
• Attend relevant didactic seminars such as autopsy conference.
• Ideal for students interested in general surgery, surgical subspecialties, internal medicine, radiology, emergency medicine or pathology.
• Constraints: Maximum of 2 students per month and maximum 6 students per block.
Cytopathology at Rhodes Hall
• Participate in the diagnosis of cytology specimens including pap smears, urine and fine needle aspirations.
• Work with cytology attendings, cytopathology fellow and pathology residents.
• Ideal for students interested in ob/gyn, interventional radiology, family medicine or pathology.
• Constraints: Maximum of 1 student per month and maximum 4 students per block.
Dermatopathology at Blankenship Hall (Martha Morehouse Campus)
• Participate in the diagnosis of dermatopathology diseases.
• Work with dermatopathology attendings (Dr. Chung and Dr. Plaza) as well as residents and fellows.
• Ideal for students interested in dermatology, family practice or pathology.
• Constraints: Maximum of 1 student per month and maximum 3 students per block.
ENT Pathology at Doan Hall
• Participate in the diagnosis of ENT specimens including thyroid, salivary gland, upper aerodigestive tract and facial tumors (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma).
• Work with ENT pathology attendings and pathology residents.
• Ideal for students interested in ENT, endocrinology, family medicine, dermatology or pathology.
• Constraints: Maximum of 1 student per month and maximum 2 students per block.
Neuropathology at Graves Hall/James Cancer Center
• Participate in the diagnosis of neurologic lesions including intraoperative frozen sections.
• Work with neuropathology attendings (Dr. Kobalka and Dr. Ahmadian) and pathology residents.
• Attend relevant didactic conferences and tumor boards.
• Ideal for students interested in neurosurgery, neurology or pathology.
• Constraints: Maximum of 1 student per month and maximum 2 students per block.
Pathology Informatics at James Cancer Center/Doan Hall/Ackerman
• Participate and gain exposure to digital imaging, telepathology, automation, computer basics, database management, networks, security, laboratory information system and bioinformatics.
• Work with informatics attendings (Dr. Parwani) and technical staff.
• Ideal for students interested in medical technology, pathology or administration.
• Constraints: Maximum of 1 student per block.
Renal Pathology at Starling Loving/Doan Hall/Graves Hall
• Participate in the diagnosis of medical renal diseases.
• Work with renal pathology attendings.
• Attend relevant didactic conferences and medical kidney conferences.
• Ideal for students interested in internal medicine, surgery (especially transplant surgery), family medicine or pathology.
• Constraints: Maximum of 1 student per month and maximum 2 students per block.
Transfusion Medicine at James Cancer Center and Rhodes Hall
• Participate in blood management requests and apheresis.
• Work with transfusion medicine attendings, transfusion fellow and pathology resident on service.
• Ideal for students interested in anesthesiology, general surgery, surgical subspecialties, emergency medicine, rheumatology, internal medicine or pathology.
• Constraints: Maximum of 1 student per month and maximum 4 students per block.
Urologic Pathology at Doan Hall
• Participate in the diagnosis of urologic diseases with an opportunity to engage in small urologic pathology projects.
• Work with urologic pathology attendings.
• Ideal for students interested in urology or pathology.
• Constraints: Maximum of 1 student per block.
Please contact Dr. Zynger with any questions related to the M3 Pathology Selectives.