Surgical Pathology??

[hokte]

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Can someone give me a job description of a surgical pathologist?? I've seen this title used somewhere, but I'm not exactly clear on what they do. I have a little bit of an idea....I figured someone here could tell me exactly.

I've been trying to do some research on specialties. I love anatomy and would like a specialty that would allow me to use it everyday. What else besides surgery and path??

 

[Mr. Plow]

Radiology?

 

[yaah]

"What pathologists do" was described by Arthur Purdy Stout many years ago http://www.apssociety.org/pathology.htm in the context of talking to incoming medical students.

Surgical pathologists deal with surgical (and non surgical) tissue specimens, making the diagnosis. Some specimens are sent for frozen section to evaluate margins of surgery or to tell if something needs a more extensive surgery. But most of the work is done on tissue that is processed overnight (like a biopsy or a resection). Surgical pathologists evaluate the microscopy and make a diagnosis, on some types classifying things further.

There is a lot of microscope time in surg path. Some specialize within certain areas (like GI, dermpath, whatever) but many cover multiple areas.