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| Pathology: A Career in Medicine |
| The Pathologist in Patient Care |
| Anatomic Pathology |
| A Case Study: Lung Cancer |
| Role of the Autopsy |
| Clinical Pathology |
| Molecular Pathology |
| The Pathologist as a Consultant |
| The Pathologist in Research |
| Case Study: Thyroid Cancer |
| Graduate Medical Education in Pathology |
| Career Options |
| The Pathologist as a Teacher |
| Undergraduate Study in Pathology |
| About ICPI |
| The Directory of Pathology Training Programs |
| The Road to Becoming a Biomedical Physician Scientist in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine |
| Certification in the US and Canada |
| Pathology: A Career in Medicine Brochure - Ordering Information |
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| Role of the Autopsy | |
 Forensic pathologist examines a kidney during an autopsy. |
“This is the place where the dead shall
teach the living". The autopsy provides unique insights into the natural
history of disease and the influence of therapy on disease processes.
Although autopsy information is important for general medical purposes,
occasionally the patient's family is benefited directly. For example, when
an unsuspected genetic disorder is found, the diagnosis and intervention can
help living members of that family. The autopsy provides feedback to the physicians involved in patient care about the accuracy of their evaluations and the effectiveness of their treatments. Together, the clinicians and pathologists assess the findings in each case so that future patients can benefit from this information. The importance of autopsy data as a measure of quality-control should not be undervalued. Recent studies have shown approximately 30 percent discrepancy rates between clinical diagnoses and actual findings at autopsy. The autopsy's value is often dramatically demonstrated to the public when a pathologist is called to determine the exact cause and manner of death in medical legal cases, and to present the findings as an officer of the court. Special training and certification in Forensic Pathology is needed for a pathologist to serve as Medical Examiner for a city or state agency, and to conduct laboratory or postmortem studies of suspected criminal activities on suspicious deaths or those of concern to the public health and safety. |