this presentation - Death

Pathology Myths Pathology Myths

Facts and figures Facts and figures


25,000 staff


25,000 staff

£2.5 billion


25,000 staff

£2.5 billion

4% NHS budget

• Patient surveys

• MORI Poll

• Focus groups

• Questionnaire for pathologists

Perceptions of pathologyPerceptions of pathology

Pathology is all about dead bodies

Pathology Myth 1 Pathology Myth 1

• “It’s the morbid side. How lovely!”

• “I’m a doctor and I don’t want to deal with people so I’ll deal with dead people.”

• “It’s quite lonely. You’re left in the morgue with dead bodies.”

Focus group comments Focus group comments

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10

20

30

40

50

60

death diagnosis blood crime disease genetics cancer infection

perc

enta

ge

What does a pathologist do?

MORI Poll 2005 MORI Poll 2005

histopathology22%

Forensic pathology 1%

Other specialties

77%

Pathology facts Pathology facts

Pathology is just one specialty


Histopathology

Neuropathology

18 different specialties18 different specialties

Histopathology

Cytopathology

Dermatopathology

Forensic Pathology

Neuropathology

Oral Pathology

Paediatric Pathology


Neuropathology

Histopathology

Cytopathology

Dermatopathology

Forensic Pathology

Haematology

Neuropathology

Oral Pathology


Transfusion Medicine


Neuropathology

Histopathology

Cytopathology

Dermatopathology

Forensic Pathology

Haematology

Medical Microbiology

Neuropathology

Oral Pathology



Virology


Neuropathology

Histopathology

Clinical Biochemistry

Cytopathology

Dermatopathology

Forensic Pathology

Haematology

Medical Microbiology

Neuropathology

Oral Pathology


Toxicology


Virology


Neuropathology

Histopathology


Cytopathology

Dermatopathology

Forensic Pathology

Genetics

Haematology

Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics

ImmunologyMedical Microbiology

Neuropathology

Oral Pathology


Toxicology


Virology


Neuropathology

Histopathology


Clinical EmbryologyCytopathology

Dermatopathology

Forensic Pathology

Genetics

Haematology



Neuropathology

Oral Pathology


Toxicology


Virology


Neuropathology

Histopathology


Clinical EmbryologyCytopathology

Dermatopathology

Forensic Pathology

Genetics

Haematology



Neuropathology

Oral Pathology


Toxicology


Veterinary Pathology

Virology


Neuropathology

Pathologists don’t take care of patients


• “It’s more of a science. They don’t want to deal with people, they want to deal with causes.”

• “You have your consultant there. You never actually see the pathologist.”

• “It would be nice if pathologists were involved in patient care but I’ve never seen one.”


• Many pathologists work with patients in clinics or on the wards

• Even lab-based pathologists usually spend some time with patients, for example explaining test results

• The vast majority of all pathologists’ work is done for the benefit of living patients


Pathologists work alone in labs doing tedious repetitive jobs


• “It’s a boring job. All you’re doing is testing stuff in a lab all day.”

• “It’s just putting things in a machine and reading the results, you don’t have to think about it”

• “You do the same thing all day, every day”


• Pathologists are members of multi-disciplinary teams and work with others to care for patients

• Pathologists rarely work in isolation

• Pathology is varied and interesting with many of the more repetitive jobs now done by machines


Pathologists don’t diagnose cancer


• Almost all cancers are diagnosed by pathologists

• Diagnoses may be made by testing blood, urine or other fluids or from a biopsy

• Pathologists tell other doctors what type of cancer you’ve got and how far it has spread so they know what treatment to offer


You have to be a doctor to work in pathology


• The majority of people who work in pathology are not doctors

• There are opportunities for scientists as well as support staff

• There are nearly 20,000 scientists working in the specialty


• Medical school

• Foundation training

• Pathology training

• Research

• Minimum = 12 years

Pathologist training Pathologist training

Clinical Scientist training Clinical Scientist training

• Science degree

• Postgraduate degree

• Basic training

• Specialist training


Biomedical Scientist training Biomedical Scientist training

• Science degree

• Basic training

• Or

• Straight from A levels

• “Learn and earn”

• Continuing education


Other opportunities Other opportunities

• Cytoscreener

• Lab assistant

• Administration

• IT

• Trials co-ordinator

Medical students don’t need to learn pathology


• Many medical schools no longer have a separate undergraduate pathology course

• 70% of diagnoses in the NHS involve pathology

• Medical student essay prize


PLASTICSURGERY

SURGERY

ENT ONCOLOGY

GYNAECOLOGY

RHEUMATOLOGY

EMERGENCYMEDICINE

PAEDIATRICS

MEDICINE

ORTHOPAEDICS DERMATOLOGY

GENERALPRACTICE

UROLOGY

PATHOLOGY

• 500 million biochemistry tests• 130 million haematology tests• 50 million microbiology tests• 13 million histology slides• 4 million cytology slides

• = 14 tests for every person in the country each year


• “It’s interesting how they find out what diseases are and work out a cure.”

• “It’s clever and varied, you unravel the puzzle.”

• “It made pathologists seem more interesting.”

• “The path report is essential to any diagnosis or treatment.”

• “Pathology is using science to be helpful and useful.”


• IVF

• Pregnancy test

• Antenatal tests

• Heel prick test

Pathology for lifePathology for life

• Vaccinations

• Antibiotics

• Allergies

• Leukaemia


• Lumps and bumps

• Appendicitis

• STIs

• Blood transfusion


• Cervical smears

• Breast screening

• Moles

• Anaemia


• Prostate cancer

• Bowel cancer screening

• Infections

• Blood tests


• Surgery

• Chemotherapy

• Organ function

• Autopsy


• Pathologists work for the benefit of the living• There are 18 different pathology specialties• Many pathologists work with patients• Pathologists are team players• Pathology is an interesting and exciting

career• Pathologists diagnose cancer• You don’t have to be a doctor to work in

pathology• Pathology is a popular specialty• A knowledge of pathology is essential for all

doctors


www.nationalpathologyweek.org

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