Welcome Message from the Directors

Dear Applicants,

We are delighted to introduce you to the Mass General Brigham Pathology Residency Program, formed from the merger of two long-standing, separate pathology residency programs based at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Our new program, which is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education(ACGME), welcomed its second class in the summer of 2024!

Why have these two longstanding programs merged?

We are proud of the long and illustrious history of both the BWH Pathology Residency Program and the MGH Pathology Residency Program, two outstanding - but historically separate - pathology residency programs, each located in Boston, Massachusetts and affiliated with Harvard Medical School. These pathology residencies, having operated independently of one another for over 50 years, have now joined to embark on a new era in pathology training with the creation of the Mass General Brigham Pathology Residency Program. Each department has an exceptional track record in training generations of diagnosticians, educators, investigators, and leaders in Pathology, while providing the highest quality of care for our patients. Now, we continue to do the same – but together!

This joint endeavor mirrors efforts throughout Mass General Brigham (formerly Partners HealthCare), the integrated healthcare system to which both hospitals belong. Residency training is not the only example of cooperation between the Departments of Pathology at BWH and MGH: we have shared leadership in the form of a single Mass General Brigham Chief of Enterprise Pathology, Dr. David Louis, appointed March 1, 2022. Furthermore, our two departments are actively working on implementation of a common Epic Beaker Laboratory Information System, have been developing integrated clinical laboratory workflows, and have already launched integrated clinical services such as the MGB Renal Pathology service.

Joint educational initiatives are not new to Mass General Brigham. Several of our current pathology fellowships (Dermatopathology, Transfusion Medicine, Molecular Genetic Pathology, Clinical Informatics, Hematopathology, and Cytopathology) have functioned as a single program, or have included shared experiences at both BWH and MGH for many years. In addition, many other Mass General Brigham residency programs have been providing combined training at both BWH and MGH for years, including Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, and Radiation Oncology. We are in the process of unifying the remaining pathology fellowships within the next few years: Neuropathology, Microbiology, and surgical pathology (both general and subspecialties).

What will our training look like?

Both the inaugural class starting in 2023 and the recently started second class are composed of 21 residents. All rotate in multi-week blocks at BWH and at MGH, gaining exposure to a wide variety of clinical cases and practices, innovative technologies, research opportunities, educators, and mentors. We believe this alternation of rotation experiences between BWH and MGH will provide valuable perspective on the similarities and differences across all aspects of pathology practice and education at these two flagship academic medical centers. After a full year of experience and following ongoing feedback from trainees and faculty, we continue making improvements to the curriculum and the core training experience (overall schedule, rotation structure and experiences, etc.). Meanwhile, all residents have already been coming together each day at noon (with the benefit of virtual technology) for joint didactic sessions and shared BWH-MGH departmental conferences such as Grand Rounds since the summer of 2022. These didactic sessions feature world-renowned experts in every field of pathology, who teach our residents with unparallel expertise and passion. We place emphasis on interactive learning, which includes slide and case-based sessions.

What are our common values?

Building on the long traditions of the BWH and MGH Pathology Residency Programs, the MGB Pathology Residency Program cultivates the development of trainees by providing outstanding instruction in the clinical aspects of the discipline, abundant opportunities for clinical, translational, and basic research, and a broad spectrum of experiences for growth as educators. We constantly strive to innovate within our curriculum to ensure that we provide state-of-the-art training. The two departments supporting the residency program provide exceptionally deep and far-ranging clinical and scientific opportunities, as well as the mentorship needed to prepare our graduates for success in a broad range of career paths. As you learn about us, we think you will agree that there are many parallels between our departments, and that the differences in our approach – balanced with our similarities in resources and commitment to education – constitute an exceptional training experience.

Our residency program and our departments are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all who work within our system. On the level of residency training, this begins at recruitment and continues throughout training, where we provide welcoming, supportive, and open work environments as well as opportunities for community involvement and outreach. Our programs work closely with the BWH and MGH Centers for Diversity and Inclusion to aid us in this mission.

How do I learn more?

We hope you will fully explore this website to learn more about our vision for a joint training experience. We also invite you to follow us on Twitter! @mgbpathology @bwhpath @mghpathology

Thank you again for your interest in the Mass General Brigham Pathology Residency Program!

With warm regards,