WHAT DOES A PATHOLOGIST DO?
Pathologists are qualified medical practitioners who have specialised in the discipline of pathology. This takes an additional 4 or 5 years of post-graduate studies.
The role of the pathologist is to oversee and take professional responsibility for a diagnostic pathology laboratory. This includes the technical aspects of the tests being performed, quality control and the overall structure and functioning of the pathology laboratory. The pathologist’s specialist knowledge allows him/her to innovate and develop specific tests in response to South African and African healthcare needs. This level of skill cannot be replaced by a medical laboratory technologist, technician or a medical scientist. The pathologist forms the bridge between the clinician and the laboratory. This is where the training, skill and focus of the pathologist is. He/she understands the world of clinical practice and general medicine as well as the laboratory world. This is a unique set of qualifications to enable the patient care.
The pathologist’s specialist knowledge allows him/her to innovate and develop specific tests in response to South African and African healthcare needs.
Pathologists are assisted in the laboratory environment by medical laboratory technologists and medical laboratory technicians who have undergone theoretical training at the various technikon universities and practical training in a laboratory environment.
Pathology has many sub-disciplines and the following are but a few examples:
- Chemical Pathology
- Microbiology, virology and serology. Some individuals may indeed be qualified in only one of the sub-sets i.e. virology.
- Immunology
- Haematopathology
- Histopahtology
- Cytopathology
Some disciplines of pathology require specific interaction with every single specimen analysed. This is predominantly histopathology where a pathologist reports on every individual case. To a lesser extent this also applies to cytopathology which is dealt with by histopathologists or specialist cytopathologists. Histopathologists also performs services outside the laboratory by performing frozen sections inside theatres to ensure appropriate surgical therapy for patients during operations.
Haematopathologists perform a similar role of individual diagnosis with specific specimens, but also perform a more general overseeing role within their laboratory discipline.
Chemical pathologists oversee the range of tests done.
Microbiologists and virologists are actively involved in infection control and liaise with hospitals in the process of evaluating specific trends in bacterial growth and advising about antibiotic susceptibility and resistance.
Many pathologists are involved with post-graduate training at medical faculties by lecturing and also individual tuition by histopathologists who practice morphology (forensic pathology).
Pathologists frequently lecture to undergraduate medical students and doctor groups to assist in the appropriate use of laboratory testing.
Pathology laboratories distribute laboratory updates to clinicians informing them about the appropriate use of specific testing methodologies and the appropriate interpretation of results.
This is predominantly histopathology where a pathologist reports on every individual case. To a lesser extent this also applies to cytopathology which is dealt with by histopathologists or specialist cytopathologists. Histopathologists also performs services outside the laboratory by performing frozen sections inside theatres to ensure appropriate surgical therapy for patients during operations.
Haematopathologists perform a similar role of individual diagnosis with specific specimens, but also perform a more general overseeing role within their laboratory discipline.
The role of the pathologist is primarily to create the overall structure within which the analytical processes occur and to supervise and ensure the occurrence. This includes the management structure, selection of appropriate test methodologies, equipment and reagents and the constant evaluation of the quality control of results being produced.
Pathologists view individual results and authorise these results for printing and distribution.
Pathologists receive many telephone calls from doctors consulting about specific patients and/or broad disease processes.
Pathologists telephone doctors to discuss results when there is a specific group of abnormalities pointing to a diagnosis.
Pathologists from different sub-disciplines frequently consult one another to discuss patient results and diagnostic enquiries from clinicians.
NON-DIRECT ROLE OF THE PATHOLOGIST
Microbiologists and virologists are actively involved in infection control and liaise with hospitals in the process of evaluating specific trends in bacterial growth and advising about antibiotic susceptibility and resistance.
Many pathologists are involved with post-graduate training at medical faculties by lecturing and also individual tuition by histopathologists who practice morphology.
Pathologists also frequently lecture to undergraduate medical students and doctor groups to assist in the appropriate use of laboratory testing.
Pathology laboratories distribute laboratory updates to clinicians informing them about the appropriate use of specific testing methodologies and the appropriate interpretation of results.
