Careers in Pathology

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Careers in Pathology
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• Is it the work you see on TV programmes like
  Silent Witness and CSI?

60 of people believe that pathologists only
cut up dead people.
Less than 33 know that pathologists diagnose
diseases of living people.
What is pathology?
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Pathology is the study of disease
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Histopathologists

• Look at tissues and cells removed from patients
• Use microscopes and a trained eye to discover
  disease
• Tell the patients doctor what is wrong

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Histopathologists

• Diagnose cancers and other serious
  illnesses......
• .........but they also often have good news
• Carry out post mortem examinations to find out
  why someone has died

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• A good attention to detail
• Being able to work well under pressure
• Communication skills
• Being able to work as part of a team

Skills required
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Haematologists

• Study and treat diseases of the blood cells and
  bone marrow
• Diagnose and treat blood clotting abnormalities
  
• Are responsible for ensuring that blood
  transfusions are safe

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Haematologists

• Care for people with anaemia, leukaemias,
  thrombosis and bleeding problems such as
  haemophilia
• Work in labs diagnosing disease, as well as
  caring for patients

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• Inter-personal skills
• Being able to empathise withpatients
• Interpretative skills
• Good written communicationskills

Skills required
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Medical Microbiologists

• Used to mainly work in labs but are now out on
  the wards seeing patients
• Give advice about many infection control issues
• Give advice on the correct treatment of
  infections

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Medical Microbiologists

• Collaborate with colleagues and deal directly
  with patients, as well as work in the lab
• Make new and unexpected discoveries impacting on
  patients health

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• Patience
• Curiosity
• Team player
• Persistent
• Good communicator

Skills required
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Clinical Biochemists

• Diagnose diseases where the bodys chemistry
  goes wrong
• Test body fluids such as blood, urine, saliva
  and spinal fluid
• Work in the lab but also have an important
  clinical role

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Clinical Biochemists

• Spend time looking at patients test results to
  see what is normal and what is abnormal
• Abnormal results will be discussed with patients
  doctor

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• Communication skills
• An eye for detail
• Leadership skills
• Organisational skills

Skills required
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Immunologists

• Deal with a wide range of clinical problems,
  including genetic and acquired immune
  deficiencies
• Work in many different areas of biomedical
  research, as well as in healthcare

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Immunologists

• Investigate why the immune system can attack the
  body's own tissues
• Develop vaccines to combat diseases like HIV
• Study the causes of allergies
• Investigate ways to stop the body rejecting
  transplants

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• Communication skills
• Management skills
• Excellent ability in biology
• Problem solver
• Be able to work independently

Skills required
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UK pathologists 2007
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Histocompatibility Immunogenetics
Genetics
Veterinary Pathology
Transfusion Medicine
Haematology
Histopathology
Clinical Biochemistry
Oral Pathology
Medical Microbiology
Clinical Embryology
Immunology
Cytopathology
Dermatopathology
Virology
Toxicology
Forensic Pathology
Paediatric Pathology
18 different specialties
Neuropathology
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Pathology the essential service
400 million biochemistry tests
120 million haematology tests
30 million microbiology requests
13 million histopathology slides

• .Pathology is involved in over
• 70 of diagnoses...
• ...thats 14 tests for every person in England
  per year

Pathology Services in England Wales
(2002/03) Source Audit Commission