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Pathologist |
Career OverviewThe word pathology derives from the Greek word for feeling or pain. Pathology is literally the study of feeling, pathos, according to its literal translation.
In medicine, however, pathology more specifically concerns the study of the processes of disease; how the human body becomes diseased and how it responds to the state of illness, harmful abnormality, or dysfunction. Not only is pathology a key branch of medicine, its concerns are so far ranging, it is also a very important field in biology. It relates to the study of living organisms of many different levels.
Many pathologists are fascinated by the structural and functional changes of cells, tissues, and organs affected by disease, malformation, or malfunction. Their field forms the backbone of scientific practice and requires an astounding professional dedication.
Patients rarely meet them, but a pathologist may have an extremely important role in the patient outcome. They work in the background in the medical field but they participate in virtually every element of clinical practice.
They may be responsible for processing and reporting on specimens generated during surgery. During surgeries, samples are taken from submitted specimens, stained, and processed for microscopic evaluation. Pathologists are responsible for microscopic examinations to search for diseases and malformations of any kind in cell or tissue samples.
In some instances, pathologists will meet patients. Some samples require a highly technical approach for collection that a pathologist is best trained to perform. Such approaches or procedures include collections for bone marrow biopsies, from aspirations, and fine needle aspirations of superficial nodules that require investigation.
Pathologists are trained medical doctors who often work with medical technologists in medical laboratories to assist with the diagnosis of patients who have a range of conditions.
For the most part, pathologists are responsible for the lab results to which clinical doctors and specialist practitioners refer to assist their diagnosis. They may also be called upon to perform or assist with autopsies, particularly when the precise cause of death is unknown.
Although they also exist as specialist fields, there are a number of techniques used in pathology to achieve a diagnosis. Gross pathology involves macroscopic examinations of surgical specimens during a surgery or an autopsy. Histology involves the microscopic study of tissue samples to discover evidence of disease.
Cytology is the study of detached cells and involves the microscopy examination of such sells to determine whether a disease is present. One of the most common procedures involving the application of cytology is the PAP smear used to detect forms of STDs and evidence of cancerous cells affecting the cervix.
Clinical chemistry is a broad practice of performing chemical measurements of body samples, including cell and tissue samples. Immunology is the practice of reviewing immune markers and antibodies in blood samples to diagnose disease.
Flow cytometry is a procedure that allows for the specific identification of cells in a sample to facilitate diagnosis of disease. Molecular biology, a broad field within pathology, involves the use of various techniques to diagnose diseases, predominantly cancers or microbiological diseases.
Whilst trained pathologists may apply knowledge from all of the above discussed areas of the field, there are opportunities to specialize in the areas of practice and to focus upon applying a specific set of techniques in diagnostic procedures.
Pathology is a broad and exciting field. As medical knowledge becomes increasing sophisticated, applying advanced knowledge of genetics to diagnose a range of conditions, pathology will remain at the center of the field and become only more significant to the practice of medicine. The field will continue to offer a vast range of exciting and challenging opportunities for qualified individuals.
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Career RequirementsA pathologist must fulfil the education and experience requirements established by federal and state government to practice medicine.
For entry into any education program to become a pathologist, a doctor of medicine degree is required from an approved school of medicine. It is often mandatory that candidates complete at least four years of graduate medical education in pathology before practicing independently.
To work as a pathologist, an individual must complete four years of medical school, a one-year internship, and three years of residency, specializing in pathology. Opportunities for additional fellowship training exist in various subfields of pathology, including anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, cytology and histology.
Due to the vastness and diversity of the practical knowledge required for a physician to perform as a pathologist, experience in different areas of pathology are vital to professional development.
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Job OutlookThe health care system is becoming increasingly complex and as a result is facilitating a change in its procedures. Specialist medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, can expect to find ready employment for the next ten years, and a vast choice of career tracks open to them as the demand for their professional skills far outweighs the supply of candidates.
Pathologists are, however, a bedrock within the medical field. Whether it is blood, urine, or tissue cells, pathologists almost always review samples taken from patients. Their knowledge of disease, at its most fundamental level, is vital to creating a positive outcome for patient care. It is also crucial in many cases of injury.
As pathology is a specialist branch of medicine that combines scientific practices and often involves laboratory work, it is a highly selective pursuit. Most medical students have a flawed perception of what pathology is until they are introduced to in during their course of study.
On the other hand, it does attract some of the top graduates of medical schools and, for this reason, is a highly competitive field. The future demands upon pathologists may emphasize research into genetics and the most elementary functions of cells.
Dynamic, engaging, competitive, lucrative, and pivotal, pathology is a field of medicine that will continue to expand well into the future, offering an excellent job outlook for current and future graduates of the field.
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Career TrackAs with most areas of medicine, there are a number of subspecialties within the field of pathology. A pathologist may study forms of disease as a general practitioner or investigator. A pathologist may also specialize in assessing disease at one of the four main stages. They may focus upon etiology, or pathogenesis.
They may also work to assess morphologic changes and clinical significance of diseases and organism malfunctions. Etiology is the study of the causes of disease; pathogenesis is the study of how diseases are caused by etiological factors; morphologic changes are those that affect the structure of cells, tissues, and organs; and the clinical significance is the relation of the morphologic changes to the actual functioning of the cells, tissues, organs, or organisms.
Other specialist fields include gross pathology, histology, cytology, clinical chemistry, immunology, flow cytometry, and molecular biology.
Employment opportunities exist, and are likely to increase, for pathologists to practice and specialize in areas of practice, to teach at universities and teaching hospitals, to research in specialist facilities, and to set policies for government agencies and health care agencies to facilitate the improvement of health through the application of knowledge from the field.
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CompensationThe average reported salary for a typical pathologist in the United States is approximately $215,000 per year. Depending upon their qualifications and experience, most pathologists in the United States earn between $175,000 and $250,000 per year.
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