Pathologist Career
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Pathologist Job Description
A pathologist studies the existence of a disease in the human body; including its causes, manifestations and its progress. He will inspect blood and fluid samples to make a diagnosis. Pathology is a broad field that focuses on the changes taking place within cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems due to a disease.
Pathologist Skills/Duties
Pathologists carry out laboratory tests to identify and comprehend disease conditions in patients. They diagnose the disease present and also determine the stage of the disease. They calculate the progress and prognosis of the disorder and thus, help establish the best way to treat it.
They are employed in hospitals, laboratories, schools, colleges, and universities. They may conduct laboratory work or research or teach. They are engaged at government offices related to public health, agriculture, law enforcement, etc. Private companies that manufacture products like insecticides, cosmetics and drugs also provide work for pathologists.
A pathologist acts like a consultant to other health care professionals. While pathologists do not treat the patients on their own, they conduct laboratory tests to diagnose the ailment in the patients. They carry out investigations on body fluids, tissues, discharges, secretions, and other samples to identify the disease and to find out its stage. He evaluates the degree of severity, estimates the course it is expected to take, and also suggests methods to manage the disorder.
They also perform autopsies to conclude the nature and extent of the disease, the cause of death, and effects of treatment. They direct activities of the pathology department in hospitals, clinics, medical school, health care centers, medical examiner's office, or research institutes.
Surgeons may discuss with pathologists, in case they have unexpected problems during a surgery. Pathologists frequently stand by during an operation, to analyze specimens taken from the patient's body. The patient may be kept under anesthesia whilst the pathologist evaluates the specimens.
Pathologists organize, direct and oversee the work of laboratory technologists who get ready specimens; or may even conduct some laboratory tests themselves.
Pathologist Education and Training
• You need to obtain a Medical degree from a recognized university, and then follow specific educational requirements of pathology within the field.
• Practically all education programs in pathology necessitate research and medical laboratory work; these skills being important in later career practice.
• Education in pathology enables the physician to be a specialist in diagnosing disease conditions, through investigations, tests and sampling.
• The American Board of Pathology acknowledges anatomic as well as clinical pathologists, and officially states their training for use in a career situation.
• Pathologists frequently specialize in one field, such as, hematology, neuro-pathology, blood banking, forensic pathology, gynecologic pathology, medical chemistry, medical microbiology, soft tissue pathology, surgical pathology crypto-pathology, or radio-isotopic pathology.
Pathologist Job Outlook
Like all health care jobs, the prospect for pathologists looks good. Pathologists are employed in laboratories. They may also work in the education or forensics field.
Pathologist Salary
The median annual salary of a pathologist is about $210,984.
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