Training: Informatics Fellowships

There are currently two options for pathologists who are interested in fellowship training in informatics; ACGME-accredited Clinical Informatics Fellowships, and Pathology Informatics Fellowships.

1. ACGME-accredited Clinical Informatics Fellowships: In 2014, the ACGME formally approved fellowship training in Clinical Informatics. CI fellowship training is a total of two years in length. While the individual fellowship programs can be associated with one of nine primary residencies in an institution (including Pathology), all programs are open to physicians from any specialty of medicine. Pathologists have represented a significant percentage of clinical informatics trainees at CI programs throughout the country.

Clinical Informatics training, while incorporating the fundamentals of pathology informatics, provides a much broader exposure to the larger field of clinical informatics. In most programs, fellows not only work on informatics projects in their area of clinical specialty, but are also involved with informatics at the enterprise level, as well as in other clinical and non-clinical departments.

Fellows who complete the CI fellowships are eligible to sit for the Clinical Informatics Boards. The exam is co-sponsored by the American Board of Pathology (ABP) and the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM). Pathologists are certified through the ABP, while all other specialties of physician are certified through the ABPM.  Starting in 2026, these accredited fellowships will be the only pathway to board certification.

The American Medical Informatics Association maintains a listing of all accredited clinical informatics programs.  It can be accessed here.  

 

2. Pathology Informatics Fellowships: Pathology Informatics Fellowships long predate the CI fellowships, having existed since the mid 1990’s. Pathology Informatics fellowships can be either one or two years in length, and focus on those aspects of informatics directly related to the practice of Pathology and the informatics needs of a modern pathology department.

These programs may or may not be accredited by the ACGME as clinical informatics fellowships. Through 2025, completing two years of training in a non-accredited PI program will qualify fellows to sit for the CI boards.  Starting in 2026, the only pathway for CI certification will be ACGME-accredited programs.

Some of these programs also offer options for elective rotations for medical students or residents in pathology informatics.
 

Pathology Informatics Training Programs

Here is a list of formal Pathology Informatics training opportunities including (1) elective rotations for visiting residents and (2) fellowship programs. Also summarized are (3) CA Foundation funding sources to attend informatics conferences and participate in formal training opportunities and (4) links to Medical Informatics educational and training programs.

Baylor College of Medicine/ Texas Children’s Hospital 
  • Contact: Rosario Guzman (Program Coordinator)
  • Program Director: Ila Singh, M.D., Ph.D.
  • Location: Houston, TX
  • Visiting Resident Elective Rotation: Yes
  • Fellowship Positions: 1 per year; 2 year duration


Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Henry Ford Hospital and Health System 
  • Contact Person: J. Mark Tuthill, M.D. 
  • Phone: (313) 916-2524 / Fax: (313) 916-3177
  • Location: Detroit, MI
  • Visiting Resident Elective Rotation: Yes
  • Fellowship Positions: 2 per year; 2 year duration
  • Intersociety Committee page: Informatics Fellowship

Houston Methodist Hospital
  • Contact Person: Sofia Medrano
  • Program Director: S. Wesley Long, MD, PhD
  • Location: Houston, TX
  • Visiting Resident Elective Rotation: Yes
  • Fellowship Positions: 2 per year; 2 year duration (may be 1-year CI combined with another 1-year fellowship)
  • Additional Information HERE
 Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
  • Contact Person: Ulysses Balis, M.D.
  • Phone: (734) 615-5727 / Fax: (734) 615-2511
  • Location: Ann Arbor, MI
  • Visiting Resident Elective Rotation: Yes
  • Fellowship Positions: 1 per year; 2-year duration
Partners HealthCare - Massachusetts General, Brigham and Women's, Northshore Medical Center 
  • Contact Person: Tony Brooks, BA, MM
    Education Resource Specialist
  • Phone: (617) 726-0367 / Fax: (617) 643-4045
  • Location: Boston, MA
  • Visiting Resident Elective Rotation: Yes
  • Fellowship Positions: 2 per year, clinical or research
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • Contact: Kevin Baldwin (Program Coordinator) @Baldwin, Kevin
  • Program Director: Douglas Bell, M.D., Ph.D. @Bell, Douglas
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
  • Visiting Resident Elective Rotation: Yes
  • Fellowship Positions: Upto 3 per year; 2 year duration (integrated with – surgical pathology, transfusion or hemepath)
  • Additional information: HERE
University of Pittsburgh
  • Contact Person: Jeffrey Fine, MD
  • Phone: (412) 641-8561 / Fax: (412) 641-1675 
  • Location: Pittsburgh, PA
  • Visiting Resident Elective Rotation: Yes
  • Fellowship Positions: 2 per year, each 1-year duration
  • Degree Offerings: MS or PhD (with Biomedical Informatics)

Washington University School of Medicine

If you are aware of other training opportunities, please send pertinent information to Amrom Obstfeldt and/or Ronald Jackups, Co-Chairs of the API Education and Training Committee.