How To Learn Pathology Online?

Who is a pathologist?

Pathologists are doctors who specialize in the field that explores the underlying causes of any type of disease, illness, or infection at cellular, molecular, and tissue level. They explore the reason or the base cause for the presence of disease symptoms, to what extent and how cells are damaged, and other clinical investigations to reach a diagnosis.

If a person who is already on their way to becoming a pathologist is looking for some help online, then they can check out this pathology course to improve their comprehension of the subject.

What Do Pathologists Do?

Pathologists perform various tests like:

• Immunohistochemistry or IHC
• Special stains
• Molecular tests
• Microbiology tests
• Electron microscopy

There are a host of modes of exploring diseases, including morphologic, antigenic, and nucleic acid methodologies in pathology. A pathologist uses varied clinical procedures to examine tissue samples. In turn, they aid physicians in devising an appropriate treatment plan that suits their body and inherent conditions and exacerbates a patient’s recovery process. The ongoing treatment plan and disease management techniques are updated as per the changes in the pathology reports generated after the requisite tests.

Some common pathological work that most people encounter as laymen are

1. Blood Work is recommended by the physician’s office to see changes in the count of blood cells
2. Pap smear tests are conducted annually to test for human papillomavirus or HPV
3. Fine needle test to extract fluids from sacs for biopsy
4. Clinical trials for drug formulations
5. Forensic work at any crime scene involving death
6. Autopsies to determine the cause and time of death

How To Use Resources From The Internet To Learn Pathology?

Pathology is a full-time residency program. It is a specialization that is taken after clearing the med school programs and licensure exams of USMLE. A pathologist can avail of a lot of tools, learning aids, and additional free courses that help in clearing their concepts and developing their expertise in the field.

Online resources to clear medical disciplines have risen in the last decade and are not a preferred choice because of the ease of access and the variety of topics discussed in-depth. As some of these courses and aids are free, it is an all the more efficient and reliable source for people who are pursuing pathology and would like a holistic development of their perspective.

Here are a few steps that will prove to be purposeful for learning pathology online:

1. MedTech platforms

With the rise in AI solutions in education, many MedTech platforms like Lecturio have come up with visual aids and immersive lectures that cover all the important topics and animated illustrations explaining the context and content. Their recall quizzes and bite-size points help in the retention of the learning outcomes for a longer time and master pathology.

2. University’s free online courses

Universities like MIT, Tuft, University of Alabama have free online courses with pedagogy and structure on sub-specialization and important topics in histology, basics of pathology, clinical pathology, and general pathology. These courses are self-paced and can be registered from their website. Some of these courses are divided into modules with tests that help gauge the understanding of the subject.

3. Societies and community

Professional bodies and associations help in maintaining the relevance of the subject for any field where there is a need to keep abreast with the latest developments. Pathologists can avail of online courses that help in maintaining continuing education points required for medical education credits.

The American Society for Clinical Pathologists is one such organization that offers a host of online programs for maintaining CME and resident question banks as both study aids before and after a student finishes the residency program.

Online courses offer pathologists and lab professionals a convenient way to sharpen their skills. They are aware of the happenings in healthcare development through the newsletter and seminars but online courses offer better accessibility and ease in tapping relevant information.

4. Study aids

Few universities have created educational aids like recordings of class notes or briefings on a topic in an explanatory tone. For instance, the University of Virginia has many voice clips on varied topics in pathology like cytogenetics, microscope anatomy, patterns in a tumor, coagulation and abnormal PTT, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, and clinical chemistry for vitamin levels in the blood. The topics are comprehensive and can be heard using a smartphone during a busy commute on a subway train.

Advantages Of Online Pathology Courses

Even though pathology is a lab-based subject and needs extensive in-person learning in a lab set-up, it is possible to learn pathology online as resourceful material. It helps in saving time, is easy to access, and because of the AI-based 3D modeling illustrations with instructional voice over, the subject becomes more interesting as it captures the imagination of the learner and will be retained for a very long time.

Sub-Specializations Of Pathology

Pathology can be further super or sub-specialized and taken up as a career where the adroitness of the person matters because of the extra credits and courses that have been covered and cleared. Sub-specialization also helps in the easy division of labor within the diagnostics and predictive medicine departments of healthcare.

For instance, if a patient has difficulty with their blood not clotting after a wound, then a hematologist will check for the reason behind the symptom.

Similarly, a couple who is not able to conceive is tested by a reproductive scientist who will take a sample of the couple and test them for the number of eggs and sperm and accordingly the consultant gynecologist. There are many other specializations in pathology like histologists, microbiologists, and genome specialists, to name some.

Conclusion:

Pathology is the base for any diagnostic and preventive medicine development. It has been proven in the past that the knowledge of pathology can be used to eradicate a disease from the world by developing effective vaccines

The recent pandemic and the PCR test that helped gauge the Covid symptoms that helped in quarantining the sick, symptomatic, and asymptomatic patients from healthy individuals was possible because of knowledge of pathology and the developments made in this field.

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