Senior Resident (Pathologist) (HPC/MO 3)

JOB PURPOSE

Under the supervision of the Consultant Pathologist, the Senior Resident Pathologist provides advanced anatomical pathology services including histology, cytology, and autopsy examinations to support accurate diagnosis, clinical decision-making, disease surveillance, and public health objectives. The incumbent ensures adherence to quality and safety standards, contributes to training and knowledge transfer, and supports the effective functioning of the National Public Health Laboratory.

KEY RESPONSIBILITY AREAS

MANAGEMENT/ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepares and submits Individual Work Plan in alignment with the objectives of the Department and the Ministry.
• Participates in intradepartmental and interdepartmental meetings to address technical issues and propose solutions.
• Collaborates with the Head of Department, National Laboratory Services to plan, organize, and control the technical operations of surgical pathology, autopsy, and cytology services island-wide.
• Works in conjunction with consultants and senior staff at NPHL to solve problems, determine protocols and implement procedures for the better functioning of the laboratory.

TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conducts trimming of surgical pathology specimens and post-mortem histology specimens for most hospitals across the island (excluding the University Hospital of the West Indies, unless by special arrangement).
• Ensures adherence to clinical standards and protocols in alignment with established best practices.
• Performs routine autopsies to determine the cause of death and offer clinicopathology correlation to assist clinicians from the Kingston Public Hospital, Victoria Jubilee Hospital, Bellevue Hospital, for Children, National Chest Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital and Hope Institute ect.
• Communicates pathologic findings to surgeons and other physicians verbally and by writing pathology reports, summarizing analyses, results and conclusions.
• Assists with educating and training physicians, medical students, personnel in professions supplementary to medicine and personnel in medical laboratory professions.
• Performs gross examination and dissection of histology specimens in the absence of junior staff or where case complexity warrants direct involvement.
• Verifies that tissue selection is diagnostically appropriate and that specimen handling preserves tissue integrity for downstream processing and analysis.
• Reviews and provides feedback on gross descriptions to ensure accuracy, completeness, and clinical relevance.
• Prepares comprehensive autopsy reports to support clinical audit, public health surveillance, and medico-legal requirements.
• Correlates autopsy findings with clinical history, investigative results, and treatment course to provide meaningful cliniopathological insight.
• Delivers training for medical officers, interns, and technical staff; assess learning outcomes and document sessions.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Graduate from an accredited Medical School
• Postgraduate qualification in Anatomical Pathology, DM or equivalent from a recognized University
• Five (5) years' experience in Pathology
• Peer Approval
• Full registration with the Medical Council of Jamaica

The Ministry of Health thanks all applicants for their interest; however, please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.