Geisinger dermatopathology

[icpshootyz]

Does anyone know anything about the dermatopathology department and fellowship at Geisinger Medical Center in PA? I'm applying there and I don't really know much about it other than what's on their website, figured I'd see if anyone knew more than that. Thanks!

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[lipomas]

All I know is that that place is way the hell out in the middle of nowhere. People who think the Mayo clinic in Rochester is far away from stuff have never been to Danville PA. The hospital is like a time warp because everything looks like it's the 1970s. But despite that it is a great institution. Kind of surprising since that is Jack Murtha country and you would think some slush fund money would have been steered that way.

I think the dermpath program is all dermatologists, unless they have changed in the last few years.

 

[yaah]

It is definitely a dermatologist-oriented program. I believe they look at both derms and path background though, and the dermpaths are a mixture of both backgrounds. They have a very large dermpath volume which presumably comes from lots of outreach because as said above, there is very little in the town where the hospital is. You drive about an hour from any major city and THEN take an exit in the middle of nowhere and then keep going for awhile. Beautiful area though, I have been through there before.

 

[LaBelleVN]

I interviewed there last year. They are very quick with the interviewing process since they want to accept their fellows (2) by the time the ASDP conference rolls around (early October). There has to be at least one dermatology-trained fellow since the pathology experience of the fellowship requires this. The other fellow can either be pathology or dermatology-trained, but I did get a slight sense that dermatologists were preferred.

Danville, like the others have said, is a small & quiet town, approximately 3 hours from Philadelphia. There's not too much to do there so if you're looking for a happening place, you'll be disappointed. However, it's only a year so you can suck it up.

The 4 attendings (3 dermatology-trained and 1 pathology-trained) are all very nice. The volume is high with a good mixture of cases. On interview day, you will sit at the scope with all 4 attendings for about ~half an hour/each. Expect that Dr. Elston will ask you for your diagnoses of the cases he's signing out.

The dermatology clinic experience is chill and you basically shadow the resident & attending so that you can to see all the pertinent lesions that may be asked on your boards.

Over all, it's a solid program. Good luck!