What is path?

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Medskooldude

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Hey everyone.

I have been planning on applying to medical school. My advisor, and my professors, both believe that i will be able to get into medical school, due to my extraciricular's, and great gpa.

I was wondering, what exactly is pathology? I'm pretty sure scrubs doesnt do it justice, lol.

So, here goes:

I've loooked up a little on path, here and there, and found out that there are two types. One that deals with dead bodies, and one who is the guy in the lab checking out the biopsies, and blood samples etc. What are the two types called again? their name escapes me.

Anymore information on the one where you're in the lab, such as links etc?

Anymore stuff about path in general?

Any cool links?

Thanks in advance, and pleaes forgive any ignornat questions 🙂
 
Medskooldude said:
Hey everyone.

I have been planning on applying to medical school. My advisor, and my professors, both believe that i will be able to get into medical school, due to my extraciricular's, and great gpa.

I was wondering, what exactly is pathology? I'm pretty sure scrubs doesnt do it justice, lol.

So, here goes:

I've loooked up a little on path, here and there, and found out that there are two types. One that deals with dead bodies, and one who is the guy in the lab checking out the biopsies, and blood samples etc. What are the two types called again? their name escapes me.

Anymore information on the one where you're in the lab, such as links etc?

Anymore stuff about path in general?

Any cool links?

Thanks in advance, and pleaes forgive any ignornat questions 🙂
Click to expand...

dude, google "AAMC pathology." it's all over the internet.
 
Medskooldude said:
Hey everyone.

I have been planning on applying to medical school. My advisor, and my professors, both believe that i will be able to get into medical school, due to my extraciricular's, and great gpa.

I was wondering, what exactly is pathology? I'm pretty sure scrubs doesnt do it justice, lol.

So, here goes:

I've loooked up a little on path, here and there, and found out that there are two types. One that deals with dead bodies, and one who is the guy in the lab checking out the biopsies, and blood samples etc. What are the two types called again? their name escapes me.

Anymore information on the one where you're in the lab, such as links etc?

Anymore stuff about path in general?

Any cool links?

Thanks in advance, and pleaes forgive any ignornat questions 🙂
Click to expand...

Path is the specialty where all you see are dead patients or, if you are lucky, solve crimes.
 
Go here and click down through the links on the left. It's a print brochure, but the internet version is the same.

http://www.asip.org/career/index.htm

Path combines techniques with thought process. If you're interested in the basis of human disease, it may be something that you would like.

It's a pretty good combination of nice lifestyle, nice pay, and intellectual stimulation. You won't expect much patient contact, but there are opportunities for some (which I'm looking into currently). However, contrary to what many believe, most Pathologists have a lot of peer interaction.
 
Last edited:
"Pathologists are like Narnians of Medicine."
- Reepicheep
 
Medskooldude said:
Hey everyone.

I have been planning on applying to medical school. My advisor, and my professors, both believe that i will be able to get into medical school, due to my extraciricular's (sic), and great gpa.

I was wondering, what exactly is pathology? I'm pretty sure scrubs doesnt do it justice, lol.

So, here goes:

I've loooked up a little on path, here and there, and found out that there are two types. One that deals with dead bodies, and one who is the guy in the lab checking out the biopsies, and blood samples etc. What are the two types called again? their name escapes me.

Anymore (sic) information on the one where you're in the lab, such as links etc?

Anymore (sic) stuff about path in general?

Any cool links?

Thanks in advance, and pleaes forgive any ignornat (sic) questions 🙂
Click to expand...

This whole thing sounds like an "ignornat" question.

Someone with your "extraciricular's and great gpa" should know how to look it up.

You would be wise to use a spelling and grammar check when you apply. Your spelling error/misuse of apsotrophe combo, and misuse of adverb were more than I could stomach, they made me - sic. I don't have "anymore" ideas for you.
 
Basically, what you learn about path in undergrad and even in med school is nothing representative of what pathology really is. There are lots of subspecialties in path and more created all the time. It is the hardest of all areas of medicine because you have to know all of the disciplines of medicine. Not just GP, or OB, or surgery, or urology - you have to know it all. You are the one that baffled doctors come to for answers. And it isn't dead bodies unless you specifically go into Forensic Path. But if you are any other kind of pathologist (other than Forensic), you will only have to do an occasional autopsy on a hospitalized patient (but all path docs take turns so it isn't that often).
Most, and sometimes all, of your work is reading biopsies on living patients whose clinical outcomes you can evaluate and potentially improve.
Basic path is divided into Anatomic (or Surgical Path) which deals with specimens removed at surgery and diagnosed. Often times, you have to diagnose a specimen during the surgery in order to stage a cancer.
The other side of basic path is Clinical (or Laboratory) who runs all the labs like hematology, serology, immunofluorescence, mycology, virology, and the big one - Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine.
Most pathologists have to get certified in both areas which is a 4 year residency, and usually followed by additional training via fellowships to enhance their career or to simply specialize. Forensic Path is not like it is seen on TV and gets the lowest pay (becasue they are paid by the county in which they work). Specialized path like dermatopathology (path of skin disorders), the hardest fellowship to get into, can usually assure of making at least 400 K a year. (compare that to 120 K of forensics).
Anyway, cytopathology is on the rise, which uses "fine needle biopsies" to replace the more conventional "open biopsies". Its less invasive and now so popular, it has gone form being a subspecialty of path to an essential area of basic path.
The best way to learn about path further is thru websites like CAP. ASCP, and the "WebPath" links are great. Overwise, just do some electives in both anatomic and clinical path in med school and see what it is all about. Anyone who thinks its all about autopsies and dead bodies is an idiot. Hope this helped.
 
medskooldude, when you get ridiculed for asking simple questions, please don't go and PM people similarly simple questions. This is especially true when those you PM would have no clue about the answers and the questions have already been asked in other recent threads.
 
Neuronix said:
medskooldude, when you get ridiculed for asking simple questions, please don't go and PM people similarly simple questions. This is especially true when those you PM would have no clue about the answers and the questions have already been asked in other recent threads.
Click to expand...

lol, I guess his big plans for pathology are kind of done now.
 
Dral said:
So you're saying Pathology is dead to him now?

Little Autopsy joke there. Um, yeah...IIIIIII'm gonna go keep studying for my medicine shelf now.
Click to expand...

I think I hear a sad trombone here...
 
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