Pathology is the study of disease. A pathologist, who is a medical doctor, looks at the causes of disease, how disease progresses and how disease affects the body. However, instead of examining the patient physically, a pathologist examines body fluids and tissue samples from that patient to help the primary physician make a diagnosis.
Most people have had some blood and urine tests done during their lifetime. These tests are analyzed by pathologists to help determine the next step in a patient’s treatment plan.