Teaching cytopathology in the undergraduate medical school curriculum: the experience at the University of North Carolina.

A formal instructional unit in cytopathology in the 2nd-year medical school pathology course at the University of North Carolina is described. This unit was added to the traditional mechanisms and organ systems instruction in the pathology course to increase the exposure of students to modern diagnostic techniques and informed use of laboratory testing. The unit is presented at the end of the pathology course as a summation of organ systems pathology and an introduction to the clinical practice of one branch of pathology. Two lectures cover the general principles of cytopathology, specimen procurement and adequacy, cytologic findings of common lesions in three organ systems (female genital tract, lung, and breast), specialized techniques, clinical advantages and disadvantages of cytologic techniques, and accuracy. Clinical correlation and appropriateness of testing are stressed. An accompanying laboratory session includes examination of glass slides predominantly prepared from surgical specimens and discussion of clinical cases with experienced cytologists using Kodachrome illustrations of cytologic slides and subsequent histologic and clinical follow-up. Our experience to date suggests that this unit informs students about the role of cytology in modern medical practice and helps to bridge the gap between the basic science of pathology and clinical medicine.