University of Kansas School of Medicine Program

Program Identity & Fit

KU's AP/CP program is an academic, university-based four-year pathology residency anchored at the University of Kansas Hospital, a 900+ bed tertiary/quaternary NCI-designated cancer center, supplemented by a distinctive multi-site rotation structure spanning the Kansas City VA (a slower-paced introductory setting), Children's Mercy Hospital for pediatric pathology, the Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office for high-volume forensic training, and the Community Blood Center for advanced transfusion medicine. The department carries substantial NIH-funded basic and translational research infrastructure (ranked highly nationally for NIH funding, faculty studying cancer stem cells, Wnt signaling, precision oncology, and hematologic disorders), giving research-inclined residents genuine wet-lab access, though the program explicitly frames its mission as producing both community and academic pathologists rather than research careers exclusively. The curriculum is core-heavy with a liberal elective structure (up to five blocks) allowing residents to shape training toward subspecialty or research interests, and the program values hard-working, team-oriented residents with strong communication skills over any single pedigree, drawing a resident body with substantial DO and IMG representation. Distinctive features include protected daily didactics, multi-headed microscope slide conferences, subspecialty tumor board participation, and structured exposure across forensic, pediatric, and transfusion subspecialties uncommon in a single core curriculum.