The field of science known as pathology is very diverse and focuses on the study of diseases. In this field there are a variety of careers and a number of different routes of training people can take. A pathologist may work in a lab analysing outbreaks of diseases and studying their consequences or they may work in a hospital running tests on blood samples of patients.

As one of the oldest medical disciplines, pathology dates back as far as the 8th century in the Islamic golden age when doctors began to apply a degree of scientific information in the diagnosis of their patients by making links between the causes and results of diseases. One of the oldest pathological methods was identifying diabetes by actually tasting a patient’s urine.

Physicians will usually use pathologists as consultants, they may not directly interact with the patient but they will be asked to examine things like biopsies and blood samples. They may help diagnose the disease and often recommend treatments. They may not ever meet the patient but they will act as an important part of their medical team.

Autopsies are carried out by a forensic pathologist to establish a patient’s cause of death, this is occasionally considered more difficult than working with a live patient but the requirements of the results are not so vital.

There are numerous variations of the pathology profession such as a research pathologist who studies general issues affecting health and disease. Veterinary pathologists specialize in animal disease while botanical pathologists study disease in plants. There are some who specialize in the pathology of a particular aspect of a human such as speech pathologists so the variety of career options attracts a wide range of skills.

The education involved in becoming a pathologist is extensive, not only do they need to have a great knowledge of medical subjects and be familiar with a wide range of conditions, they must be able to use a wide range of scientific equipment. Most countries require pathologists to be certified doctors before undertaking a residency in pathology.