The core curriculum consists of supervised training with emphasis on increasing resident responsibility in autopsy and surgical pathology, cytology, cytogenetics, hematology, clinical chemistry, serology, microbiology and blood banking.
Specialized training is offered in laboratory management and computer applications.
The curriculum of the residnecy program is oriented toward integrated human pathology, with the faculty working as a closely-knit group of general pathologists, each with a special field of expertise. The department interacts closely with clinical departments through a variety of inter-departmental conferences and rounds. Attending staff are members of the faculty of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and residnets may be given university appointments and participate in teaching at the medical school. The program is designed to produce pathologists with both technical acompetence and intellectual depth. By providing a balance between these, residents graduate with a scholarly understanding of disease processes and continuing interest in disease processes and the identifying biological mechanisms involved.