How to Apply

Pathology Residency Training

The Department of Pathology at BIDMC, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, offers four residency training pathways, including AP/CP, AP-only, CP-only, and AP/Neuropathology, with extensive research opportunities.

Pathology Residency Eligibility & Qualifications

Applicants with one of the following qualifications are eligible for appointment to accredited residency programs sponsored by the Medical Center:

  • Graduates of medical schools in the United States and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
  • Graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
  • Graduates of medical schools outside the United States and Canada who meet one of the following qualifications:
    • Have received a currently valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates; or
    • Have a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a US licensing jurisdiction.
  • Graduates of medical schools outside the United States who have completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school. Note: A Fifth Pathway program is an academic year of supervised clinical education provided by an LCME-accredited medical school to students who meet the following condition
    • Have completed, in an accredited college or university in the United States, undergraduate premedical education of the quality acceptable for matriculation in an accredited United States medical school;
    • Have studied at a medical school outside the United States and Canada but listed in the World Health Organization Directory of Medical Schools;
    • Have completed all the formal requirements of the foreign medical school except internship and/or social service;
    • Have attained a score satisfactory to the sponsoring medical school on a screening examination; and
    • Have passed either the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences, Parts I and II of the examination of the National Board of Medical Examiners, or Steps 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). We will interview applicants who do not yet have a Step 2 score. However, we must have your Step 2 score before we submit our rank list.

Resident Selection

The sponsoring institution must ensure that programs select from among eligible applicants on the basis of their preparedness, ability, aptitude, academic credentials, communication skills, and personal qualities such as motivation and integrity. Programs must not discriminate with regard to sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

All sponsored programs participate in an organized matching program, where available, such as the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

Enrollment of Non-Eligibles

The enrollment of non-eligible residents may be a cause for withdrawal of accreditation of the involved program.

The Graduate Medical Education Committee annually reviews each sponsored program's intern and resident selection procedures to ensure compliance with the above policies and procedures.

Pathology Residency Application Process

All US and foreign medical school graduates MUST use the Association of American Medical Colleges' Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) to apply to our residency program.

The deadline for accepting applications is December 1 of the year prior to desired start date. For example, apply by December 1, 2024 to start your residency on July 1, 2025.

Foreign medical school graduates must be ECFMG certified at the time of submitting the application (prior to our deadline of December 1).

All completed applications are reviewed by members of the Resident Selection Committee. Each applicant is evaluated individually based on the content of the application, including medical school record, letters of recommendation, personal statement, Dean’s letter, test performance (including USMLE scores), and performance in an internship or other residency program in the case of applicants transferring from another type of training program. After your application has been reviewed in ERAS, you will be contacted via email if you are chosen for an interview.

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please feel free to contact the program coordinator, Debbie Ribaya, by email.