Harbor UCLA Medical Center Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
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County of Los Angeles


Core Curriculum & Faculty

The Faculty of the Department of Pathology consists of 10 full-time physicians holding academic appointments with the UCLA School of Medicine, an active group of associated pathologists with clinical teaching appointments with the UCLA School of Medicine, and Ph.D. microbiologist, molecular biologist and clinical chemist.

The Department has 10 clerical staff and 130 laboratory technicians and technical staff.  The computer Hospital Information System is integrated into the primary reporting process of both Clinical and Anatomic Pathology specimens; a wide variety of computer-based Pathology educational materials are provided on site for resident use and access to Internet educational resources is provided.

Anatomic Pathology Division
The Division of Surgical Pathology accessions 11,000 tissue specimens yearly, from a full spectrum of patient demographics and clinical diagnoses.  About 250 specimens are evaluated every year in our Diagnostic Electron Microscopy Laboratory.   The Cytology Laboratory handles in excess of 9000 specimens per year of which there are 1,000 fine needle aspiration cytology specimens.  The majority of the latter are performed by Pathology residents.  Bone marrow aspirations range from 350-400 a year, many of these utilize flow cytometry evaluation.  Six full time faculty handle all case work and supervise teaching in their specialty areas of GI, dermatology and soft tissue, GYN, neuropathology, pulmonary, breast and GU/endocrine.  In hospital autopsy experience and forensic pathology training are augmented by a required rotation at the Los Angeles County Coroner’s facility.

Clinical Pathology Division

There are three dedicated Ph.D and three M.D. faculty members.  In the Clinical Pathology Division, the number of analytical procedures is well in excess of 4,000,000 per year. The clinical laboratory features automated chemistry and hematology analysis with direct computer reporting via the hospital information computer system which also provides other clinical laboratory and surgical pathology reports to the hospital wards and clinics.  Residents also receive training in laboratory management and quality assurance while participating in the three month Chemistry rotation.  Hematology training totals 6 months of rotation on this service.  The hematology lab includes a flow cytometry station.   The Harbor-UCLA Transfusion Medicine section operates a full-service blood bank including donor center and plasmapheresis on site. The Microbiology section handles 100,000 specimens each year, providing culture, microscopic and sensitivity results on all types of specimens.  Residents analyze unknown specimens as well as attend lectures and infectious disease rounds during a three month rotation.

 

Anatomic & Clinical Pathology (48 months)

                                         

Surgical Pathology

12 months

Autopsy

4  months, minimum 25 cases

Coroner’s Autopsy Rotation

1  month (in PGY4)

Cytopathology

4  months 

USC or Kaiser Cytopathology             

1  month  (PGY3 or PGY4)

Neuropathology

1  month

Electron microscopy             

1  month

Hematology                 

6  months, in 3 month segments

Microbiology  

3  month segment

Chemistry

3  month segment

Blood Bank

4  months

HLA/Genetics

1  month

Molecular Biology

1  month

Total 41 months core + electives + 4 months of vacation = 48 months

 

Anatomic Pathology only (36 months)

Surgical Pathology   

14  months

Autopsy

6  months, minimum 25 cases

Coroner’s Autopsy    

1  month

Cytopathology

4  months

Hematology   

3  months

Neuropathology

1  month

Molecular Biology     

1  month

Electron Microscopy

1  month

Total 31 months core + electives + 3 months vacation = 36 months

 

Faculty


Luciano Barajas, MD

Renal, Endocrine and Pediatric Pathology

Marcia E. Cornford, MD, PhD

Head, Neuropathology; Head, Autopsy Service

Gloria Duane, MD

Cytopathology

Samuel W. French, MD

Chief, Anatomic Pathology; Head GI Pathology and EM

Paul C. Fu, PhD

Head, Clinical Biochemistry

Thomas Hirose, MD

Transfusion Medicine

Holli Mason, MD

Director of Transfusion Medicine and Serology

Robert J. Morin, MD

Chairman; Head, Chemical Hematology

Laron McPhaul, MD

Co-Director, Molecular Pathology; Head, GYN Pathology

Shi-Kaung Peng, MD, PhD

Head, Cardiovascular Pathology, Dermatopathology and Surgical Pathology

Beerelli Seshi, MD

Head, Hematopathology

Nora C.J. Sun, MD

Hematopathology

Rose J. Venegas, MD

Head, Cytopathology

Robert N. Yoshimori, PhD

Head, Microbiology

 

Consultants

Arthur H. Cohen, MD

Renal pathology

Moon Lee, PhD

Virology 

Cynthia C. Nast, MD

Renal pathology

Joanne K. Rutgers, MD

Gynecology pathology

Paul K. Shitabata, MD

Dermatopathology