Patient Care (Diagnostic Neuropathology)
1. Become familiar with the handling and processing of brain biopsies, including frozen sections, intraoperative smear techniques, special fixatives, and EM
1. Understanding the role of the intraoperative consultation, and the importance of integrating
2. clinicoradiologic data.
3. Utilizing texts and glass slide study sets, in addition to current cases, learn about the different categories of CNS surgical pathology specimens, including infection and neoplasia; be able to diagnose the more common entities.
4. Participate in brain cutting conference and study common pathologic processes seen post-mortem, e.g. cerebrovascular disease, infection, neurodegenerative disease. Learn from complementary lecture series.
Medical Knowledge
1. Become familiar with the biologic behavior of common CNS lesions; understand neuropathology grading (WHO) system.
2. Read text, literature or internet pertaining to cases, with the goal of improving fund of knowledge (diagnostic developments, prognostic features, and ancillary techniques).
3. Prepare Powerpoint CPC-style presentations
4. Synthesize information in preparation for inter (or intra) departmental conferences.
5. Participate in brain cutting conferences.
6. Complete unkown neuropathology glass slide conference.
Practice Based Learning & Improvement
1. Learn about diagnostic issues in neuropathology that impact neurosurgical patient management (evidence-based, e.g.the increasing role for molecular studies).
2. Learn common neuropathology diagnostic pitfalls and how to avoid them.
3. Prepare and present cases for neuropathology sign-out.
4. Complete unknown neuropathology glass slide conference.
5. Communicate effectively with Pathologists/laboratory staff in discussing cases.
6. Interact with laboratory personnel to discuss specimens, cases and management issues.
7. Present cases at interdisciplinary conferences (optional).