By: Anushka Matta
In the midst of the frantic hustle and bustle in hospitals, pathologists are often overlooked and hidden behind the major disasters and diseases that circulate in daily life. In reality, pathologists are the hard-working individuals that help diagnose many of these notable diseases in every day patients. Behind the scenes, they are constantly running labs, coming up with treatment plans, and finding cures to treat and diagnose all of the patients that come into the hospitals. In fact, pathologists are considered as “the doctor’s doctor” as they run the lab results and examine tissue and DNA samples to help physicians diagnose their patients in order to find the best treatment plan for them. Therefore, pathologists are the true unnoticed heroes that help detect and solve the patients’ problems. Pathology is a very intriguing medical profession which is very meticulous and detail- oriented. Unlike other fields, the profession of pathology is are not associated with one organ. Pathologists may come across multiple diseases in many organs and even subspecialize to become experts in one type of tissue. Overall, pathology is a great medical profession that will always bring something new to the table!
Who are Pathologists?
Traditionally, a pathologist is a medical healthcare provider who examines bodies and body tissues. They are also responsible for performing lab tests. A pathologist helps other healthcare providers and physicians reach their conclusions on a proper diagnosis and treatment plans for their patients. Pathologists work on a very broad spectrum, they could be testing tissue and blood samples or be a part of a molecular genetics research. In hospitals, pathologists frequently look at slides of the specimen in order to make a diagnosis. Additionally, if a disease is unknown in a deceased person, a pathologist may also perform autopsies in order to further investigate the cause of death. Pathologists work together with surgeons, oncologists, hematologists, and all the other medical specialties. Pathologists commonly practice in community, university, and government hospitals and clinics. Also they could potentially practice in independent laboratories, private offices, and other medical facilities.
Pathologists Role in a Patient’s Care
If a biopsy of a tumor is taken during surgery, a pathologist will become involved for further testing. The pathologist takes samples of the cells and examines the case to present a clear diagnosis to the other physicians responsible for the patient. Other times, pathologists perform fine- needle aspiration, a process where a needle is used to take a small sample of cells, to test for various diseases. They examine the organs, tissues, body fluids, cells of the samples to specifically name characteristics of a disease a patient may be facing.
Branches of Pathology
There are two main branches of pathology which are anatomical and clinical.
Anatomical (or anatomic) Pathology : Involves looking at tissue samples - usually, organ tissue- to diagnose conditions like cancer.
Clinical Pathology: About lab-testing bodily fluids and tissues to identify diseases or abnormalities.
Subspecialties of Pathology
Blood Banking/ Transfusion: Includes monitoring, processing, and compatibility of blood products
Chemical Pathology: This is the study of organic and inorganic substances in body fluids, including toxicology.
Clinical Informatics: This is the study of informational systems, databases, and quality control and assurances
Cytopathology: This field includes cellular alterations in disease. Cytopathology is often used to diagnose cancer.
Dermatopathology: This is a subspecialty of both pathology and dermatology. These pathologists specialize in interpreting skin biopsies. Dermatopathological results can help diagnose common skin diseases, as well as complex immunological diseases.
Forensic Pathology: These pathologists study tissue in people who died suddenly, unexpectedly, or violently.
Hematology: This is the study of disease, illness, and dysfunction of the blood
Medical Microbiology: This is the study of infectious organisms and antibiotic susceptibilities.
Molecular Genetic Pathology: This is the study of genetic markers and testing.
Neuropathology: This is the study of the nervous system. Neuropathology can help diagnose neurological diseases.
Pediatric Pathology: This is the study of pathology in children.
Pathway to Pathology
Just like any other medical profession, becoming a pathologist can be strenuous but a little bit of diligence and commitment can take you a long way. The first step to becoming a pathologist is to acquire a four-year bachelor’s degree. In order to get admitted into medical school, there are specific prerequisite courses that one must take. These courses include (but are not limited to): biology, chemistry, and physics. Some of the courses must be taken with labs as well. Along with working towards a bachelor’s degree, pre- medical students should participate in research, volunteering in clinics and hospitals, and shadowing doctors to gain more experience in the medical field. Students will also have to take the MCAT while working towards a high GPA. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, students will apply to medical school. The first two years of medical school will be dealing with coursework in the sciences and studying the body systems. The next two years will then require the students to do clinical rotations in different areas to gain more training. Pathology isn’t a required rotation so it must be taken as an elective. A medical license will be earned through passing medical school and the USMLE test. In some states a background check and understanding of medical law and ethics must be shown to get a medical license as well. After gaining a medical degree, students should apply to residency programs which last four years for anatomic pathology and five years for anatomic/clinical pathology. During residency, the residents will receive instruction in autopsies, image analysis, cytogenetics, molecular diagnostics, and protein biochemistry. Meanwhile, residents also receive many opportunities to do research and take electives. As they gain more experience, residents will gain more freedom in making their own decisions. Nearing the end of the residency program, pathologists must be licensed by their state to practice medicine and be certified by the American Board of Pathology by taking an oral exam with board members. Then, if a pathologist wants to subspecialize, residents can apply to fellowship programs to further their knowledge and hone in on and practice a specific part of pathology. After that, pathologists will need to recertify every 10 years through the American Board of Pathology.
Prep for Pathology
In high school, students should take a lot of the advanced and accelerated STEM courses that the school provides on the route to pathology. Students should take classes such as biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus. In order to boost communication skills, high schoolers might take English compositions, speech, foreign language, and drama classes. Psychology can help students learn about human nature and explore the mind-body connection as well in order to holistically prepare for pathology. In college, any chemical, biological, or medical major can help to stay on track and learn more about pathology.
Programs for Pathology
A lot of colleges provide programs for highschoolers in order to familiarize students with pathology and learn many of the jobs that pathologists carry out on a daily basis.
Tufts University: Bioinformatics Inquiry Through Sequencing
Boston College: Forensic Discovery Summer Science Program
Tufts University: Health Science Honors
Georgetown University: Medical Immersion
University of Chicago: Research in the Biological Science ( RIBS)
Why Pathology
Although pathology takes a lot of time and dedication in the long run, it is a fulfilling and captivating profession. Pathologists will always be in great demands as illnesses and diseases will always occur in everyday life and the future. Pathologists utilize a variety of medical instrumentation and technology in order to solve challenging diseases. Pathology allows a balanced life as the time allotted to pathology is not as extreme as other specializations and pathology does not require as much patient interaction. The salary for pathologists is decent as the average salary is $200,890 per year. In the next few years the job market for pathologists is projected to increase by 11.4%, making it easier to find a job in the future. A pathologist has a broad variety of jobs in medicine, and pathology is a great option to look into if you want to pursue it as a career in medicine in the future!