What is a pathologist?
Among the anatomic pathologist’s most essential tools is the microscope, which is used to examine body tissues, cells and fluids for signs of disease. The pathologist identifies those microscopic changes and interprets them to arrive at a diagnosis. This vital information forms the basis for patient treatment. Although pathologists have limited direct patient contact, they are essential members of the patient’s primary health care team. They participate in the day-to-day care of patients by providing and interpreting laboratory information to help solve diagnostic problems and monitor the effects of therapy. Pathologists practice preventive medicine by ruling out diseases or detecting them early. They serve as consultants to other physicians regarding selection of diagnostic tests, interpretation of results, treatment options and monitoring of therapy. Pathologists also perform fine needle aspirations, and provide surgical assistance by performing rapid tissue (“frozen section”) examin
A. Pathologists are medical doctors who specialize in diagnosis of disease by studying tissue samples. They make diagnosis from tissue samples removed during surgery through microscopic study. As a member of your healthcare team, their findlings help your doctor understand the nature of the disease process in a patient and plan the treatment. See our Pathologists page for more information.
Medicine is made up of many specialties. Most of us know you see a cardiologist for a heart problem, a dermatologist for skin problems and a gynecologist for women’s health issues. When then, do you see a pathologist? Maybe never, but they see you. Pathologists are physicians who diagnose and treat patients through laboratory medicine. When your cardiologist orders blood tests, a pathologist reviews the results for abnormalities; when your dermatologist removes a skin lesion for biopsy, a pathologist decides if it is cancerous; and when your gynecologist does a Pap test, a pathologist determines the result of the slide. Sometimes called the “doctor’s doctor”, pathologists work on your medical team along with your general physician and any other necessary specialists. By analyzing routine tests, pathologists alert your physician to any changes in your health early, when successful treatment is most likely. Pathologists use lab tests to either identify a disease or to rule out other dise
A Pathologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the “study of disease”. Pathologists examine tissue and body fluid specimens removed from patients and determine the diagnosis. Treatment decisions are often made based on the pathology report. Pathologists also perform autopsies and oversee clinical laboratories that analyze patients blood and body fluid specimens. Pathologists attend four years of medical school followed by three to four years of residency training in pathology. Many have also completed an additional one or two year fellowship program in a specialized area of pathology.
A pathologist is a medical doctor who has specialized after receiving his or her degree, in pathology. This specialization in the US usually means another three to four years of study and practice prior to becoming board certified as a pathologist. Pathology is, in essence, the study of blood, fluid, and tissue samples, which allow doctors to make diagnoses of various illnesses, by looking for specific factors lacking or present in these samples. In medical care, the pathologist is a very valuable part of the medical team, since many diseases are diagnosed or ruled out by microscopic and lab analysis of fluid, blood, or tissue samples. There are several subspecialties in pathology, which a pathologist might choose to enter. Some master all or at least several subspecialties so that work and career path can be more diverse. A distinction also must be made between anatomical pathologists and clinical pathologists. Most clinical pathologists oversee pathology labs, and the lab workers or
