Kalisha Hill
Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Medical Director, Pathology and Laboratory Services Ascension Saint Mary Kankakee, Illinois, USA; Governor, Second Term, College of American Pathologist; Past-President, Illinois Society of Pathologists
Controversial opinion? On a recent international trip, I discovered that around the world, there is a desire to provide healthcare with minimally trained personnel rather than prioritizing care provided by certified laboratory medicine professionals. A pathology physician, whose medical training expands a minimum of 9 years, should continue to be the sole diagnostician to finalize abnormal results that result in irreversible patient treatments. If this is being minimized so health systems can save money, the physicians and patients need to be aware – and demand the appropriate level of care – especially when their tax dollars are contributing to the health system.
Inspiring leader? My Granny, Johari Amini Hudson, was admitted to chiropractic school at the age of 42 after years as a professor of humanities. She took me to her anatomy class when I was a child and that was my first exposure to surgical pathology. She showed me the jars with specimens, including a large ovarian cystadenoma that I can still visualize today. I did not know then that would provide fuel to enjoy studying in the cadaver lab late at night dissecting organs and tracing nerves.
Fortunately, during my rotations, following specimens out of the operating room to the pathology lab afforded me the opportunity to interact with pathologists and learn their daily workflow. I watched surgeons wait with baited breath and amazement for the pathologist's examination and diagnosis. I was hooked.
Raising the profile? For students: Tasking undergraduate medical education curriculum committees and pathology champions to expose medical students to how a pathologist practices medicine daily.
For the public: More accurate TV entertainment programs demonstrating the vast diversity in pathology practice settings, not only autopsies and sitting at a microscope, but the numerous other activities and subspecialties in our field.
