Residency applications
For Residency, we are only accepting the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application.
ApplyDr. Pamela Adams-Lewis, GME Program Coordinator
Benefits
Up-to-date information concerning housestaff benefits, compensation, leave, parking, as well as other GME policies and hospital resources are posted on the GME website.
Memberships:
On top of the institutional benefits, our department encourages our trainees to join professional societies and pays membership dues for selected organizations, including American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), Medical Society of Virginia (MSV), United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), and Virginia Society for Pathology (VSP). Trainees are also encouraged to become members of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), which is free during training.
Books:
Our department also offers generous annual allowances for books and travel expenses for trainees:
PGY1 and PGY2: Annual $900 book allowance
PGY3 and PGY4: Annual $1,000.00 book allowance and one-time $1,500 travel allowance for attending one national meeting during this two-year period
Chief Residents: Additional one-time $500 book allowance
Fellows: Annual $1,250 book allowance
In addition to the above allowances, physical copies of Sternberg's Diagnostic Surgical Pathology and/or Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods are provided to incoming residents and fellows.
Travel:
Our department also reimburses travel expenses for trainees at any PGY level who present original research in the form of platform or poster presentations at national or regional meetings, up to a maximum of $1,500 per instance as funds permit. This is in addition to the one-time allowance for attending a national meeting that PGY3 and PGY4 residents are afforded. The trainee must seek approval by the faculty mentor involved in the research project and his or her program director well in advance of the meeting.
Vacation:
Housestaff are granted up to 30 calendar days per year in sick leave. Sick leave cannot be carried over to the next year, nor will extra compensation be allowed in lieu of sick leave. Housestaff are granted three weeks of vacation leave per calendar year.
Transportation and parking:
VCU has a multi-year agreement with the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC), which offers VCU students and employees, including housestaff, unlimited transportation access on GRTC's bus routes.
Parking is available through payroll deduction. Parking is subsidized by VCUH as a benefit to housestaff.
VCUH parking options
Visitors parking
550 N 12th Street
Richmond, VA 23298
Frequently Asked Questions
Program:
- How do I apply for the Pathology Residency Program?
We are only accepting applications via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) - What is your Residency application deadline?
November 1 - How many people are interviewed each year by the Pathology Residency Program and how many are accepted?
We interview approximately 50 candidates each year for four to five PGY1 positions. - What is a typical Residency interview day like?
Our residency interview day is entirely virtual for this cycle. The interview will begin at 8:00 AM and conclude by 4:30 PM.
- Are there any international medical graduates (IMGs) or DOs in your program?
Yes! We currently have or had both DOs and IMGs in our residency program. - What are the application requirements for IMGs?
Graduate of a medical school outside the US or Canada approved for listing by the World Health Organization or equivalent accrediting body and possess a currently valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (EFCMG) upon graduation of IMG. - Additional requirements for IMG’s are:
USMLE passage for Step 1 and score of 220 for Step 2.
Pass on the Clinical Skills Assessment (first attempt)
All applicants must have documentation of a minimum of three (3) months of direct patient care activity in the U.S. or Canada in the last four years; clinical observer experiences and non-clinical graduate (i.e. research), do not meet this requirement. - What type of Visa’s are supported?
Only J-1 visa’s are accepted for medical resident positions. - Do you have a cutoff for medical school graduation date?
All applicants must be within 4 years of graduation from Medical School or direct patient care activity (either as an independent practitioner or as a trainee). - What is the call schedule like?
PGY-1 do not take call. PGY 2 and PGY3 take Junior level AP and CP call.
Senior level (pretending) call for AP services and CP call are taken by PGY4 and PGY3 residents (in the latter months of their PGY3 year). Call is taken one week at a time, and PGY3 and 4 years, AP/CP Call may be taken concurrently. Call responsibilities for fellows are specialty specific and will be addressed in greater detail during the interview process. - In the Department of Pathology, what Fellowships are offered?
VCUH Pathology offers six fellowships: Surgical Pathology, Molecular Genetic Pathology, Hematopathology, Cytopathology, Neuropathology and Forensic Pathology. - Where can I find information about compensation and benefits?
Recent salary scale can be found on our GME website
Read more about Salary and Benefits - What research opportunities are available?
There are numerous research opportunities available ranging from case series write up to translational dash type collaborative projects with clinical faculty to bench research opportunities. - How many program graduates go in to private practice and how many go into Academics?
The percentage is approximately 50% private practice and 50% Academics. - How is the grossing schedule organized?
The Surgical Pathology service is divided into subspecialty benches. Residents rotating on Surgical Pathology will be assigned to be one of these subspecialty benches, for a duration of two to three weeks. They have the opportunity to rotate on each bench at least once during each year of residency. - Do residents have their own workspace?
Each resident has their own workspace assigned to them in the Pathology Residency Rooms, located in both Anatomic and Clinical Pathology areas. Fellows are assigned specific workspace in their specialty areas. - What are the ALS and BLS requirements?
None. - Do all rotations take place at the VCUHS campus?
During your PGY3 or PGY4 year, you may do a one month Hematopathology rotation at our local VA hospital. Also during your PGY 3 year, you will have a one month rotation at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, to learn Forensic Pathology.
During your senior year, in addition to in-house elective opportunities, away electives are available (with prior approval from the Director and GME); for example, some residents have chosen electives at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or National Institutes of Health. - What medical license options are available for residents and fellows during their training?
The GME office provides assistance in the coordination for all residents and fellows to get an “Interns and Residents” medical license. If a trainee wishes to get a full Virginia medical license, he or she should keep in mind that the commonwealth requires that Part 3 of the USMLE/COMLEX must be completed and passed in order for a permanent license to be issued. With a full Virginia medical license, a trainee can moonlight as a local medical examiner.
Life
- What kind of housing is available for residents?
The majority of our residents live within a 10 mile radius of the VCUH campus. Popular areas include Carytown, Monroe Park, Church Hill and West Richmond. Some residents have opted for apartment/townhouse living, while others have chosen to purchase a house in the local area. More about Richmond - Do most people commute to work?
The majority of residents drive to campus. - What is the VCUH campus neighborhood like?
VCUH is in the heart of the City of Richmond, Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are a five minute walk from the State Capitol Building, Library of Virginia, and Governor’s Mansion. Walk an additional 10 minutes, and you are in Shockoe Bottom, known for its restaurants, shopping and nightlife. - Is parking provided and is there a food allowance?
Onsite parking is offered through payroll deduction. Food allowances are assigned by the GME Office based upon work/call schedule hours expected in any given year.