r/pathology Jan 06 '21

PSA: Please read this before posting

162 Upvotes

Hi,

Welcome to r/pathology. Pathology, as a discipline, can be broadly defined as the study of disease. As such it encompasses different realms, including biochemical pathology, hematology, genetic pathology, anatomical pathology, forensic pathology, molecular pathology, and cytopathology.

I understand that as someone who stumbles upon this subreddit, it may not be immediately clear what is an "appropriate" post and what is not. As a general rule, this is for discussion of pathology topics at a postgraduate level; imagine talking to a room full of pathologists, pathology residents and pathology assistants.

Topics which may be of relevance to the above include:

  • Interesting cases with a teaching point
  • Laboratory technical topics (e.g. reagent or protocol choice)
  • Links to good books or websites
  • Advice for/from pathology residents
  • Career advice (e.g. location, pay)
  • Light hearted entertainment (e.g. memes)
  • "Why do you like pathology?"
  • "How do I become a pathologist?"

Of note, the last two questions pop up in varying forms often, and the reason I have not made a master thread for them or banned them is these are topics in evolution; the answers change with time. People are passionate about pathology in different ways, and the different perspectives are important. Similarly, how one decides on becoming a pathologist is unique to each person, be it motivated by the science, past experiences, lifestyle, and so on. Note that geographic location also heavily influences these answers.

However, this subreddit is not for the following, and I will explain each in detail:

  • Interpretation of patient results

    This includes your own, or from someone you know. As a patient or relative, I understand some pathology results are nearly incomprehensible and Googling the keywords only generates more anxiety. Phrases such as "atypical" and "uncertain significance" do not help matters. However, interpretation of pathology results requires assessment of the whole patient, and this is best done by the treating physician. Offering to provide additional clinical data is not a solution, and neither is trying to sneak this in as an "interesting case".

  • University/medical school-level pathology questions

    This includes information that can be found in Robbins or what has been assigned as homework/self study. The journey to find the answer is just as important as the answer, and asking people in an internet forum is not a great way. If there is genuine confusion about a topic, please describe how you have gone about finding the answer first. That way people are much more likely to help you.

  • Pathology residency application questions (for the US)

    This has been addressed in the other stickied topic near the top.

Posts violating the above will be removed without warning.

Thank you for reading,

Dr_Jerkoff (I really wish I had not picked this as my username...)


r/pathology 3h ago

Received this email from a recruiter thought I’d share…

3 Upvotes

Digital Pathology: Embracing It—or Avoiding It?
One of the more interesting divides we’re seeing involves digital pathology and remote sign-out.
Some pathologists have fully embraced digital pathology and view remote sign-out as an important part of the future of the profession. For them, flexibility and the ability to work remotely can be significant factors when considering a new opportunity.
Others feel very differently. They prefer traditional microscopy and an on-site practice environment and have little or no interest in remote sign-out.
And there’s another group somewhere in the middle—open to digital pathology and occasional remote sign-out, but still valuing the interaction that comes from being physically present in a hospital or practice.
For hospital-based practices, that presence can include working directly with surgeons and clinicians, participating in tumor boards, and becoming part of the broader patient-care team.

Are Academic Pathology Positions Changing?
We’re also hearing something interesting from some of the academic pathologists we speak with.
Several have told us that clinical case volumes and productivity expectations have increased, while responsibilities for teaching, research, and publishing haven’t necessarily decreased.
For some, that combination is making academic medicine more demanding and causing them to at least consider private-practice or hospital-based opportunities.
This certainly isn’t universal, but we’re hearing it often enough that we’re paying attention.

Productivity-Based Compensation
Another topic we’re hearing more about is productivity-based compensation.
Some pathology groups establish an expected level of productivity and then provide additional compensation when a pathologist exceeds that level.
Some pathologists like having the ability to increase their income by reading additional volume. Others prefer a more predictable workload and compensation structure.
We’d like to know what pathologists actually think.


r/pathology 2h ago

Job / career Out of school for 10 years going into Histology

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1 Upvotes

r/pathology 9h ago

any new ihc worth having?

2 Upvotes

hello! junior pathologist here!

do you know of any recent ihc worth having for your practice as a general pathologist?

it’s time to make requests at my hospital and would love to know if i’m missing something

thank you!


r/pathology 7h ago

PathologyOutlines.com Image Quiz #194

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2 Upvotes

r/pathology 8h ago

Does having only 1 path LOR hurt?

0 Upvotes

I have only 1 path LOR available and the other path LOR is 2 years ago (I'm switching specialties)

The rest of the LORs are from my prior surgery residency

Unfortunately, the writer who wrote my path LOR written 2 years ago is not available as he moved somewhere else, and no one knows where he went.

Is it ok to have only 1 path LOR? or should I just do something like tele path LOR and get a LOR that might just be generic

non-US IMG from surgery


r/pathology 17h ago

Pathologists who have set up their own lab/hospital — how different can you really make it?

4 Upvotes

I’m a pathologist and I’m seriously considering setting up my own diagnostic laboratory in the future. I’m also wondering whether it’s realistic for a pathologist to eventually start and run a hospital.
For those of you who have actually done this:
How much scope does a pathologist have to differentiate their lab from the hundreds of labs already out there?
What actually makes a diagnostic lab successful apart from pricing and location?
What are the biggest mistakes you made when setting up?
How much capital did you realistically need, and what expenses surprised you?
Is it better to start small and expand, or invest in a larger setup from the beginning?
How important are NABL accreditation, automation, home collection, corporate tie-ups, doctor referrals, etc.?
For a pathologist wanting to eventually start a hospital, what should I start learning/planning now?
Is owning a hospital significantly different from running a diagnostic lab from a business/management perspective?
What are the biggest regulatory, staffing, financial and operational challenges I should be aware of?
I’d especially love to hear from pathologists or doctors who have built their own labs/hospitals rather than people working purely in corporate setups.
Basically, if you could go back to the day you started your own lab/hospital, what would you tell yourself to keep in mind from day one?


r/pathology 22h ago

A few questions about giving an incorrect diagnosis

8 Upvotes

Heya!

I'm a med school applicant and Cytologist who is very interested in pathology, and I had some questions about signing out cases. Both to hopefully ease some of my anxiety, and because I'm genuinely curious how you approach these situations.

As a Cytologist I'm used to signing out negative cases (and anything potentially atypical gets forwarded to the Path), but I've always wondered what the Pathologist does when they're 50/50 between a specimen being benign or malignant.

A few questions:

- Do you stress out over the possibility of being wrong? If so, how do you manage that stress?

- Have you ever been wrong and/or sued? What was the outcome?

- How do you sign out a case you're genuinely uncertain on & how do you cover your ass but make sure the patient gets the proper care?

Thank you very much in advance!


r/pathology 1d ago

The top 10 specialties with the largest increase in average annual compensation

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92 Upvotes

Pathology made the list based on data from Doximity. Stop taking those shitty 250K jobs guys!!!!! Stand up for yourselves and demand fair pay!


r/pathology 1d ago

Do you have any recommendations for a question bank for a pathology resident?

4 Upvotes

r/pathology 1d ago

Job / career I’m stuck between careers.

0 Upvotes

I know i’m capable with forensic pathology, I’ve been wanting this for years however I also want to be in the military. I want to serve and actually do combat, shoot guns and possibly be in war serving as a woman. I’m stuck between the two because I don’t know which screams me. I want to be intelligent but also be serving. I want to do autopsies but also shooting guns. I know forensic pathology is a very long road. 13 years plus doing two majors at once and graduating high school early, but also wanting to fit in the military but still have time for love, to have children in the possible future. I don’t know how I will have time for either and as someone who’s in high-school and has two people in her family that went to the military suggest I do college/university first so I can become an officer in ranking. Mainly the two branches I truly want is the Marine corps and Air force. I know that forensic pathology is very unpleasant and it seems strange but i’m truly fascinated by it. Any suggestions on what to do? Do I do both or do I do one singular one?


r/pathology 1d ago

Uh, does anyone get adenocarcinoma from this image?

1 Upvotes

"The screenings and other habits doctors recommend as early-onset cancers rise"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/08/31/some-cancers-are-being-detected-too-late-heres-what-experts-advise/

Maybe an angiosarc?


r/pathology 1d ago

[Seeking Beta Testers] Real-time microscope image stitching app for Windows

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2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’ve built a Windows app that does real-time microscope feed stitching to create high-resolution images and exports them directly to BigTIFF format. I’m looking for beta testers to try it out and give feedback on how it handles different hardware and samples!

**What you need:**

* A microscope with a digital camera feed.

* A Windows PC.

You can download it from the Microsoft Store here: https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/9NVD64N8L7BS?cid=DevShareMCLPCS

The app currently has a 14-day free trial. If you try it out and are interested in helping test long-term, let me know in the comments or via DM—I can add you as a permanent tester so you get free access to all future updates.

Would love to hear your thoughts!


r/pathology 2d ago

Job after cytofellowship

12 Upvotes

I have an offer and now I am feeling very unsure of my skills If I will be able to do general sign out. I wish passing the boards gave me some confidence but they do not. I am now thinking if I should do another surgical fellowship. My residency was mid tier general sign out. Stuff that is keeping me up at night, will I know when to take deeper levels? Will I be able to see high grade on a full tray of a tubulur adenoma. In residency I would fly through those because my name would not be on it. I never really missed a high grade on those usually... So yeah I don't know what to do..


r/pathology 1d ago

100+ Fully Labelled & Annotated Digital Pathology Slides for MBBS Teaching & Learning

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0 Upvotes

🔬 100+ Fully Labelled & Annotated Digital Pathology Slides for MBBS Teaching & Learning

https://www.digiscan.co.in/category/digital-slides-for-mbbs/26

Make Pathology learning more visual, interactive, and easier to understand with DigiScan’s Digital Pathology Slide Set.

Move beyond traditional glass-slide learning and give students the opportunity to view, zoom, explore, and understand important pathological changes digitally.

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✅ Ideal for classroom teaching, practical sessions & demonstrations

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🎓 Ideal for

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For medical colleges, DigiScan’s Digital Pathology Slide Set can serve as a valuable digital teaching resource for undergraduate Pathology education.

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Enhance your Pathology teaching with high-quality, fully labelled and annotated digital slides designed specifically for medical education.

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r/pathology 2d ago

Unknown Case Pathology Telerotation

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0 Upvotes

r/pathology 2d ago

Can any senior provide me robbins pdf which has been marked alr

0 Upvotes

r/pathology 3d ago

Anatomic Pathology Why are we supposed to map rectosigmoid specimen after treatment?

4 Upvotes

I am supposed to map those specimens while grossing. The question is: why? I have asked several people in my department, but I have no answer other than “they like to see it”


r/pathology 3d ago

What’s your favourite scope objective?

1 Upvotes

Like, if you could only have one on a desert island?

Someone was on here a few days ago impugning my beloved 4x.

274 votes, 3d left
2x
4x
10x
20x
40x
50x or 100x oil immersion

r/pathology 3d ago

Job / career Options after regretting medicine

34 Upvotes

Hi all. I’m looking for advice. I am a pathology resident and I have realized over the last several years that going into medicine was probably a mistake for me in that I don’t loooove it and would be just as happy doing a lot of other things that don’t take 13 years of school/training. Anyway, I am in a fortunate position that I don’t need to work to survive and could realistically just not work as an attending.
I am thinking I still want to do something in pathology/medicine but I’m not sure I want to grind through 50+ biopsies a day and missing my kids childhood when I don’t even need the money. I’ve considered looking at part time work if it’s even available but I’m afraid if I don’t work full time that I wouldn’t be proficient enough to do well by my patients and I would feel guilty for not working at all because I 1. could be contributing to medicine and patient care/making a difference etc and 2. I essentially took a spot in medical school and residency that someone else could have had that would have worked full time. I know there’s probably not a simple answer but if anyone has any advice I’d be happy to receive it.


r/pathology 4d ago

Resident Should I buy sternberg?

10 Upvotes

Hello guys I m a second year md pathology resident. Currently my main study material for Histopathology is rosai Ackerman and who books pdfs. Because you know Patho books r very costly & so I can’t buy individual books. But I hv been saving money and want to buy a hard copy of sternberg surgical pathology. What’s ur opinion about this guys? Do u think I can cover my residency Histopathology curriculum from sternberg & WHO ?


r/pathology 3d ago

Autism and forensic pathology

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0 Upvotes

r/pathology 4d ago

Job / career Does anyone need a research assistant/ any assistant?

0 Upvotes

Sincerely,

A really hardworking person in need of a pathology related job


r/pathology 4d ago

Job / career Data Entry Question

4 Upvotes

So i am a disabled person and got my degree in Computer Science and Philosophy. I like data quite a bit. Just began a new job in Data Entry billing (Pathology). Just got my 30 day review. I basically was doing well or average in all aspects EXCEPT number of cases per day. The location i work at said 200 cases is minimum but I just started and still learning the system they are learning too. In 8 hours I get to 150 usually so far. In first 2 week was at like 75-90 case in 8 hours depending on day. Is 200 cases (minimum) too much or general considered average. Based on review paper, getting to 250 is above average and 300+ is exceeding.


r/pathology 5d ago

Interested in forensics?

10 Upvotes

I’m a MS4 applying path this cycle. I have been told by many medical examiners that residency programs don’t like and will treat you different if you are interested in forensics. Is this true?