Pathology is the branch of medicine concerned with the cause of disease and the study of disease processes. It bridges science and medicine and underpins every aspect of medicine, from diagnostic testing to cutting-edge genetic technologies.
Whenever someone has a blood test, a cervical smear or a lump removed, it will be a pathologist who looks at the specimen to work out if there’s any disease present. Millions of pathology tests are carried out every year - over 14 tests each year for every man, woman and child in the country.
This vital investigative work in teasing out an accurate diagnosis is needed by physicians and surgeons to guide them in treatment decisions, making pathology the science behind the cure and a key player in patient care.
The Misconceptions
- Pathologists work with the dead.
- Pathologists do repetitive and isolated work, confined to the lab in the bowels of the hospital.
- Pathologists are non-communicative, social misfits.
The Reality
- Forensic pathology is just one branch of pathology; the vast majority of pathologists investigate samples taken from living patients.
- Pathology offers a wide variety of disciplines - there are 18 in total and each has its own training programme and exams. Information about the four largest specialties is given on the following pages.
- Pathology services are provided by teams in a variety of practice settings. Some specialties are largely lab-based, others also involve working on hospital wards and in outpatient clinics.
- Pathology is intellectually challenging. Excellent communication skills are essential for effective communication between colleagues and in clinical multidisciplinary team meetings.
- Unlike in some medical specialty training, in pathology you follow the specialty of your choice from completion of foundation training.
- Most pathologists work family friendly hours; weekend duties, ‘on-call’ and night shifts are the exception rather than the rule.
