Pathologists are medical doctors who work behind-the-scenes in laboratories, investigating diseases. Using various laboratory techniques, they examine tissue, blood, and body fluid samples from patients to diagnose diseases. They pass this information on to patients’ attending physicians, who are then able to treat their patients accordingly.
For instance, imagine a patient has come to a physician with symptoms suggesting a blood disorder. The physician will have a blood sample taken, and send the sample to a laboratory to be examined by a pathologist.
Using a microscope to examine the specimen, the pathologist will look for signs of disease. Other diagnostic tests may be performed on the sample as well. After interpreting the results of the examination and tests, the pathologist will issue a report and provide the diagnosis to the physician, who can then treat the patient, if necessary.
Besides diagnosing diseases, pathologists also provide physicians with information about the progress and consequences of patients’ diseases. This information is vital to the attending physicians, who use it to determine how best to treat their patients. In many cases the physicians consult with the pathologist when making treatment decisions.
While pathologists are responsible for interpreting laboratory tests and making diagnoses, they do not always perform the actual testing and examination work themselves. Instead, some lab tests carried out by medical lab techs or by machines. However, pathologists are responsible for supervising the techs, ensuring the tests are accurate, and helping techs evaluate the test results.
Although many pathologists are generalists, others specialize in certain areas. For instance, anatomical pathologists concentrate on examining tissues to diagnose disease. Hematopathologists diagnose diseases involving blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, while neuropathologists concentrate on diagnosing brain, nerve, and muscle diseases.
Perhaps the best-known subspecialty is forensic pathology. These pathologists perform autopsies on patients who have died unexpectedly, in order to determine the cause of death. However, only a small percentage of pathologists work in the area of forensic pathology.
NOC Code: 3111