Dr. Jo Duflou, Forensic Pathologist

Pathologists are experts in the nature, causes and processes of diseases. They may choose to practice in the area of general pathology or to subspecialise (e.g. as anatomical, chemical or forensic pathologists, haematologists, immunopathologists or microbiologists). Pathologists are the specialists who diagnose cancers and infectious diseases; they play an important role in diagnosing and monitoring diseases such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, play an integral role in blood transfusion services and more recently they are to be found at the cutting edge of using genetics in diagnosing disease.

Pathologists enjoy the challenge of difficult cases. Solving clinical puzzles with tests on various tissues including blood, body secretions and tissue samples in order to understand what is causing an illness or disease process, or what caused a person to die is the basis of their expertise.

Far more than just critical thinkers and analysers, pathologists must be excellent communicators, whether in person, on the telephone or through a written report, and they play an important role in health promotion, patient treatment and disease prevention. More than 70% of all diagnoses involve pathology tests of some kind. Add to that the important role pathology plays in monitoring disease and it is clear why this medical specialty is so important.

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