The University of Arizona Post-Sophomore Fellowship Program was initiated in 1995 and is currently under the directorship of Dr. Erika Bracamonte. To date, the Department of Pathology has mentored more than 50 Post-Sophomore Fellows.
It is a year long fellowship for enrolled UofA COM students between the preclinical and clinical years. You must have completed your first 1 1/2 of medical school prior to applying and will need to take and pass your first step exam prior to starting the program.
The intensive year-long program is intended for medical students who wish to further challenge themselves and maximize their medical school experience through the intensive study of mechanisms of disease. Fellows will gain hands-on exposure to pathology practice and increase familiarity with the ways in which pathology impacts patient care before entering their clinical years. Approximately 1/3 of the program graduates have chosen to pursue a career in Pathology, and all graduates have been highly successful in obtaining competitive residency and fellowships in a variety of subspecialties. Students completing the Post-Sophomore Fellowship in our department will graduate with Distinction in Pathology.
Post-Sophomore Fellows will participate in rotations within the pathology department alongside pathology residents, to include surgical pathology, autopsy (both hospital-based and forensic), hematopathology, clinical pathology and research/elective time. PSF’s have abundant opportunities to interact closely with pathology residents and faculty, attend and participate in multidisciplinary conferences and to refine their career goals. By the end of the year, each Post-Sophomore fellow will have had in-depth exposure to anatomic and clinical pathology and will have gained a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying human disease.
The Department of Pathology will provide a stipend for each fellow. Full-time student status through the UofA College of Medicine is maintained during the fellowship. Post-sophomore fellows will be matriculated back into clerkships after completing the fellowship.
Students interested in learning more about the University of Arizona Post-Sophomore Fellowship Program can contact Dr. Erika Bracamonte by email (erikab@pathology.arizona.edu).