McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program

Pathology-Anatomic and Clinical Analyst Verified · Sep 2, 2026

McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program

McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program is a residency program specializing in Pathology-Anatomic and Clinical, located in Chicago, Illinois, directed by Jared T. Ahrendsen, MD, PhD and coordinated by Raven Rodriguez. The program accepts applications through November 30, 2026 and holds an accreditation status of Continued. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (312) 926-9648. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

Northwestern's Pathology residency is a university-based, academically oriented program anchored at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a top-ranked tertiary/quaternary referral center generating high-volume, high-complexity specimen material across AP and CP subspecialties. The curriculum emphasizes graduated autonomy (residents preview and work up cases independently before faculty sign-out), subspecialist-driven sign-out, structured two-year didactics, and early integration into multidisciplinary tumor boards starting mid-PGY-1. Research is deeply embedded rather than peripheral: the department houses T32 training grants, multiple named research centers, dedicated cores, and a Physician-Scientist Training Program offering 18+ months of guaranteed protected research time, and most trainees go on to academic careers. Distinctive structural features include a four-year combined AP/Neuropathology fast-track fellowship pathway, Lurie Children's Hospital pediatric pathology rotations, forensic rotations at the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, and PGY-3 resident-led quality improvement projects presented departmentally.

Who it fits

An applicant with demonstrated bench or translational research experience and explicit academic/physician-scientist career goals, seeking a high-volume academic pathology training environment with a structured pathway toward subspecialty fellowship and eventual faculty or investigator roles.

Research intensity

Strong - research is embedded via T32 grants, dedicated cores, and a formal Physician-Scientist Training Program with guaranteed protected time, though not universally mandatory for all residents.

Career orientation

Mixed - Academic Medicine, Fellowship, Physician-Scientist

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