What is the ‘C’ in ASCP?
May 2008 ASCP President’s Message by Lee Hilborne, MD, MPH, DLM(ASCP)CM, FASCP, FCAP On the surface the answer to my question seems easy. Most members probably already know that ASCP stands for the American Society for Clinical Pathology, an organization formed in 1922 to meet the needs of practicing pathologists throughout the United States. Few people within the profession would get this wrong on a multiple choice exam, but many, including new pathology residents, are less certain about what “clinical” really means. What is the source of the confusion? Probably the biggest issue is that the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine in the U.S. traditionally has been split into anatomic pathology and clinical pathology. So, it is not very surprising that some people, including those among us who practice traditional histopathology, incorrectly conclude that ASCP is not for them because they don’t practice “clinical pathology.” Clearing Things Up When ASCP was founded 86 years ago,
