Pathology is a career in biology that studies pathogens and disease, how they spread and the prevention of them. They also verify and interpret blood and tissue samples in order to diagnose and treat patients, and they are the mystery-solvers, searching for causes and diagnoses. There are many different branches of this career, but I have chosen clinical pathology as my branch.
Clinical pathologists work more closely in the environment of diagnosis and treatment of patients. They facilitate testing, making sure the samples are safe and identifying the specific cause of disease and, therefore, the best treatment. However, an anatomic pathologist works with surgeons and provide immediate diagnoses in emergency, unlike the forensic pathologists that slowly examine evidence and assist the police in answering
…show more content…
questions about a particular crime like cause of or time of death. Surgical and autopsy pathologists perform tests on patients and deceased patients, diagnose or decide cause of death, and report their findings to the family, hospital, or at pathology conferences. A clinical pathologist is someone who would work in a hospital beside the doctors and patients, anatomic pathologists also work in hospitals but assist the surgeons rather than the doctors, forensic pathologists would work in laboratories inside of near police stations or government buildings, and other pathologists may work in research laboratories, university laboratories, community hospitals, government facilities, private practices, or at medical schools and colleges teaching interested students. Pathology is an extensive scientific career pertaining to the biology of humans and identifying the problems in human bodies. Pathology is an advanced field that requires basic medical knowledge as well as basic scientific knowledge. Starting with high school, a student interested in pathology should take math and science courses as well as AP biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus. Communication and listening is also a big part of pathology as they listen to and interpret a patient’s symptoms and a doctor’s opinions. To help with communication skills taking English classes, speech classes, debate, and even drama can improve skills. However, a patient’s description of their own symptoms is not always clear and is biased toward how they feel and interpret pain and other bodily functions or malfunctions, so psychology classes are encouraged. Classes in psychology can also help a pathologist understand how the state of the mind is related to the state of the body and make more precise diagnoses. Medical experience in high school is always recommended, volunteering at medical facilities and clinics and summer study programs like the University of Massachusetts High School Health Careers Program. There are many ways for an up and coming pathologist to increase their knowledge of science and basic medical science. For the best extended education, Harvard or UCSF are the top choices for colleges to study pathology. All pathologists need a Medical Degree and a Masters Degree is encouraged for future success. After Harvard or UCSF and medical school, a pathologist will move on to their residency for four or five years after which they have to pass board certification examinations and obtain their license. Finally, after 8 years of advanced education, a pathologist can be hired and usually makes 150,000 to 180,000 dollars a year. However, the education does not stop with school. New research is always being presented about diseases and cures, so in order to be an effective pathologist, a person always has to be aware of the latest technologies and the latest diseases as well. When you have completed your education and training, the process of obtaining a job as pathologist may not be easy. However, it is significantly easier if you have started out as a pathologist’s assistant. Pathologist’s assistants are responsible for the timely examination of tissue, blood, or fluid samples acting under the direct supervision of the pathologist. They are essential to the diagnosis process, but in the end, the pathologist themselves makes the final diagnosis. Some of their other jobs are to provide proper maintenance for tools and equipment, obtain medical histories and records of patients, ensure cleanliness and supply adequacy, preparing samples for testing, coordinating pathology conferences, budget management, occasionally surgery and testing, photographing the specimens, and prepare the preliminary summarization of testing results. Another large part of their job may be to teach and interact with medical students or pathology students. However, the job of a PA varies by the branch of pathology they choose to go into to. The autopsy pathologist’s assistant will perform tests on, photograph, analyze tests on, and release corpses back to their families after testing. Unlike that, a surgical pathologist’s assistant will usually perform sample tests, analyze sample tests, prepare patients for surgery, perform surgery, and start the report of tests. Extended education and experience as a pathologist’s assistant can help a pathologist obtain a successful job. However a great career it may be, pathology has some disadvantages. One of the biggest advantages of studying pathology is the job outlook. The job outlook is about 18%, that basically means that it is growing exceptionally fast. This will require universities to have better pathology programs, the job itself to not disappear or become out-dated, and gives a person many peers going into the same field. However, this can also be a disadvantage considering that if pathology were to get too big, it would be much more difficult to find a well-paying job. Pathology requires eight years of expensive college education in order to pursue a career in that field. That amount of time, hard work, and money can leave a young pathologist greatly in debt and lacking a personal life. One advantage of eight years of education is the in-depth knowledge of pathology you would have and the likeliness that you will be paid very well for the rest of your life is very high. Another advantage of pathology is that it is a very important job. Whereas surgeons could one day be replaced by machines, no one and nothing in the near conceivable future will be able to do the job of a pathologist, finding diseases and curing them. A disadvantage is however, that although it is an important job, it is not a very layered one. When you are a pathologist there really is no way for you to advance in your career or gain more money unless you work a very well-paying company. So, the future chances of advancement come by your discovery and your reputation, then perhaps you could make more money, but possibly not. One major advantage is the salary. The average salary of a pathologist is about 174,00 dollars a year. With this money, school loans are easily paid off and life is well-lived. Despite any money though, the greatest disadvantage of being a pathologist are the patients. Patients and their diseases and diagnosis are like puzzles, but most puzzles take time and sometimes they take too much time. Patients can die and pass away because of a surgery pathologist’s mistake, the slow diagnoses of a clinical pathologist, and innocent people may suffer because of a forensic pathologist’s miscalculation. However, a surgical pathologist’s success may save a life, a forensic pathologist’s correct analysis can save many, a clinical pathologist’s diagnoses thousands, and a research pathologist’s discovery can save millions of lives. In conclusion, despite any setbacks or disadvantages, a pathologist can save many, many lives with their work. Annotated Bibliography "Become a Pathologist." Become a Pathologist - Careers - The College Board.
The College Board, 2015. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
This article focused on the education and preparation required for a pathologist. It recommended math, science, and communication classes in high school, as well as extra training courses at local colleges. Volunteering in health care facilities, it said, would also help gain experience in pathology. It dives into the specifics of pathology, the types and the special tasks involved with each.
"ExploreHealthCareers.org." Pathologist. American Dental Association, 2012. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
This website provides a basic rundown of pathology and how to pursue a career in pathology. From clinical pathology to forensic pathology, it provides descriptions of what each do, where they work, and what they would specialize in. For example, clinical pathologists would specialize in diagnosis and patient care and support. Finally, it included the average salary, job outlook, and the years of education required.
"Medical Pathologist: Job Description, Salary and Career Outlook."Study.com. Study.com, 2003. Web. 16 Sept.
2015. This website provided a specific description of the education and job of pathologist. According to the article, the job outlook is about 18%, which much higher than most other jobs. It also gives a specific salary average as $174,544 a year. With specific data and statistics, this website gave a simple and factual perception of pathology. It also provided the top schools in the nation for learning pathology, those being Stanford and UCSF. "Pathologists." Onetonline.org. American Job Center, 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2015. This source gave me a general overview of the knowledge and skills required to become a pathologist. For example, they must have a good understanding of biology in order to diagnose and identify diseases, their causes, symptoms, and cures. They also must have active listening skills in order to be able to fully understand a patient’s description of their symptoms and the other doctor’s and your assistant pathologist’s input on the matter. "What Is a Pathologists' Assistant? - American Association of Pathologists' Assistants (AAPA)." Pathologists Assistants. Yourmembershop.com, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2015. This source was incredibly useful for researching the job of a pathologist’s assistant. It provided the basic rundown of the purpose of a PA and the specific examples of the duties they may perform in specific jobs. For example a PA in surgical pathology usually tests samples and occasionally performs surgeries and tests as well as documenting the results of those tests and preparing a patient for surgery. Unlike surgical pathology, an autopsy pathologist’s assistant mostly analyzes, photographs, and records the tests done on corpses. They are also in charge of releasing the body back to the family after diagnosis and autopsy are performed.
You have to have an overall understanding of science and chemistry as well as math. This profession is for outgoing, friendly, loving, caring people who want to make a difference in someone’s life. Education is one of the most important factors in this field. Science is evolving everyday day and it is important to keep up with research. Not only being able to gain knowledge from the years of education but being able to diagnosis patients and giving them the proper treatment. It is important to have good communication skills when having to work with sick children and worried parents. To be able to ask questions by listening to the child and the parent and helping to understand the situation in order to get the child healthy. Diverse is the key to preparation. You will come in contact with many different
I came into this course with a lot of questions in regards to pathology, as well as patient care and how medical practitioners are affected emotionally by it. It was difficult hearing how patients are being diagnosed with cancer and even worse when they are told that they have a short time to live. I once heard in a hospital meeting, that an oncologist sees death every day and that nullifies the pain of losing a patient. I learned that this isn’t true. It is the emotional bond with a patient that helps medical practitioner value life and provide the best quality of life they
Being able to identify lumps, swelling, tissue damage, cysts, and the overwhelming news of the sex of a baby all have something in common, an ultrasound. Swelling of the spleen, kidney stones, blood clots, aneurysms, cancer and so much more can be identified through the works of an ultrasound’s imaging technique. Ultrasound involves many concepts, procedures, and careers. The amount of medical possibilities involved with ultrasounds is useful in major medical diagnostics. The field of ultrasounds and career opportunities are widely growing. As medical careers flourish, needs for technicians in many fields of medicine are increasing. Instead of a doctor choosing complex and risky surgery to find out problems within the body, they can now choose a safer path; the ultrasound path. Patient’s history and physical evaluation are building blocks to diagnostics but ultrasounds are much greater. They are powerful tools used to see beyond the skin into the depths of a person’s body. What ultrasounds are, what types there are, and what they are used for, and the education and careers available are the major themes found in research on the subject. Knowledge of ultrasound and its background may help one decide what career is best for them. Understanding the wide array of diagnostic tests and their uses are essential to figuring out what a career as a sonographer entails and the type of education that is needed. Because there are plenty of possibilities for specializing with different technologies, there is a wide variety of job opportunities in the medical imaging career. The call for ultrasound’s assistance opens new paths in future high-quality careers.
A cardiologist functions much like a regular doctor, in the sense that they’d examine their patients and attempt to find any irregularities in the operation of the heart. A cardiologist may recommend proper treatment and preventive methods for stopping the onset of some of the more dangerous heart conditions. Additionally, a cardiologist will be the primary source of information on a patient to a surgeon, should the patient need to be operated on. (HEALTH CARE CAREERS,
Many people have never heard of an epidemiologist, epidemiologists are responsible for studying and helping control patters of injury and disease in the human population. I found epidemiology to be very interesting because I did not know such a career existed. It is the perfect mixture of the health and science field which intrigued me to learn more about what they do. I would love to study how specific epidemics can impact humans and hopefully be able to find a vaccine for an epidemic one day.
There are six general areas in forensic. Theres a medical examiner, crime laboratory analyst,crime scene examiner and a forensic engineer. determining which one you want can be hard, but its easier to talk to someone who does that job. They can tell you different things about the job.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, Forensic Technicians observe and go over the crime scene. They also determine evidence that should be collected. You take pictures of the crime sight and the evidence you would be collecting. Techs also have to make sketches of the scene, They perform analyses on whatever was collected. Look at leads on suspects by using the data from the analysis. (“What They Do”) Forensic Techs are mainly the people that do all the technical touchy touchy work at the scene. They take the bodies and test it for prints. The Technicians check for foul play on the body so they know how you died. That’s mainly what Forensic Technicians do.
Because of its speciality, diagnostic radiography would be the career path I would like to take. I feel that I would be a very successful Radiographer because I believe that my personality is a perfect fit for a successful radiologist. - I'm responsible, caring, supportive, trusting, and empathetic and I believe I am always positive with a smile
Forensic scientists work in labs where they examine, identify, and interpret evidence collected in crime scenes. Crime scene investigators collect evidence and pass it to a forensic scientist who uses the items in numerous ways to help catch criminals. Forensic scientists must also record the evidence and any tests run on it in detail to prove the truth in court. A forensic scientist also has to be able to present his or her physical evidence verbally in court, so a strong communication background is important. The first step taken to become a forensic scientist is to first pass the education required to become one.
Though our knowledge of the human body has developed drastically, there will always be more to learn, especially in the field of pathology. In addition to education, this procedure is also used to improve the quality of care that healthcare workers provide for their patients, especially in terms of undetermined diagnoses. Post mortem examinations can help to better identify pathologies, and allow a “hands on” approach that cannot be obtained readily.
Shadowing in autopsies satisfied my early high school curiosity in that I was able to understand the anatomy of the human body. Knowing the appearance of a normal organ helped me to recognize when an organ was abnormal whether that was through weight or appearance. I have learned that the human body encapsulates teachable knowledge and evidence that leads to the diagnosing of disease and corresponding treatment. My time spent shadowing in autopsies confirmed my interest in learning more about the field of medicine and the doctor’s role in direct patient care. I have shadowed Dr. Simmons, a cardiology specialist and Dr. Fitzhugh at the NIH sickle cell department. In cardiology, I witnessed the physician’s role in patient education regarding
A zoologist has an extremely long list of duties, fieldwork, and studies they must finish during their career (“Occupation Profile: Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists”). Although they must study all biological organisms that they may encounter, a zoologist has the option of branching off into a specified field they would want to study further or even specialize in (“Zoology”). For example, a mammalogist is a zoologist who is specialized in the study of mammals, and a ichthyologist is one who specializes in the study of fish (Storer and Usinger). One of the branches that have become popular is ornithology, the study of birds (Perrins and Harrison). A zoologist must also study the life histories, family trees, genetics, diseases, development, and migra...
Zoologists and wildlife biologists study wildlife and animals and how they survive in their habitats (“Zoologists” para.1). Zoologist and wildlife biologists study numerous things thing such as: diseases, genetics, origin, how it behaves, and their process of life (“Zoologist/Wildlife” para.1). They also study the interactions with other animals, breeding, movement patterns, population dynamics, and the person...
Medical laboratory technologists, also known as histotechnologists, work in a laboratory environment diagnosing diseases, doing research, or instructing others. Histotechnologists detect tissue abnormalities and treatments for the diseases causing the abnormalities, a vital role in the allied health profession. Histotechnologists prepare very thin slices of human, animal, or plant tissue in order to examine it using a microscope. This is considered one of the most important parts of the complicated process of medical investigation used to establish and confirm a diagnosis.
Histopathology and molecular pathology both fall within the medical science branch of pathology where the primary concern is the examination of tissues, body fluids, and organs to aid in the diagnosis of diseases.