Student fellowship’s pluses seen in the field and out

This year, seven of 150 graduating medical students at OHSU applied into pathology, “which is up from our average of two per year,” says Dr. Andeen, who explains the larger number as multifactorial and attributable in part to the involvement of enthusiastic pathology faculty in first- and second-year medical education. “But, like other institutions,” she says, “we’ve seen a decrease in formal pathology lecture time.” The pathology department is adapting by reaching students through the pathology interest group, which organizes hands-on enrichment activities such as a blood-smear lab, and by serving as faculty mentors, including for OHSU School of Medicine research projects.

In addition, some pathology student fellows serve as tutors to MS1 or MS2 students, who learn about pathology as a career from their peer mentors, Dr. Andeen says.

Two of the seven students applying into pathology this year had been student fellows in the program. Two other graduating pathology student fellows are entering family medicine this year. “Their pathology knowledge base will enhance the way they serve their patients and community,” she says.

Once an OHSU medical student herself, Dr. Andeen initially intended to become a general surgeon.

“During the first two years of medical school, I had some really strong pathology faculty instructors. The chance to work with and learn directly from them for a year seemed like a great opportunity to deepen my medical knowledge. Plus there was a stipend instead of tuition, so it felt like a deal,” she says.

After completing the program, Dr. Andeen still planned to become a surgeon. “It wasn’t until returning to clinical rotations in fourth year that I fully appreciated the world I had been immersed in and how much I enjoyed thinking about mechanisms of disease. The aha moment was when I found myself reading pathology literature for enjoyment despite starting applications for another specialty. Sometimes it’s easier to figure out what you can’t give up than what you like best.”

The fellowship, she says, had a major impact on her life. “I was stimulated by the types of scientific questions that were discussed, from individual cases to large conferences. I could see it being a fascinating career of lifelong learning for me.”

The first OHSU pathology student fellow graduated in the mid-1920s and later became chair of the department. Five pathology faculty at OHSU now were previous student fellows, from OHSU and other programs. And when Dr. Andeen was a resident at the University of Washington, one of her mentors there had been a pathology student fellow at OHSU in the 1980s.

Today, Dr. Andeen credits the pathology department and OHSU School of Medicine for the support they provide to students who choose to do the fellowship. “There are logistics they have to go through to support any student who takes a non-conventional track. They help set up informational sessions for the students, align rotation timing, provide financial counseling, and help them navigate their way in the program.”

Valerie Neff Newitt is a writer in Audubon, Pa.