Welcome to the Southwest School of Pathology, supporting Training from Bench to Bedside in the Southwest
The School of Pathology is responsible for the training programmes in all the Pathology specialties across the Southwest in Postgraduate Medical Education. These comprise of Chemical Pathology (with Metabolic Medicine), the cellular pathology specialties of Histopathology, Neuropathology, and the infection specialties of Medical Microbiology (with Infectious Diseases) and Virology.
Resident doctors in training are appointed to separate training programmes that are centred either in Bristol, Gloucester, Swindon and Taunton (North rotation), or in Plymouth, Exeter and Cornwall (South rotation), but a particular strength is that the two centres work closely together, with combined training days and the possibility of secondment to maximise training opportunities across the entire range of specialist practice. Our programmes are run by experienced Training Programme Directors and Educational Supervisors. There are strong links with the Universities of Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth. Resident doctors in training are encouraged to play an active part in teaching pathology to medical students in all three medical schools and there are links with postgraduate academic medicine. The consultant body in each specialty includes FRCPath examiners and we have a high national profile in the organisation and delivery of high quality training.
Pathology is at a very exciting stage, with development of new techniques including molecular and genetic diagnoses, and ever closer integration into frontline clinical care. Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth are at the forefront of some of these developments. You will find the Southwest to be an exciting and rewarding place to train, as well as a vibrant place in which to live.
We look forward to welcoming Resident doctors in training to the Southwest and hope you will find the School website a useful resource. Please take a few moments to browse around the site for further information about the organisation of training in your specialty, training courses and the ARCP process.
Dr Kathryn Uranker, Head of the Southwest School of Pathology
