Sara Hoffman, D.O.

Resident, PGY 1

Medical School:
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine

Personal Interests:
Music, art, traveling, learning about history and different cultures, fitness, movies, documentaries, reading, dancing.

Reason for Choosing UC Davis:
I am impressed by the world class faculty, campus community, supportive environment, and strong training in AP and CP. In addition, Sacramento offers beautiful scenery and is a great location.

Clinical Interests:

• Dermatopathology
• GI Pathology
• Surgical Pathology
• Molecular Genetics
• Cytology

Research Interests:

• Dermatopathology
• GI Pathology
• Surgical Pathology

CV Highlights / Brief Biography:

I was accepted to the Cytotechnology program in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the UCLA Medical Center in August of 2005. I successfully completed the one year program and passed the American Society for Clinical Pathology cytotechnology board exam. During the program, I learned how to identify abnormal cells and organisms throughout all parts of the body with the microscope. Thus, I have an excellent background for a career in pathology. I also completed a research project “Follow-up of Thyroid FNA Diagnosis Including Correlation with Size of Nodule” and presented it to the UCLA Department of Pathology. I am a life-long learner and continued my education at the UC Irvine School of Medicine in the master of science genetic counseling degree program. I demonstrated that I am a self starter by creating my own research project and IRB for my hypothesis driven thesis. I collected my own data for my project and my research is published in the peer reviewed journal Pathology-Research and Practice. The manuscript is titled “Phenotypic and genotypic differences in colorectal carcinoma among Caucasians, Asians, and Hispanics lack statistical significance”. There is a paucity of data in studies of carcinoma characteristics in minority populations, and my research provided data regarding differences in microsatellite instability, BRAF and KRAS mutations in colorectal carcinoma. Pathologists take care of and participate in the care of many patients. I worked as a genetic counselor for four years and took care of hundreds of patients, and am ideally prepared to fulfill that role as a pathologist. During my 4 week clinical rotation at the University of New Mexico Department of Pathology, I looked at a variety of cases, including histopathology and cytology. I find looking at cases in the microscope fascinating. My mentors are very supportive and have helped me in my endeavors. When I was younger, I played the piano and flute, and participated in gymnastics, ballet, jazz, and tap dance. In addition, I was Clara in the Nutcracker and played Louisa in the Sound of Music. My interests and hobbies include art, music, traveling, pilates, museums, and dancing.

Publications:

Danciger M, Lyon J, Worrill D, Hoffman S, et al. "New retinal light damage QTL in mice with the light-sensitive RPE65 LEU variant". Mamm Genome. 2004;15(4):277-283. doi:10.1007/s00335-003-2336-2

Hoffman SJ, Wu ML. "Phenotypic and genotypic differences in colorectal carcinoma among Caucasians, Asians, and Hispanics lack statistical significance". Pathol Res Pract. 2018;214(5):720-726. doi:10.1016/j.prp.2018.03.008