Describe me a day of practice as a Clinical Pathologist

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Shambere

Full Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2018
Messages
38
Reaction score
6
What would you do on a day to day basis?
It is something few medical students are aware of.

Anticipated thank you.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
It really depends on the setting and the fellowship you select. A clinical pathologist can go the researcher track, academia/instructor, large community hospital, blood center, or even a corporate scientific liaison for instrument vendors. It's a choose your own adventure career that requires a lot of internal motivation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
It really depends on the setting and the fellowship you select. A clinical pathologist can go the researcher track, academia/instructor, large community hospital, blood center, or even a corporate scientific liaison for instrument vendors. It's a choose your own adventure career that requires a lot of internal motivation.
I would like to know the day to day in a large community hospital.
 
I would like to know the day to day in a large community hospital.

Lots of meetings and lab directorships. People skills are a must as well as strong knowledge in blood bank, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, coagulation, immunology, and toxicology.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Lots of meetings and lab directorships. People skills are a must as well as strong knowledge in blood bank, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, coagulation, immunology, and toxicology.

Also, reviewing/signing procedure manuals, signing off on CAP stuff (PT/Educational challenges, etc...), validation studies, competency assessments, answering random questions, etc...It can be pretty variable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
In large community hospitals the clinical pathologist is often not doing clinical pathology as a full time job. It varies. Some hospitals have a person whose only job is the CP, but many do not.

I do a lot of CP and it involves meetings (both hospital-wide with other specialties, and intradepartmental), reviewing quality data, procedures, refining procedures, addressing problem cases (this is a big one on certain days - one phone call about a problem can take an hour to resolve), not to mention the continual learning that goes on and staying on top of trends, clinical recommendations, and literature.

Heme is such a hybrid because it can involve things that many consider part of AP like bone marrows, lymph nodes, flow, molecular. Heme can involve a lot of slide reviews in addition to the above things.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Top