Autopsy and Forensic Pathology

• Residents demonstrate competence in the performance of procedures considered essential for autopsy practice, and competently prosect autopsies with increasing degrees of independence including :
• Demonstrating effective use of a wide variety of evisceration and dissection techniques, including those specific for forensic cases.
• Adequate and accurate selection of blocks for microscopic review.
• Preparation of an accurate provisional and final anatomic diagnosis with clinicopathologic correlation, including immediate and contributory causes of death, and other significant diseases, and death certificate.
• Concise and accurate clinical summary, and gross description.
• Timely preparation of the autopsy report for faculty review.

First Year – PGY 1

1. Observe technicians during evisceration of the body
2. Receive instruction on dissection of the organs for the 1st case.  Subsequent autopsies the resident is expect to dissect organs alone with faculty in the room
3. Adequate and accurate selection of blocks for microscopic review
4. Prepare with faculty member a preliminary anatomic diagnosis (1st case.  Subsequent cases resident prepares then passes to faculty member for review)
5. Concise and accurate clinical summary and gross description using autopsy template (provided)
6. Preparation of an accurate provisional and final anatomic diagnosis with clinicopathologic correlation, including immediate and contributory causes of death, and other significant diseases and death certificate (1st case with faculty member. Subsequent cases residents performs these duties alone then passes to faculty member for review)
7. Timely preparation of autopsy report for faculty review

Second Year – PGY 2

1. Observe technicians during evisceration of the body and begin to participate in the evisceration
2. Adequate and accurate selection of blocks for microscopic review.
3. Preparation of an accurate provisional and final anatomic diagnosis with clinicopathologic correlation, including immediate and contributory causes of death, and other significant diseases, and death certificate.
4. Concise and accurate clinical summary, and gross description.
5. Timely preparation of the autopsy report for faculty review

Third Year – PGY 3

1. Residents must independently eviscerate a body using snatch and block method.  The faculty member will judge the resident’s competency
2. Adequate and accurate selection of blocks for microscopic review.
3. Preparation of an accurate provisional and final anatomic diagnosis with clinicopathologic correlation, including immediate and contributory causes of death, and other significant diseases, and death certificate.
4. Concise and accurate clinical summary, and gross description.
5. Timely preparation of the autopsy report for faculty review

Fourth Year – PGY 4

1. Residents must independently eviscerate a body using snatch and block method.  The faculty member will judge the resident’s competency (If not completed during third year.  If faculty has already judged the resident competent, this does not have to be repeated).
2. Adequate and accurate selection of blocks for microscopic review.
3. Preparation of an accurate provisional and final anatomic diagnosis with clinicopathologic correlation, including immediate and contributory causes of death, and other significant diseases, and death certificate.
4. Concise and accurate clinical summary, and gross description.
5. Timely preparation of the autopsy report for faculty review