Post Doctoral Certificate Course in Oncopathology

Eligibility criteria

The standard eligibility is MD/DNB in Pathology from a recognised institution. This is explicitly specified by institutions such as Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital and Amrita, although exact admission rules can vary between institutes

Post-Doctoral Certificate Course in Onco-Pathology (PDCC)

The Post-Doctoral Certificate Course (PDCC) in Onco-Pathology is an advanced, usually one-year, postgraduate training programme for qualified pathologists who want focused expertise in the diagnosis and management-oriented evaluation of cancers. The course combines advanced histopathology and cytopathology with exposure to immunohistochemistry and newer molecular diagnostic techniques.

Course overview

The programme generally focuses on:

1. Diagnostic surgical pathology of malignant and premalignant lesions.
2. Histopathological evaluation and cancer classification across major organ systems.
3. Cytopathology and interpretation of malignant cells.
4. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for tumour diagnosis, classification and prognostic/predictive assessment.
5. Molecular pathology, including exposure to FISH, molecular testing and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
6. Flow cytometry, particularly where relevant to haematolymphoid malignancies.
7. Proper handling and processing of cancer tissue specimens.
8. Structured cancer reporting and correlation of pathological findings with clinical and radiological information.