The Danbury Hospital Pathology Residency program was established on April 27, 1955 and was the first residency program at Danbury Hospital. The program still enjoys continued accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).  It is currently one of only three pathology residencies in the State of Connecticut. Danbury Hospital shares that privilege with Yale University and Hartford Hospital. Our program has a combined four-year anatomic and clinical pathology residency. The goal of the program has been to graduate pathologists and laboratory directors with superior technical competence, clinical acumen, and intellectual depth. The program acts as a focal point by drawing prospective residency applicants and attending physicians seeking a hybrid of academic medicine and community-based practice. The system chairman of the pathology and laboratory medicine service line is Daniel Cruser, MD. Dr. Cruser began his position here on the Danbury campus on October 1, 2020

Dr. Nader Okby serves as our Danbury Hospital laboratory medical director, hospital department chair, and system vice chair for the pathology and laboratory medicine service line. Dr. Okby recently joined Nuvance health in April 2022.

Dr. Cruser and Dr. Okby are committed to the Pathology Residency Program and the training of our future pathologists. Our pathologists remain the cornerstone of medical practice, providing the objective diagnostic and interpretive information necessary for definitive patient care. The pathologists in this department are excellent physicians, nearly half of whom are graduates of Danbury Hospital themselves. Our faculty is fully committed to the education of pathology residents and medical students based upon the premise of lifelong learning.

The current climate for a practicing pathologist is both challenging and constantly evolving. Pathologists play pivotal roles in all aspects of specimen processing, analysis, and reporting. In addition to running the clinical laboratory, blood bank, microbiology, surgical pathology, and autopsy service, pathologists also serve a crucial role as consultants acting as the “doctor’s doctor.” We have succeeded in our goal to prepare our graduating residents to adapt and perform in this ever-changing, demanding world.

Anatomic Pathology Curriculum

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Danbury Hospital provides a well-integrated training program in Anatomical Pathology that includes:

• Orientation in Clinical and Anatomical Pathology (8 weeks combined)
• Autopsy pathology
• Surgical pathology
• Cytology – 3 months (2 months PGY3 – 1 month PGY4)
• Forensic pathology (1 month)
• Anatomical Pathology HOT SEAT (PGY4) – 2 month

Opportunity to rotate at Yale University, Elective Rotation, Western Connecticut Research Lab (mandatory Research rotation), and the Office of the Medical Examiner is included in the curriculum.

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Autopsy Pathology Education

This aspect of the anatomic pathology education is accomplished by providing hands-on experience in all aspects of autopsy pathology, combined with gross pathology lectures and case presentations at the multiheaded scope. The residents mostly perform autopsies during their PGY1 and PGY2 years.

They also have a dedicated one month OCME/Autopsy rotation during their PGY2 year. We send our residents to Norwalk Hospital to perform autopsies so the resident can acquire the 30 required autopsies in their residencies and to give them a rounded Autopsy experience between the two hospitals. We work hand in hand with Norwalk hospital for our residents to attain the adequate autopsy numbers.

The program facilitates the autopsy number requirements by combining the number of hospital-based autopsies, which approximately fifty (50) cases a year and a mandatory forensic pathology rotation at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Connecticut. At the time that our residents graduate from the program, they have met their required numbers for ACGME/ABPath.

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Pediatric Pathology Education

Pediatric Pathology education is covered by faculty lectures and case presentations. Over the period of four years, the lectures cover all aspects of pediatric pathology, including surgical and autopsy pathology provided by Yale faculty during the Peds/Neuro/Renal rotation. Pediatric autopsy cases at our institution are performed by our residents under the guidance of the attending pathologists; microscopic review of fetal autopsy and placentas are performed in a timely manner.  The Pediatric Pathology Rotation is performed at Yale University as a required rotation.  There are also didactic lectures provided by Yale faculty through their four years of training.

We also have a pediatric pathology faculty from Yale University.  The faculty presents interesting and unusual cases from their institution.  The resident also has a mandatory rotation at Yale for Peds/Neuro/Renal for one month in their PGY4 year.

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Neuropathology Education

During the Required Elective rotation at Yale, two of the four week rotation are dedicated to Neuropathology. Residents’ education in the field of neuropathology is comprised of a combination of surgical cases, Autopsy cases, and academic lectures given by our faculty at Danbury Hospital, faculty from the Yale Department of Pathology and The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME).

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Anatomical Pathology Schedule – 24 Months

• Surgical Pathology – 18 months (with two months of Hot Seat in the PGY4 year to prepare for fellowships and future employment)
• Cytology – 3 months
• Anatomical Pathology Orientation – 6 weeks
• OCME – 1 month

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Clinical Pathology Curriculum

Clinical pathology (CP) training at Danbury Hospital requires rotation to all clinical departments. Residents attend formal lectures given by physicians and managers of the departments and interact daily with the clinicians to gain experience in the application of laboratory data to pertinent clinical problems.

In the second year of the rotation, the resident assumes more teaching, administrative, and clinical responsibilities and has the opportunity to conduct an in-depth research project.

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General Clinical Pathology Training Requirements

Residents who want to be board-certified from a combined anatomic/clinical pathology (AP/CP) residency training program must complete a minimum of 18 months of CP training according to the American Board of Pathology guidelines

Residents who desire to be board-certified in clinical pathology only must complete a minimum of three years of CP training.

During the four-year residency, the CP training will consist of a core curriculum where laboratory rotations are divided between the major disciplines of clinical pathology, including:

• Microbiology
• Chemistry
• Hematopathology
• Blood Banking
• Immunology
• Cytogenetics
• Lab Management
• Coagulation
• Molecular
• Informatics – 4 weeks (incorporated in Laboratory Management rotation)

In these rotations, the resident is to become acquainted with the following aspects of every procedure covered:

• Principles
• Methodology
• Interpretation
• Quality control

After completion of the core curriculum, the subsequent year(s) of CP training will be individually tailored to allow the residents to focus in on particular areas of interest, as well as enable him or her to participate in an in-depth research project.

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Graduated Case Sign-out Responsibilities

The resident shall assume gradual responsibility in signing out cases requiring a physician interpretation. These cases include:

• Bone marrow
• Histopathology reports (including special stains)
• Serum and urine protein electrophoresis
• Immunofixation electrophoresis
• Flow cytometry reports
• Molecular genetic reports
• Reviews of peripheral smears and body fluids

All cases are to be reviewed and signed by a staff pathologist (or PhD where appropriate).

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Graduated Transfusion Service Coverage Responsibility

The resident shall have gradual responsibility in the following areas of transfusion medicine:

• Assessment of indications for a blood product transfusion
• Evaluation of transfusion reactions
• Evaluation of blood testing abnormalities, e.g., allo- and auto-antibodies.

The residents do a two-week rotation at Yale Transfusion Medicine department.

The above shall be accomplished under the direct supervision and guidance of the staff in house and at Yale.

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On-Call Responsibilities

On-call coverage hours shall be divided equitably among the senior residents.  The PGY1 residents have only “extended shifts” their first year. Residents are responsible for both AP and CP calls.  AP calls include frozen sections and CP calls include Blood Bank and Clinical Laboratory calls. The residents shall be considered “first call” for the Blood Bank. That includes weekdays from 5 pm until 9 pm.  The remaining overnight and weekend calls are covered by senior residents.  There is always an attending pathologist who is on-call along with the residents.

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Volume Guidelines for CP Credentialing

The resident is to complete a minimum number of procedures and test interpretations before he/she can be certified in Clinical Pathology by Danbury Hospital.

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Laboratory Administration

The Clinical Pathology residents are given opportunities to learn about and participate in the administrative aspects of pathology.

• They are given a series of didactic lectures on laboratory and hospital administration.
• They participate in the management mentorship program and are expected to attend the individual lab section monthly meetings during their rotation in that laboratory.
• They attend our Clinical Pathology Quality Assurance Meetings.

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Molecular Pathology Education

Our molecular pathology laboratory adheres to national standards and is equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation to include:

• PCR and PCR in-situ thermocyclers
• Facilities for Florescent in-situ hybridization

Also, our residents are trained in evaluation and troubleshooting of molecular techniques. The curriculum is structured so as to cover the following topics:

• Basic nucleic acid biochemistry
• Specimen collection and storage
• Southern blot
• In vitro nucleic acid amplification
• DNA sequencing
• Clinical applications

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Clinical Pathology Schedule – 19 months

• Clinical Orientation – 1 month
• Chemistry – 3 months
• Hematopathology – 3 months
• Cytogenetics – 1 month
• Molecular – 1 month
• Lab Management – 1 month
• Blood Bank – 2 months
• Coagulation – 1 month
• Immunology – 1 month
• Microbiology – 3 months

Miscellaneous Rotations -5 months

• Elective – 2 months
• Peds/Neuro (required) – 1 month (Yale)
• Research – 1 month
• Comprehensive (PGY4) – 1 month

2021-2022

 

Dr. Vidhun and Dr. Sadigh have encouraged an exchange with Ugandan Pathology residents coming to our program and to study in the department.  We have supplied them with textbooks to bring back, slides and memories of being a part of the residency program here at Danbury Hospital.  In April of 2019, Dr. Vidhun visited Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and presented a Grand Round on Molecular classification of Breast cancers and multi-headed slide and PowerPoint presentations on Breast pathology.

In the past four years, we have had three Ugandan pathology residents rotate with us from 8 to 11 month rotations.  They are housed by the hospital and welcomed by the laboratory staff and faculty.

Dr. Vidhun and her residents are looking into travel to Uganda to teach and learn from their Ugandan cohorts.  This has been a great opportunity for the residents explore new avenues in pathology training in a different country.

Dr. Vidhun spent four days teaching through the microscope and giving didactic lectures to the faculty and residents at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.

Wellness Week

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Yoga and learning about healthy eating and 5 minute meditation/relaxation sessions, ice cream social with game of taboo

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Faculty and Resident Wellness get together lunch…It is good to chill out

Class of 2023

Fnu Sandeep, MD- Mayo Clinic Surgical Pathology fellowship for AY 2023-2024

Jayalakshmi Venkateswaran, MD- Memorial Sloan Kettering Oncologic Surgical Pathology fellowship for AY 2023-2024, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Hematopathology fellowship for AY 2024-2025

Susan Karki, MD- Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Oncologic Surgical Pathology fellowship for AY 2023-2024

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Class of 2022

Olayinka Oluwaseyi, MD- MD Anderson, Houston, Texas – Surgical Oncologic Pathology fellowship AY 2022-2023, Gastrointestinal Pathology Fellowship Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
Fellowship for AY 2023-2024

Gagandeep Kaur, MD- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer center – Surgical Oncologic Pathology fellowship for AY 2022-2023, Breast / GYN Combined fellowship at University of Alabama for AY 2023-2024

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Class of 2021 

Debasmita Das, MD- GI Pathology at Beth Israel Deaconess medical Center, Harvard medical school Fellowship for AY2021-2022

Sapna Desai, MD- Forensic Pathology fellowship at the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner AY2021-2022

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Class of 2020

Hermineh Aramin, MD – Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX Surgical Pathology Fellowship 2020-2021;  UCSD San Diego, CA Cytopathology Fellowship 2021-2022.

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Class of 2019 

Nataliya Sostin, MD – Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT  Blood Bank/Transfusion Medicine Fellowship  2019-2020. Employed at Yale

Quoc Nguyen, MD – Los Angeles, California Office of Medical Examiner, Forensic Fellowship 2019-2020; SUNY Upstate Cytopathology Fellowship 2020-2021.

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Class of 2018

Ayaz Ghani, MD – Roswell Park Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY,  Oncologic Surgical Pathology Fellowship; 2018-2019;    University of Miami, Miami, FL, GI Fellowship. 2019-2020. Employed at Advanced pathology Solutions, Little Rock, AR

Olubunmi Shoyele, MD – Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, Cytology Fellowship.  Employed at Summa Health System, Akron, OH

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Class of 2017

Bryce Hatfield, MD – Virginia Commonwealth University, Surgical Pathology Fellowship, Richmond, VA 2017-2018;  Virginia Commonwealth University, Cytopathology Fellowship, Richmond, VA   2018-2019. Employed at VCU

Vidarshi Muthukumarna, MD – Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Oncological Pathology Fellowship, New York, NY  2017-2018;  Baylor University, Cytopathology Fellowship, Waco, TX  2018-2019. Employed at University of Texas Medical Branch

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Class of 2016

Sheila Segura, MD – Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Surgical Oncologic Pathology Fellowship, New York, NY  2016-2017; Cytolpathology Fellowship, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY  2017-2018; GYN Fellowship, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 2018-2019. Employed University of Indiana

Evgeniya Angelova, MD – MD Anderson Cancer Center,  Hematopathology Fellowship, Houston, TX  2016-2018 two year Fellowship. Employed in New Jersey

Tsetan Dolkar, MD – MD Anderson Cancer Center, Surgical Oncologic Pathology Fellowship, Houston, TX  2016-2017. Employed in Canada

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Class of 2015

Saad Baqai, MD – Oncologic/Surgical Pathology Fellowship, Roswell Park, Buffalo, NY 2015-2016; Cytopathology Fellowship Roswell Park, Buffalo, NY  2016-2017. Employed in Buffalo University, NY.

Lauren Lippincott, DO – Forensic Pathology Fellowship – Louisville, Kentucky, Medical Examiner’s Office.  2015-2016.  Employed hired 7/2016 by ME Office Louisville, Kentucky.

Brankica Paunovic, MD – Pediatric Pathology Fellowship, St. Christopher’s Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. 2015-2016; Forensic Pathology Fellowship – San Diego, CA Medical Examiner’s Office  2016-2017. Employed  in OCME, San Diego, CA

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Class of 2014

Jacqueline Pender, MD – Breast/GYN Fellowship – Univ. of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital; Forensic Pathologist.  Employed – Miami, FL

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Class of 2013

Sharmeen Mansoor, MD – Hematopathology Fellowship, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; Oncologic Surgical Pathology Fellowship, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY. Employed in Canada

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Class of 2012

Aarti Goswami, MD – Hematopathology Fellowship, Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital, New York, NY. Private Employment Texas currently

Asim Syed, MD – GI Fellowship, Beth Israel, New York, NY; Informatics Fellowship, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA. Private Lab Employment, Florida

Junaid Baqai, MD – Hematopathology Fellowship, Wayne State; Surgical Oncologic Pathology Fellowship, Roswell Park. Employed Private job Laboratory Director, Taylorville Memorial Hospital, Michigan

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Class of 2011

Anna Vischio, MD – Surgical Pathology Fellowship, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT; Cytology Pathology Fellowship, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT. Private Employment CT

Kilak Kesha, MD – Forensic Pathology Fellowship, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Baltimore, MD; Assistant Medical Examiner, Office of the Medical Examiner, Wayne County, Detroit, Michigan; Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Employed

Salman Ayub, MD – Hematopathology Fellowship, Wayne State, Detroit, MI. Employed

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Class of 2010

Tatiana Perdomo, MD – Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA; Onocological Surgical Pathology Fellowship, Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital New York, NY. Employed Associate Pathologist – Florida

Amarpreet Bhalla, MD –  Currently employed 2016 – Hired by University of Buffalo, NY for a position in Cytology and General Surgical Pathology.      

The Danbury Hospital Pathology Residency Program participates in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). We only accept applications and supporting documents through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). We look for candidates with excellent academic performance and a strong interest in pursuing pathology as the next step in their career. A complete application package should contain the following:

• ERAS Common Application Form (CAF)
• Personal Statement (1-2 pages)
• Official Medical School Transcripts
• Medical Student Performance Evaluation (Dean’s Letter)
• Three Letters of Reference/Recommendation – from faculty members, mentors, or supervisors who can address your performance and your commitment to the study of pathology
• Official copy of your United States Medical Licensing Examination scores
• Curriculum Vitae
• Current Photograph
• For documents that are not in English, include a translation by a qualified translator and an affidavit of accuracy acceptable to the hospital.

If you are an International Medical Graduate, we require:

• Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Status Certificate (not Status Report)
• Visa Status

The Danbury Hospital Pathology Residency Program accepts foreign national physicians who meet the Danbury Hospital Eligibility and Selection requirements into its ACGME-accredited residency and fellowship programs. We welcome International Medical Graduates to apply to our residencies and will sponsor applicants for an H1-B visa.

Due to health concerns with the ongoing CoVid-19 pandemic (including concerns about new variants), no in-person interviews or visits are currently being conducted at Nuvance Health.

In addition to minimizing the national spread of CoVid-19, this creates a “level playing field” for any applicant who cannot travel due to personal health, school travel restrictions, or limitations from personal financial resources.  We understand the value of seeing the people and place you are thinking about spending a significant portion of your life.  The current decision for a virtual-only interview process this year was made with the health of our community and nation in mind as well as the goal of improving equity for all our applicants.

After reviewing applications in ERAS and identifying selected candidates for interviewing we will send out an e-mail with available dates for interviewing via our new scheduling management program called Thalamus.

What to expect for the interview day? You will meet one-on-one with the Program Director and have 4 additional interviews with other faculty members in different breakout sessions. You will also have the opportunity to speak with our current residents in a separate breakout session.

Post-interview communication: We are available for any questions that may arise after your interview day.