Becoming A Clinical Pathologist

“Contrary to what the stereotypes suggest, not all doctors think they are the only ones with the answers. In fact, more than 70 percent of physician’s decisions are based on laboratory results”(Katz). While the doctors may have a good idea about the diagnosis based upon their past experience and expertise, the definitive and final diagnosis always rests with the pathologist. Although clinical pathology is a very important medical field it does not always get the recognition it deserves, one of its biggest challenges is that not a lot of talented young people enter into it because it has never been a center of attention and most people assume that their doctors run the tests, the assets that pathologists bring to the table are incredibly valuable, …show more content…
While in medical school it is important to learn as much as possible about the field of pathology. Afterwards another three to four years spent completing a residency and certification by the American Board of Pathology is required. requiring renewal every 10 years. As part of certification, pathologists must enroll in continuing education classes. (Hébert 322) Once a person becomes a pathologist they will be required to stay up to date on current medical information relevant to the field and on current medical technology …show more content…
Most pathologists work in hospital laboratories but there are multiple places medical pathologists can work such as in government agencies, hospitals and schools. Many pathologists decide to teach others in their area, sometimes passing on their knowledge and experience to other pathologists at conferences or working with medical students in a school environment. The rapid changes in scientific and technological discovery mean that pathologists must keep up to date on new discoveries in the field. During their day, pathologists are often called upon immediately to examine surgical specimens in the operatign room. This may range from cutting opening a stomach to identify a disease process to opening segments of intestine to ensure that the surgeon has taken adequate margins and depending on the case frozen sections may be performed , this is a rapid diagnosis where a small sample of the specimen is chosen and rapidly frozen. This frozen tissue is then cut into very thin sections ,placed upon a microscope slide, and then stained with some special solutions. Then the slide is looked at under the microscope and a diagnosis is given. The process takes only around 10 minutes but can change the whole course of a surgery. What was thought to be an infectious process by the surgeon, may now turn out to be