Pediatric Pathology Fellowships
Pediatric Pathology Fellowships
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital offers several fellowship training opportunities.
The department of pediatric pathology at Nationwide Children's is unique in offering two tracks of fellowship training:
- Anatomic Pediatric Pathology (ACGME accredited): Includes comprehensive training in surgical pediatric pathology, perinatal and placenta pathology, pediatric gastrointestinal, neuropathology, cytopathology, renal and related electron microscopy pathology, soft tissue and bone pathology, as well as autopsy pathology. Our traditional anatomic Pediatric Pathology Fellowship Program has been accredited since 1953, making it perhaps the first training program in the field. The Anatomic Pathology Laboratory at Nationwide Children’s, processes more than 9,000 surgical pathology cases, 100 autopsies and nearly 300 bone marrows yearly. This volume is enriched by strong nationally ranked medical and surgical programs in developmental disorders, tumors, organ transplantation, gastroenterology/hepatology, maternal and fetal medicine, etc. A structured one-year program is offered in compliance with board certification requirements. Applications for a second year of focused training may be considered, as funding permits, on a case-by-case basis.
- Clinical Pediatric Pathology (New and unique training program – GME accredited since 2020):This is a unique Nationwide Children's accredited (but non-ACGME accredited) training in clinical pediatric pathology for residents trained in AP/CP or CP pathology (or trained Pathologists in Anatomic Pediatric pathology) who desire to enhance their skills in clinical pediatric pathology. This training is rigorous but with a flexible curriculum that can be tailored to have a primary focus on one or more of the following disciplines: pediatric hematopathology, transfusion medicine, pediatric immunology, pediatric chemistry and pediatric microbiology.
International Scholar Program: A separate track of training in AP and/or CP pediatric pathology is offered to qualified independently funded international scholars (outside the U.S.) who work at an academic institution in their home country and can be considered for training or focused rotations if they meet certain criteria and based on position availability.
What You Need to Know
Openings:
| Academic Year | Status |
| 2025-2026 | Spots Filled - None Open |
| 2026-2027 | 1 Clinical Pediatric Pathology Fellowship Spot Open |
| 2027-2028 | Currently Accepting Applications |
| 2028-2029 | Accepting Applications Starting in January 2026 |
Requirements for Application Include:
Minimum of 3 years of Pathology Residency training in an ACGME-accredited program prior to expected start of either fellowship program. Valid ECFMG certificate (for graduates of foreign medical schools).
You will submit all of your application materials within the application provided below. You will be able to save and return to your application. However, the application process will be smoother if you gather the information and materials listed below before you begin.
Required Application Materials:
- Personal contact information
- Demographic information
- Licensing exam results
- ECFMG certificate number, if applicable
- Copy of the ECFMG certificate, if applicable
- Details outlining your Pre-Medical Education, Medical Education, Graduate Medical Education, and Post-Graduate Medical Education
- Details about additional, specialized training
- Details about any hobbies, interests, or volunteer experiences
- Name, title, professional email, and preferred phone number for 3 Letter of Reference writers
- Cover letter/personal statement
- Curriculum vitae
- Copy of your Medical Degree
Letters of Recommendation (LORs) Requirements:
Three (3) LORs are required. One Letter of Reference must be from the Trainee Program Director or Clinical Director. Two other letters must be from physicians familiar with your professional work. LORs must be requested by the applicant.
Communications concerning professional ability must be emailed directly to PathEducation@NationwideChildrens.org from each letter writer.
Experience
Learning opportunities are greatly enhanced by our close association with the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute of Genomic Medicine, the Center for Childhood Cancer, and the Children’s Oncology Group Biopathology Center. Our department is also home for the archives of the Children’s Cancer Group and Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study. Trainees have access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities including high-throughput digital slide scanning and recently renovated workspaces. Nationwide Children's has comprehensive specialized on-site laboratories with cutting edge technology and a regional outreach network for both anatomic and clinical pathology.
Anatomical Pathology
Our teaching staff includes pathologists and doctoral staff with a breadth of expertise in subspecialties across anatomic and clinical pathology with board certified specialists in pediatric pathology, neuropathology, hematopathology, dermatopathology, cytopathology and molecular pathology.
Clinical Pathology
Our dedicated teaching staff includes pathologists and doctoral staff with a breadth of expertise in subspecialties across pediatric clinical pathology with board certified specialists in hematopathology, transfusion medicine, immunology, microbiology and pediatric chemistry.
We have a full-service state of the art clinical laboratory with extensive archives, teaching material including slide study sets and image-based study material.
Laboratory Services
Our trainees have access to Nationwide Children’s Hospital Laboratory Services, one of the country’s leading full-service pediatric reference laboratories. Trainees work alongside faculty to deliver laboratory results and diagnostic pathology consults for medical professionals throughout the United States. Laboratory Services specializes in complex and specialized testing. We go beyond routine testing to utilize rare disease panels and genetic testing to enhance diagnostics.
Research
Research education and training are vital to the mission of Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Of special interest to potential pediatric pathology fellows is the Biopathology Center (BPC), housed within the AWRI, which offers a full range of services related to biospecimen, processing banking, and distribution. The BPC is accredited by the College of American Pathologists Laboratory and Biorepository Accreditation Programs (CAP LAP, CAP BAP).
In addition, trainees are afforded the chance to work on interdisciplinary research with faculty and fellows from the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute of Genomic Medicine – a first of its kind institute, which focuses on genomics as the root cause of many childhood diseases and genome-based testing as central to pediatric diagnosis and treatment.
Combined, these resources and many others like them offer wide opportunities to join cutting edge NIH-funded research in both basic and clinical science.
Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Advocacy
Advocacy training fosters and encourages interest in child advocacy by early involvement and exposure to its many aspects such as addressing social determinants of health, community collaboration, health finance, health policy and legislative advocacy.
Contact
Sonja Chen, MBBS
Anatomic Pediatric Pathology Fellowship
Program Director
Samir Kahwash, MD
Clinical Pediatric Pathology Fellowship
Program Director
Vice Chair for Education
Ashlie E. Rubrecht, MD
Anatomic Pediatric Pathology Fellowship
Associate Program Director
Elizabeth Jenkins, MA
Program Coordinator
(614) 722-5746
For applications and inquiries, please contact us at PathEducation@NationwideChildrens.org.
