What is an anatomic pathologist?

An anatomic pathologist is a physician who studies organs and other tissues to help diagnose and treat diseases of patients. Patients do not meet with anatomic pathologists; after tissue samples are taken from the patient, the anatomic pathologist then studies the tissue to determine what illness the patient may have, the extent that it has affected the patient’s body, and how to best treat the affliction. As an anatomic pathologist, you use various equipment for analyzing samples, such as centrifuges, chromatographs, spectrometers, and molecular diagnostic and digital imaging technologies. Anatomic pathologists forward their findings to the patients’ primary care physician or specialist to discuss with the patients. Other job duties include performing autopsies to determine the cause of death of patients.