Our Mission

Our mission is to produce graduates who provide expert, safe dermatopathologic care to all patients with neoplastic and inflammatory cutaneous disease and are committed to dissemination of, and addition to the body of knowledge in the field.

Program Aims

1. Provide the fellow with broad exposure to all facets of clinical dermatopathology through evaluation and workup of cases, didactic teaching, and clinical exposure at three participating institutions with diverse patient populations.

2. Engage the fellow in a variety of educational activities and responsibilities with learners at various levels from a variety of specialties.

3. Support and mentor the fellow in performing at least one research project for presentation at a national meeting and subsequent peer-reviewed publication.

4. Foster a collegial atmosphere of inclusiveness, respect, and professionalism for patients, their families, and colleagues that enhances learning and prepares the fellow for independent practice.

The USF Health/Moffitt Cancer Center Dermatopathology Fellowship is open to physicians who have successfully completed an accredited residency in either Dermatology or Pathology. The fellowship curriculum is structured to meet ACGME training requirements while providing comprehensive exposure to diagnostic dermatopathology, clinical correlation, education, and scholarly activity.

All fellows begin with four months of dedicated, full-time dermatopathology training. The remaining eight months are tailored to the fellow's primary specialty background, ensuring a well-rounded educational experience and preparation for board certification. Fellows are also expected to complete at least one scholarly manuscript suitable for peer-reviewed publication. Educational and travel funding is available to support academic development and conference participation.

Dermatology-Trained Fellows

Following the initial four months of intensive dermatopathology training, dermatology-trained fellows spend the remainder of the year dividing their time equally between dermatopathology and surgical pathology.

During these rotations, fellows participate in daily dermatopathology sign-out and gain additional experience in surgical pathology, gross examination, frozen sections, and cytopathology. Training is primarily conducted at Moffitt Cancer Center, with additional rotations at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, providing exposure to a broad range of oncologic and general pathology cases.

Pathology-Trained Fellows

Following the initial four months of dedicated dermatopathology training, pathology-trained fellows divide their remaining fellowship time equally between dermatopathology and clinical dermatology.

Fellows participate in outpatient dermatology clinics while continuing advanced diagnostic training in dermatopathology, developing strong clinicopathologic correlation skills.

Rotations are distributed among Moffitt Cancer Center, USF Health, and the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, providing experience with diverse patient populations and a wide spectrum of inflammatory and neoplastic skin diseases.

Research & Scholarly Activity

Research and scholarly projects are individualized to each fellow's interests, career goals, and prior experience. Opportunities range from case reports, case series, review articles, and textbook chapters to translational and laboratory-based research conducted in collaboration with faculty at USF Health and Moffitt Cancer Center.

Fellows receive mentorship throughout the research process and are encouraged to present their work at regional and national meetings, with the goal of producing peer-reviewed publications and contributing to the advancement of the field of dermatopathology.

Training Locations

• Moffitt Cancer Center

• USF Health Morsani Center

• James A. Haley VA Hospital 

Resources

• Sample Contract
• Salary & Benefits

Handbooks

• Dermatopathology Fellowship Handbook
• Graduate Medical Education Resident/Fellow Handbook

Applications are moving to FellowshipCAS and set to participate in the MATCH!

The USF Health/Moffitt Cancer Center Dermatopathology Fellowship will transition to FellowshipCAS for future application cycles.

FellowshipCAS applications are anticipated to open in October 2026.

Prospective applicants should monitor this webpage and FellowshipCAS for detailed application instructions, requirements, and timelines as they become available. 

Our program takes 1 fellow per year.

Applicant Requirements

Applicants must have successfully completed or be on track to complete:

• An ACGME-accredited Dermatology Residency, or ACGME-accredited Pathology Residency

Program Director

Paul Rodriguez-Waitkus, MD, PhD
Program Director, Dermatopathology Fellowship

USF Dermatopathology Laboratory
12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, MDC 79
Tampa, FL 33612

Phone: (813) 974-4908
Fax: (813) 821-8355
prodrig4@usf.edu

Program Contacts

Kimberly Jones, MBA
Program Administrator
KimberlyJones@usf.edu

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