When I was a medical student in Pakistan, I did not know that pathology was a career option, even though I loved pathology as a subject. I saw pathologists mainly as teachers and not as practitioners. It was only after I graduated and consulted one of my father’s friends who is a neurologist based in Ohio that I saw the light. From then on, I was working towards a pathology residency. I started off in Pakistan but decided to pursue a bigger challenge and more structured training, and that is when I started my journey towards a residency in the United States. I needed a role model and I found o ..read more

What started as mother-daughter bonding activities led Dr. Kristinza Giese down the road to join one of the most prominent medical associations for minorities in the United States, the National Medical Association (NMA). In her words, “ The physicians I've met have encouraged me directly by setting examples of how to break barriers and truly take care of patients. After I completed residency and fellowship training, I understood how important it was to be involved in the NMA.” NMA influence has been a part of Dr.Giese’s life since she was a child, “I was very fortunate to participate in Camp N ..read more

Rattin Roots I come from a rural farm town in Illinois which once had a sign declaring “Population 180” as you drove into the town flanked by corn and bean fields. Passing through one four-way stop, you were on your way out of the town unless you slowed down to admire the cows or corn silos. Growing up in such an isolated place, paired with difficult financial hardships certainly had its difficulties. How could anyone from this town outnumbered by cows and pigs grow up to be anything but a farmer or blue-collared worker? While these jobs were, and are, crucial and not in any way to be looked d ..read more

The critical need for pathologist pipelines is real, and we’ve covered it in previous blogs as it relates to ,low-resource areas in sub-Saharan Africa. But even in resource-rich countries like the United States (U.S.), the need for more pathologists is a very real issue. And this issue is being tackled by two physicians: budding pathologist Casey Schukow, DO, PGY-1 Transitional Year Resident at ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital (Monroe, MI), and Aadil Ahmed, MD, faculty hematopathologist and dermatopathologist at Rush Medical Center (Chicago, IL). They heard the call and responded with what c ..read more

It has been a scorcher this past summer. With fall roaring its beautiful breezes, we say “Goodbye!” to summer and welcome in a new season of weather and pumpkin spice everything. But we must first give a nod to some of the top papers we’ve found over the past few months. Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence Viswanathan VS, et al. The state of the art for artificial intelligence in lung digital pathology. J Pathol. 2022 Jul. ,doi.org/10.1002/path.5966 Browning L, et al. Impact of the transition to digital pathology in a clinical setting on histopathologists in training: experiences and ..read more

This is not a romantic story about how I discovered my love for pathology after gazing through a microscope at a liver biopsy as a 10-year-old. There are plenty of pathologists out there with that story, but there are also a lot of us out there with other stories to tell. This is my story, and I hope portions of if resonate with you. If you’re feeling lost, if your path has taken a turn in the opposite direction of your plans, if you’re at a point where you need to make tough decisions about future directions—you're going to be okay. The universe has a way of working everything out if you trus ..read more

After two years of pathology residency training in the United States, I wonder which part of my journey I should focus on. Like every individual’s journey, mine had its own obstacles and challenges. As an International Medical Graduate (IMG), it was more difficult for me to find out which of the many steps I needed to take next to apply to residency in the US. It’s not easy for IMGs to get opportunities for observership with no contacts in the US. I remember contacting over 50 programs requesting them to give me an opportunity to observe with them. Most of the emails seemed to disappear into t ..read more

With interview season fresh underway, we knew our next Road to Residency feature had to include interview tips from the top and in-depth info about DEI, wellness and culture. We're excited to introduce to you Mount Sinai's pathology residency program director, Dr. Barbara Sampson, as she answers the hottest Match questions and gives us a peek into Mount Sinai Pathology. How can PathMatch applicants stay motivated and inspired through interview season? Residents conducting back-to-back interviews, sometimes with little feedback, can get very exhausting! Tips to tackle “interview burnout” can be ..read more

Some may call it curiosity. Some may call it keeping the oath of a physician. Others may say it was fate that led late pathologist Dr. Gene Herbek to the indigenous women of Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Circa late 1990’s, Dr. Herbek lived and worked near Standing Rock. He recognized the women of Standing Rock had the highest rate of cervical cancer in the US and one of the lowest survival rates. “Why is that?” he asked. He took another step. “What can we do about it?” It was his next step that would change the face of medicine for so many underserved women. In 2001, he created See, Test ..read more

5 tips for resident success in pathology by Walter Oliveira, MASCP, MLS(ASCP) SI The voice of the laboratory professional is not often heard and we are rarely seen. Laboratory professionals work in unison with pathologists to provide care and healing for patients, and there are multiple ways pathology residents can engage with and learn from the laboratory team. I have worked with residents for many years and cannot stress enough that laboratory professionals are the most valuable resource for pathologists. It is key to model this to fellows and residents in training by having a visible presen ..read more