Cytopathology Fellowship

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited University of Florida Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine Cytopathology Fellowship is a comprehensive one-year program in cytopathology that begins annually on July 1. This well-balanced fellowship provides the opportunity for advanced training and experience in all areas of cytopathology. The program includes gynecological and non-cytopathology, including fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytopathology and hands-on experience with ultrasound-guided FNA of superficial masses of the head and neck.

Date of Next Available Position: July 1, 2028

Benefits: Commensurate with level of training.

Housestaff Stipends

Housestaff Discounts and Information

GME Policies and Procedures

Director:

Marino E. Leon, M.D., FCAP, FASCP

Faculty:

Program Summary:

The program is well-balanced and emphasizes on cytopathology sign-out with clinical and pathological correlations providing an advanced and intensive training in all areas of cytopathology including gynecological cytology, non-gynecological cytology, and fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytopathology. Currently, we review more than 6,500 non-gynecological cytology specimens, including approximately 2,400 FNAs and over 9,000 gynecological specimens (Thin-layer preparation and Papanicolaou stained) per year.

Fellows are expected to participate in related interdepartmental conferences. Opportunity and support are provided for research activity throughout the course of the fellowship program. Molecular, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and other pathology laboratories are available for the study of cytopathology-related issues. Lecture series, comprehensive teaching conferences, library, and record retrieval are available for this fellowship program, as well. The fellowship faculty includes six pathologists who are American Board of Pathology-certified in cytopathology.

Overall Mission:

As part of the UF College of Medicine, the Department of Pathology, Immunology, & Laboratory Medicine and the Cytopathology Fellowship program align their mission and goals with the University of Florida College of Medicine. The UF College of Medicine strives to improve health care in Florida, our nation, and the world through excellence and consistently superior leadership in education, clinical care, discovery, and service.

The University of Florida (UF) Cytopathology Fellowship Program strives to provide high quality postgraduate education leading to board certification and to accomplish this in an intellectually rich, emotionally safe, supportive, and fertile environment for trainees to personally and professionally develop in their roles as Board Certified Cytopathologists.

To achieve this mission, we aspire to the following goals:

To develop humanistic, skilled, intellectually disciplined, and authoritative medical professionals who are committed to the highest ideals and standards of the profession and who model an exceptional standard of care for those they treat, lead and serve.
To educate and inspire the next generation of leaders in health care, biomedical sciences, health services research and academic medicine to seek, provide and sustain unparalleled achievements in service, teaching and research.
To provide comprehensive, patient-centered, culturally sensitive, compassionate, and innovative health care of the highest quality to all.
To develop and utilize innovative models of interdisciplinary health care delivery that optimize safety, service, outcomes and resource use.
To improve our understanding of human health and disease through groundbreaking research and to translate these discoveries into new solutions that promote health and improve health outcomes and quality of care.
To recruit, develop, and nurture an academically outstanding community of faculty, students, trainees, and staff, who each contribute to excellence in our mission.
To promote sustained, robust professional and personal growth, productivity, accountability, integrity and synergistic collaboration, and synergy of faculty, students, and staff.

Applicant Requirements

Requirements of a successful candidate must include:

Board eligible or certified in anatomic, or anatomic and clinical pathology, by the American Board of Pathology.
Passing United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Steps 1, 2 and 3 scores or passing Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA) Level 1, 2 and 3 scores.

For International Medical Graduates

Our institution requires that all IMG applicants have valid certificates from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. The University of Florida supports J1 visas. The UF-College of Medicine will only, in limited case-by-case circumstances, sponsor any new H-1 type visas for training in any medical specialty.

Applications

Applications for the Cytopathology Fellowship will be held through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) system beginning in the 2028-2029 academic year. More information will be provided as available.

The Cytopathology fellowship match plans to align with other pathology fellowship subspecialities with a Match Day set for April 28, 2027, approximately 14 months before the 2028 fellowship start date. Additional resources regarding the Match process are below:

NRMP Match Timeline:

Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before January 1, 2027.
Programs participating in the match have agreed to begin interviewing starting in January 2027.
Match Opens:                February 3, 2027.
Match Day:                      April 28, 2027 at noon, ET
Training begins:            July 1, 2028

American Society for Cytopathology (ASC)

NRMP

NRMP Match for Cytopathology Fellowship Applicants FAQs

Completed application packets must include a:

CAP Standardized Pathology Fellowship Application
- PDF Application or Word Application
Personal statement of interest
Curriculum vitae
Three letters of recommendation (addressed to the fellowship director).

Send completed packets to:

Marino E. Leon, M.D., FCAP, FASCP
Cytopathology Fellowship Program Director
University of Florida College of Medicine
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
PO Box 100275
Gainesville, FL 32610-0275

For more information, contact:

Margo Kramer, Cytopathology Fellowship Program Coordinator