A Pathologist, or Clinical Pathologist, is a medical doctor responsible for examining living and dead tissues to diagnose disease and identify how illnesses and injuries occurred. Their duties include performing biopsies, testing medical specimens in the laboratory and producing written pathology reports to inform treatment plans.
A Pathologist should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Pathologist should be able to execute:
- Study blood samples for transfusion use including the blood type, blood group, cell morphology and compatibility with other blood types
- Use medical equipment and computerized systems to perform various lab tests
- Operate laboratory equipment like cell counters and microscopes
- Log data from lab tests and enter results in patient’s record
- Discuss the results of the lab tests with doctors
A competitive Pathologist will have certain skills and qualifications, including:
- Technological skills are needed because Pathologists use both clinical and other computerized equipment. They should also be up-to-date with the latest laboratory technology.
- Pathologists should have dexterity in order to use their hands effectively. They work with various tools, like needles and other lab precision tools, and they must handle these tools well to minimize mistakes.
- Being detail oriented is a skill Pathologists must have in order to follow instructions and perform lab tests correctly.
- Physical stamina is important because Pathologists work on their feet for long periods of time. They also need to lift or turn some patients over to collect samples for testing.
