Admission to the Graduate School of Anatomical Pathology is subject to passing a national competitive examination.

The specialisation in Anatomical Pathology is a part of the Class of Specialisations in Diagnostic and Laboratory Medicine, within the Clinical Services Area, and comprises a four-year course. To qualify as a Specialist in Anatomical Pathology, the trainee must accumulate 240 CFU (Ministerial Decree N. 68 of 4 February 2015).

Core learning objectives

• Acquisition of skills in the use of histology laboratory equipment and techniques;
• acquisition of fundamental knowledge of genetics, molecular biology, medical statistics, epidemiology and morphometric assessment methods.

Integrated learning objectives 

• Acquisition of knowledge in the disciplines that contribute to the definition of the Diagnostic and Laboratory Medicine Class, and of those useful for characterising the common training pathway across the various types of school, with particular regard to molecular pathology, pathophysiology and general pathology, immunology and immunopathology. Furthermore, the core curriculum will be partly dedicated to clinical integration with the Medical Area and the Surgical Area.

Educational objectives specific to this type of school

• Acquisition of in-depth knowledge of systematic pathological anatomy, autopsy techniques and diagnostics, the theoretical and practical foundations of histochemistry and immunohistochemistry, ultrastructural pathology, diagnostic cytopathology—including fine-needle aspiration cytology—and molecular biology applied to diagnostics;
• development of skills in the morphological diagnosis of cellular, tissue and organ abnormalities, and in their pathogenetic and epicritic assessment, including in relation to therapeutic treatment;
• acquisition of the fundamental knowledge required for the assessment – including critical analysis – of the anatomical and clinical correlations of the main subspecialist pathologies, such as neuropathology, cardiovascular pathology, dermatopathology, haematopathology, nephro-uropathology, gynaecopathology, paediatric pathology, bone and soft tissue pathology, gastroenterological pathology, endocrinopathology, respiratory pathology, oncological pathology and all aspects of morphological diagnosis relating to cells, tissues and organs;
• gaining experience in the morphological monitoring of organ transplants;
• the acquisition of the skills necessary for the organisation and management of the department and of the laboratories for histopathological diagnostics, diagnostic cytopathology, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry, ultrastructural pathology and molecular biology applied to histocytopathology, including workplace safety and the disposal of biological and chemical waste.

Related or complementary objectives include the acquisition of adequate theoretical knowledge of medical genetics, epidemiology and general hygiene, diagnostic imaging, occupational and preventive medicine, toxicology, forensic medicine, medical ethics and bioethics.

The following professional training activities are compulsory for the achievement of the educational objectives of this programme:

• having carried out (and certified) at least 40 post-mortem diagnostic examinations, including the relevant histopathological study;
• macroscopic description and sampling of at least 1,200 tissue specimens;
• microscopic description and histopathological diagnosis, supplemented where appropriate by histochemical, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and molecular biological investigations, of at least 4,000 cases;
• microscopic description and cytopathological diagnosis of at least 1,600 cases, including those involving fine-needle aspiration cytology
• participation in the preparation and reporting of at least 200 cases of intraoperative diagnoses and at least 50 molecular diagnoses of tissue lesions.

The professional training programme involves diagnostic placements within the school’s training network, under the supervision of the subject’s teaching staff. Learning post-mortem diagnostics involves attending the dissection theatre and carrying out post-mortem diagnostic examinations under the supervision of a tutor.

Trainees may sit the diploma examination once they have completed the professional training activities.

The school’s teaching programme includes:

• a weekly session involving the discussion of clinical cases and/or technical and organisational issues and/or updates on diagnostic and scientific topics, coordinated in turn by the school’s lecturers in accordance with the training programme. The session takes place every Monday from 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm;
• a weekly session for examining histological specimens relating to the pathology of various systems, led by staff from the Complex Unit of Pathological Anatomy at the ASST Sette Laghi in Varese, held every Thursday from 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm;
• participation in conferences, courses and training events at regional, national and European level;
• seminars led by the school’s lecturers;
• lectures and/or seminars led by eminent scientists in the fields of pathological anatomy, basic sciences and clinical sciences.