pathologist

A pathologist is a physician who specializes in pathology, the branch of medicine that studies disease. Pathologists diagnose disease by examining tissues, cells, and bodily fluids, and by interpreting laboratory tests. They provide information that informs diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Pathology is divided into anatomical pathology, which analyzes tissue samples and postmortem material, and clinical pathology, which focuses on laboratory analysis of specimens and the operation of diagnostic laboratories. Forensic pathology applies to medicolegal investigations of death in some cases.

Becoming a pathologist requires medical school, a residency in pathology, and board certification, typically through national boards such as the American Board of Pathology or equivalent. Subspecialties include surgical pathology, cytopathology, dermatopathology, hematopathology, molecular pathology, neuropathology, and transplant pathology.

Duties in anatomical pathology include examining surgical specimens, biopsies, and autopsies; preparing tissue slides, evaluating under a microscope, and using immunohistochemistry and molecular testing to establish a diagnosis. Clinical pathologists oversee laboratory testing across disciplines such as chemistry, hematology, microbiology, transfusion medicine, and molecular diagnostics; they validate tests and provide interpretive guidance. Pathologists often collaborate with clinicians and participate in tumor boards and quality programs.

Work settings include hospital laboratories, academic medical centers, private diagnostic laboratories, and public health or medicolegal institutes. The work is essential for cancer diagnosis and staging, infectious disease detection and monitoring, transplantation assessment, and guiding treatment decisions. Pathologists follow biosafety and ethical guidelines to minimize risk in the laboratory.