Pathologist

The doctor who diagnoses diseases at the microscopic level What youll need:
Strong science background
Ability to recognize patterns
Excellent leadership skills

Education Requirements:
Do you enjoy being a leader? Taking on a high degree of responsibility? Had these leukemia cells not been recognized, the patient would not Four-year medical school program
How about rising above challenges to solve problems for others? have had an answer for her tiredness, and her leukemia would have
Residency program in Pathology
spread and caused life-threatening complications. But because of
For Pathologists, these qualities come naturally. Thats because, when a One- or two-year fellowship
Dr. Harringtons expertise, it took less than a day to begin the program in anatomic or
patients life hangs in the balance, these laboratory medicine physicians
chemotherapy that saved her life. clinical pathology or both (optional)
need to know they have what it takes to lead a laboratory team and
diagnose diseases in a timely fashion. Any delay in diagnosis can be devastating, even fatal, she says. Average Salary:
Fortunately, her leukemia type has an excellent outcome when
Alexandra Harrington, MD, FASCP, MT(ASCP), knows this from experience. $247,0132
detected and treated early.
One day, when reviewing a patients blood cells under the microscope,
she found a rare leukemia cell in the background of many normal cells. Because early diagnosis can determine whether a person survives,
The patient was young, healthy, and athletic and only complained of the Pathologist has one of the most important positions in the laboratory
recent tiredness, so the diagnosis was a complete surprise. and in the entire medical field. These medical doctors are at the center
of all other positions in the lab, working with each team member on the
patients behalf.

Its hard work, but the rewards are worth it.

Any delay in diagnosis can
be devastating, even fatal.
Fortunately, her leukemia
type has an excellent
outcome when detected
and treated early.
Alexandra Harrington,
MD, FASCP, MT(ASCP)

Photography by Corey Hengen 7 8