What is a Pathologist ?
A pathologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the treatment of patients by studying blood, body fluids and body tissue. Studying these organs of the body helps them with diagnosing any illness.
Pathologists and diagnosing
Pathologists play a crucial role in diagnosing patients and various illnesses. The diagnosis is mainly used to propose a treatment option. They are a vital part of the treatment process for patients around the world.
After samples have been sent to the labs, pathologists provide critical skills and knowledge in the form of interpreting lab information. This helps them solve complex illnesses. This information is then transferred the hands of primary care-physicians who then prescribe a proper course of action.
Pathologists typically don’t have direct contact with the patient. They usually work with other health care professionals such as general practitioners and other doctors. This ensures the entire medical process is swift. Pathologists also offer services to determine the cause of death of a patient.
Pathologists and their importance in the medical world
Pathologists provide an invaluable service to the medical society. They even do scientific research that can help in developing new advanced treatment solutions. Although you can’t expect to see a pathologist everyday at a hospital you need to know that there are tirelessly working behind the scene to provide top notch services to the doctors you see. They even go a step further by providing study of safety of treatments in order to prevent illnesses related to medication. Also pharmaceutical companies that are developing new drugs need pathologists to study the safety of these drugs before they are made available to the public.
If you want to be a pathologist you will need to study a lot starting at high school. You will need to get good grades in biology and chemistry before pursuing a degree in college. After you are done with medical school there is also a residency to consider.