Did you know that with approximately 1,400 dedicated caregivers processing more than 20 million tests annually, the laboratories at the Cleveland Clinic are often cited as the largest volume hospital laboratories in the United States?
These world-class labs touch virtually every patient treated at the Cleveland Clinic, as well as thousands of patients around the globe. The OMI is proud to partner with such an influential institution as well as the renowned Medical University of Vienna for the organization of two seminars annually: Cardiac Surgery and Pathology. This week’s course focused on pathology, specifically the subspecialties of genitourinary pathology, head and neck pathology, perinatal pathology/ placenta, and hepatobiliary pathology.
36 physicians from 25 countries, amongst them Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nigeria, Slovenia, Tanzania, and Uzbekistan, participated in the pathology seminar that took place from November 30 to December 6, 2025. These lucky few were selected out of 220 applicants, demonstrating the popularity of the course. The global dynamic of the group, paired with the unique location of Schloss Arenberg, created a learning-friendly atmosphere where fellows felt comfortable asking complex questions, comparing diagnostic approaches and challenges, and learning from each other’s healthcare systems.
The young participants were thrilled to learn from eight top experts in the field. The faculty was made up of leading academic pathologists and researchers, namely course director Dr. Jesse McKenney, the Vice Chair for faculty development in the Department of Pathology at the Cleveland Clinic, co-course director Dr. Renate Kain, Head of the Department of Pathology at the Medical University in Vienna, Dr. Vincent Cracolici, Dr. Mohamed El Hag, Dr. Jonathan Slack (Cleveland Clinic), as well as Dr. Behrang Mozayani, Dr. Anke Scharrer, and Dr. Ingrid Simonitsch-Klupp (Medical University of Vienna).
“This week’s seminar was an interactive in-person experience intended to provide education and inspire future development. It focused on genitourinary, liver, head and neck, and pediatric/perinatal pathology. Specific topics included the pathologic diagnosis of prostate cancer, bladder tumors, renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular neoplasia, common pediatric tumors, thyroid cancer, and salivary gland tumors. Non-neoplastic topics were placental infections/vascular disorders and autoimmune/inflammatory disorders of the liver. The week offered ample opportunity for discussions between faculty and fellows, and the development of collegial relationships for future learning and study,” summarized the course director.
Faculty member Dr. Vincent Cracolici is a surgical pathologist specializing in diseases of the head and neck at the Cleveland Clinic. He shared his first impressions of the OMI program in a powerful statement: “Serving as a faculty member for the surgical pathology seminar has been an excellent experience. The OMI fellows are enthusiastic, engaged, and highly motivated. The OMI staff are attentive and dedicated to the needs of the faculty and fellows alike. It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to further the mission of the OMI with such skilled and intelligent participants in the beautiful, historic setting of Salzburg.”
Adriána Šmirjáková, MD
OMI fellow from Slovakia
“Dr. Cracolici’s lecture on salivary gland pathology was my personal favorite. The subject being one of my biggest diagnostic challenges, the lecture helped me to understand this huge and complicated topic more by defining the entities in great detail for better comprehension.”
Abebaw Wodajo, MD
OMI fellow from Ethiopia
“Dr. Scharrer’s presentation on fetal and perinatal autopsy was excellent. Her slides were full of high-quality images, and at times it felt as though we were performing the dissections ourselves. She shared real autopsy cases, allowing us to see rare findings that we normally only read about in textbooks.”
Blagjica Lazarova, MD
OMI fellow from North Macedonia
“Although each of the faculty members contributed equally to my knowledge improvement, my highlights were the uropathology lessons from Dr. McKenney. I was impressed by his presentation skills and will apply his valuable tips for routine pathology practice.”
