Message from the Program Director and Associate Program Director

Thank you for your interest in the Pathology Residency Program at Cooper University Hospital /Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.

The residency program provides combined training in anatomic and clinical pathology AP/CP program. With two residents per year and 24 faculty, the trainee-to-mentor ratio ensures adequate resident oversight with the goal of producing a well-trained pathologist by ensuring protected residency educational time, minimizing non-obligatory tasks, and graduated responsibility.

The training program is integrative where residents alternate between AP and CP rotations throughout their four years of training. Trainee-focused education is our priority, and the program is enhanced by daily consensus conferences, daily lecture series, and monthly grand rounds. The training program is designed to meet the professional goals set by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and American Board of Pathology with the highest of standards.

Anatomic pathology's unique aspects at Cooper include over 26,000 surgical pathology cases per year from a wide range of specialties with an in-depth exposure into all aspects of pathology and four experienced pathology assistants grossing specimens. The laboratory’s apt location within the main hospital makes engagement between the healthcare team and laboratory seamless and enhances trainee learning experience.

Our clinical pathology strengths include 6 clinical pathologists highly engaged in resident education with expertise in different areas, high volume clinical testing (2 million/year), robust and structured CP curriculum and a supportive laboratory director. We also count on the newest state of art technology including in-house next generation sequencing panels, MALDI-TOF Mass spectrometer in microbiology, in-house cytogenetics, and flow cytometry laboratories.

Research at Cooper is highly encouraged, and trainees are given from 3 to 6 months to prioritize research which can be supported by the Cooper University Health Care or the Coriell Institute. Trainees are encouraged to attend and present at regional and national pathology meetings.

South Jersey has a lot to offer including scenic views, charming towns, beautiful parks, and popular beaches. We are 60 miles from Ocean City, NJ, a popular beach town with a boardwalk. New Jersey is ranked #1 for public schools out of all 50 states.

The Cooper Pathology Faculty is diverse in all forms and has been trained at the best institutions around the country. They are therefore able to provide trainees with access to further education and/or fellowship placements in a myriad of pathology sub-specialties.

Thank you so much for your interest and we look forward to meeting you at Cooper!

Sincerely,

Ruth Birbe, MD Dejan Nikolic, MD, PhD
Ruth Birbe, MD
Program Director
Dejan Nikolic, MD, PhD
Associate Program Director