The Power of #PathArt

One of pathology’s most enduring stereotypes – and one that lab medicine professionals are trying their hardest to overcome – is that of the pathologist as “basement dweller” or “microscope lover” whose main source of joy is an interesting slice of tissue or smear of blood. But pathologists themselves know that this isn’t the case at all. In fact, the lab is often a prime example of “work hard, play hard.” The work done by lab medicine professionals is as difficult as it is vital, so those who do it enjoy being able to see the lighter side of their chosen discipline while exercising their creativity. And community-building isn’t the only benefit of “fun” pathology – it also helps to draw attention to the field and make it more approachable to trainees and the general public.

#PathArt with a purpose

A prime example of this lightheartedness is the popular Twitter hashtag #PathArt, created in March 2015 by pathologist and social media guru Jerad Gardner. Countless pathologists use Twitter for personal and professional development. They follow up-to-the-moment news, liaise with professional societies, represent their hospitals and research groups, and find others online who share their interests. And when a group of like-minded pathologists get together on the Internet, what results is a burst of histology-based creativity.

#PathArt images arise when a sample, most often a tissue section, looks like something else under the microscope – anything from a classical painting to the Death Star. What would formerly have been the source of a chuckle for one or two microscope users has now become a popular trend, and the likenesses are getting more imaginative every day.

#PathArt is certainly generating a community. Not only has the tag encouraged pathologists to share their images, but it’s stimulating discussion as well. Those who use it compliment one another on particularly beautiful images, offer advice on unusual cases, and even debate which popular characters a given tissue section most closely resembles. Far from hiding behind their microscopes, these pathologists are using them as a tool for communication. And not just among professionals – many of the tweets are pitched at a level accessible to outsiders, so that even students and members of the public can appreciate them. pH7, an undergraduate student science blog from the University of Sheffield, UK, recently featured the #PathArt hashtag, along with a selection of their favorite examples (1), showing that even those with no histology training can get in on the fun.

Creating a community

Why is online community-building so important for pathologists? Medicine is becoming ever more globalized. Where you might once have been limited to colleagues at your institution for a consultation, or had to lose days or weeks mailing slides to distant locations, you can now send digital images in seconds. Knowing who your worldwide colleagues are, where they work, and what specialties and skillsets they have can be the key to solving a difficult diagnostic puzzle – so the more pathologists get to know one another, even through “fun” interactions, the better. Not only that, but it allows lab-based professionals to reach out to patients and the public.

It’s as vital as ever to destroy the antisocial stereotypes that plague the field. We’ve covered the problems these stereotypes cause before (2) – medical students are dissuaded from considering pathology by its reputation, leading to widespread personnel shortages, and patients fail to understand the pathologist’s role in their care. It’s a problem we hear about again and again; in this issue’s interview with Fred Bosman, professor emeritus at the University Medical Center of Lausanne, Switzerland, he told us, “It’s important to get the public eye on pathology… We should be much more actively engaged in interaction with the public, teaching them who we are and showing them the importance of what we do.” At a time when pathology must move to the forefront of patient care to keep its edge, practitioners can’t afford to be held back by misperceptions. Engaging people with interesting facts and visuals in a casual environment like a social media platform is one way of reaching out and showing them what pathology is really like.

Of course, Twitter isn’t the only platform pathologists can use for outreach, and #PathArt isn’t the only hashtag to explore. Laboratory medicine is slowly making its way into the public eye through initiatives as diverse as the @BellinghamSkull Twitter account (featuring short messages from a skull “hanging out at the back of Barts Pathology Museum”), GomerBlog (see "Satirical Stressbuster"), I Heart Guts (which manufactures plush organs that come with educational booklets) and GIANTmicrobes (showcasing friendly-looking plush versions of human pathogens and more). Things like this not only appeal to fun-loving pathologists, but get non-experts talking about science, medicine, and what happens in the lab – a critical part of promoting the profession.