Pathologists

Individuals who specialize in diagnosing abnormal changes in tissue removed during surgery and postmortem examinations. Pathologists diagnose diseases by performing necropsies and pathological examinations of body tissues. Responsibilities include analyzing case histories, preparing tissues for microscopic examination, and diagnosing the nature and source of pathological conditions causing illness and death. Many pathologists work as coroners in their communities and direct activities such as autopsies, pathological and toxicological analyses and inquests relating to the investigation of deaths occurring within a legal jurisdiction to determine cause of death or to fix responsibility for accidental, violent, or unexplained deaths.