School of Medicine

Pathology is the fundamental basis for understanding physiology and disease mechanisms. At UCSD the pathology course is integrated into individual organ system blocks divided into lectures and laboratory activities led by pathologists. The current curriculum places emphasis on identifying and interpreting pathological features. A major hurdle in pathology education has been how to make the rather academic and scientific discipline clinically relevant for medical students. To introduce students to how pathology works in real-life in conjunction with other medical specialties, and to reinforce clinical relevance of pathological discoveries, especially for second year medical students who are about to take board exams and enter the wards, this project has generated many clinical vignettes based on the specimen slides students see under the microscope, featuring realistic diagnosis, disease course, and screening guidelines as well as some underlying molecular mechanisms when appropriate to complement pathological teachings.