I'm only a first year here at UPMC, but here are some of my impressions (with a little input from one of our chiefs).
Rotating at multiple hospitals is difficult and sometimes frustrating, but forces you to adapt to different circumstances, learn different techniques, work with many different people and, overall, experience more of what there is to experience in the pathology world. For instance, I've learned how to use four different types of cryostat, worked with almost 20 different PAs and 9 or 10 different attendings over 4 months.
Since we spend at least three weeks (at least our first year) at a time at each hospital, it doesn't feel too disjointed. Also, the hospitals are within 2 miles of eachother and there are free shuttles everywhere. So, you don't feel like you're going all over the place. There are about 60 residents and fellows, so there is always someone else with you that you know. Many of the conferences are broadcasted (the informatics here is insane--so many toys!). The only conference we are expected to attend (be physically present), no matter where we are rotating, is our Tuesday AM unknown conference and lecture.
We rotate at 5 different hospitals, 4 of which have their own Centers of Excellence (or subspecialty areas). The VA is like any other VA (more of a general practice and is not part of the subspecialty system). As for the other 4 hospitals: Magee (our women's hospital) houses the GYN and Breast COE's. Shadyside (a university/community hospital) houses the Dermatopathology, GU and BST COE's. Presbyterian-Montefiore (the flagship university hospital(s)) house the GI, ENT, Neuropath, Thoracic and Transplant COE's. Children's Hospital houses the pediatric COE.
It's a complicated system. UPMC keeps incorporating more community hospitals as well, which means that many of their specimens come to us as well.
The surgical specimen number increases every year, partly because UPMC keeps acquiring new hospitals, partly because the main institution itself keeps growing. At the main hospitals, we see over 80,000 (and climbing) surgical specimens/yr. The community hospitals are also incredibly busy which jumps our specimen number up significantly. The residents do not routinely rotate at these hospitals, however, we are welcome to do electives there. I believe our PD told us that we have the highest volume of in house (including our community hospitals) surgical specimens. I haven't done a search to find out and compare, so I can neither confirm nor deny that statement. 😳
The faculty here, for the most part, is outstanding. Whether they are big names in their fields (Barnes, Swerdlow, Yousem) or not, they are wonderful diagnostic pathologists and teachers all. The fellows are also excellent. Our program is beginning to become more fellow heavy than in the past. They bring with them experiences and methods from their own residency programs. The research opportunities (from what I've heard--a little too busy to get involved in anything just yet) are also outstanding.
Again, I'm only a first year, but I thought I would try to shed some light on the conversation. If you want to know anything specific, lemme know. I may not know the answer, but I can always ask an upper level.
