A Pathology Story
The road to a career in Pathology is often unanticipated and surprising (even in retrospect) to the medical student or physician early in his/her career. My journey probably started as a boy when my grandfather showed me the hidden life in pond water using an old Bausch and Lomb microscope. The experience lay dormant until the second and third years of medical school, when the conference that most appealed to me was the clinicopathological conference. The only problem in my view was, the internal medicine doctors didn't leave enough time for the pathologist to discuss the findings, and the pathologist was the one with all the answers! With a senior rotation or two in pathology, I realized that pathology provides endless fascinating puzzles to solve, involves the practitioner in practically every one of the most interesting cases that the medical center has to offer, and allows the practitioner to remain a real scientist. I have never regretted my decision to become a pathologist, but I must admit it was not even on my list of possibilities when I entered medical school.
Since you are reading this, you too must be considering the field of pathology. If
there is still time in your medical school training and you haven't done so already,
strongly consider taking one or more senior electives in the field. If you are ready
to enter the field of pathology, consider joining our residency.
The information in this web site should give you some idea of these offerings, as well as how to apply and how to communicate with us.
Please accept my wishes for satisfaction and success wherever the road in Medicine takes you.
John B. Schweitzer, MD
Professor and Chair Emeritus
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