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Pathologists

The Pathologist is a medical doctor, a highly trained medical specialist who examines tissues and is responsible for the accuracy of laboratory tests. The pathologist is often called as a consultant during an operation to make a diagnosis on a frozen section prepared specimen.

The pathologist uses diagnostic and screening tests to identify and interpret the changes that characterize different diseases in the cells, tissues, and fluids of the body. Anatomic pathologists analyze the gross and microscopic structural changes caused by disease in tissues and cells removed during surgery or the autopsy. Cytopathology, the examination of individual cells to aid in disease detection, is an important component of modern patient care.

Partially adapted from the The Intersociety Committee on Pathology Information, Inc.(ICPI) brochure “Pathology as a Career in Medicine”

Pathologists’ Assistants

Pathologists’ Assistants (PAs) have practiced at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) for the past 29 years. There are nine PAs employed whose primary responsibility includes the performance of the Gross Description of over 90% of the more than 40,000 surgical cases received annually (Pathology Residents do the remainder).

At least 80% of the approximately 200 medical autopsies are performed by PAs; assisting the Pathologist in the writing of Clinical Histories, the dissection and blocking of the organs and the creation of a preliminary report. PAs are also involved, working closely with the forensic Pathologist to a varying extent, in the performance of forensic autopsies, of which there are over 600 annually at the Eastern Ontario Regional Forensic Pathology Unit, housed at the General Campus.

The PAs’ responsibilities also include gross photography and maintenance of image archives. PAs are active participants in the training of medical Residents as well as other hospital paramedical staff. PAs amend and maintain policy and procedure manuals in their areas as well as create quality assurance initiatives and continuing quality improvement methodology.

Cytotechnologists

Cytotechnologists attend fine-needle-aspiration biopsies of lesions deep in the body and assist the physician by immediately viewing the specimen in a microscope. See our Cytopathology page for more information.

Histotechnologists

Histotechnologists are Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLT). They receive the cassettes from the pathologists’ assistants, fix the tissue through a series of chemicals, the tissue is orientated in paraffin wax and then fine slices are placed on glass slides and stained. Histotechnologists perform a variety of interesting duties such as: snap- freeze tissue in the operating room so the Pathologist can assist the surgeon; use immunohistochemical and immunoflourescent identification of cell markers; apply special stains, process tissue for electron microscopy, do research, and utilize special handling techniques for such tissue as kidney and lymph node biopsies.

Morgue Attendants and Pathologists’ Assistants

The morgue attendants and pathologists’ assistants help the pathologist with post- mortem examinations (i.e. Autopsy) in order to obtain important autopsy tissue. Autopsy tissue and surgical tissue from the physician is described and sampled by the pathologist or pathologists’ assistant in the Cutting Room. The sample tissue is placed in a small plastic container called a cassette. Pathologists’ assistants and morgue attendants are continually challenged and fascinated with the variety of surgical specimens as well as forensic and medical autopsies.

Office Staff and/or Technicians

Office staff and /or technicians receive or collect specimens and requisitions from physicians and the requisition information is entered in the computer. Specimens requiring the study of individual cells are sent to cytology for processing by technicians and/or cytotechnologists. The pathologist views prepared samples on a microscope and dictates an interpretation of the findings, which is typed by transcriptionists in the office and a report is sent back to the physician.

Last updated on: March 9th, 2021