A pathologist is a physician who has completed training in anatomic and/or clinical pathology. Pathology is the identification of diseases and disorders using a microscope and other instrumentation to perform tests on tissue and blood samples.
A pathologist uses a microscope and often other tests to examine tissue biopsies and blood samples. The pathologist then combines clinical information (observations your doctor has made about your signs and symptoms) with microscopic observations of your biopsy and tests performed on your blood sample to make a diagnosis.
A biopsy is a sample of tissue. For certain suspected diseases and conditions, doctors will remove a small sample of tissue for analysis by a pathologist. This tissue is typically treated using special stains and/or other chemicals so it can be examined under a microscope and/or using molecular and other tests to learn more about the biology of the tissue. Biopsies are the single most important way to diagnose certain diseases, such as cancer
Medical laboratory scientists work in all areas of the clinical laboratory, including blood banking, chemistry, haematology, immunology, histology, and microbiology. They are also responsible for confirming the accuracy of test results, and reporting laboratory findings to pathologists and other physicians.