What Are The Best Online Courses For Clinical Pathology?

Best Online Courses For Clinical Pathology

Human pathology is the primary science on which healthcare treatments are devised for patients by clinicians and consultant surgeons. A pathologist’s expertise is required to examine samples that include, blood, stool, swab tests for smear tests, and human tissue for underlying issues. Human tissue samples are examined with genomic or proteomic biomarkers. Through the interpretation of the biomarkers, the pathologist provides a detailed diagnostic report for the perusal of treating physicians.

An evolving science

Human anatomy and its ability to be afflicted with diseases in case immunity levels drop is a vast expanse to be covered. Added to existing diseases, there are generally more chances for contamination than ever owing to the burgeoning population around the globe. The pandemic has iterated the need to coexist with the environment without burdening the natural resource reserves. At this stage, when pathology can use technology and deliver higher standards of personalized patient care, then there is hope for a safer and healthier planet and human race going forward. This aspect makes pathology course one of the sought-after fields of medicine in residency programs.

How does a pathologist explore the disease at a cellular level?

Of the many methodologies that were used in past and others that are being used because of technological advancements, a few techniques that a pathologist uses to explore the samples are:

• IHC or immunohistochemistry

In this method rapid agent identification is possible and it employs specific antibodies that localize the antigens of etiologic agents of interest. The cause of the disease is the etiologic agent. Techniques use formalin-fixed tissues to minimize exposure to infection for the lab worker. It also helps in storage and transport.

IHC has the advantage of its sensitivity to most microbes and is easily interpreted with visual imaging of the infectious agent within tissues. It also detects infection in difficult-to-culture microbes thus making it a preferred technique over traditional staining methods.

• Special stains

There are a wide variety of special stains used in pathological processes. Some of the common ones are masons trichomes; which help in detecting tissue injury. Other stains are reticulin, Giemsa, carbohydrate, acid-fast bacilli, and Brown and Hopps stains.

Research advancements in pathology

Pathology helps in solving major unanswered questions that relate to tissue culture, damage, recovery, and a host of other issues like aging, cancer, and cell regeneration. Some breakthroughs have happened in the past. However, with informatics and the use of deep learning, getting nearer to other life-sustainable practices in healthcare may soon be a possibility.

In short, it will mean that pathology can help in finding aging-related research that can elucidate apoptotic and anti-apoptotic signals that control the cell. A deeper understanding of cell death and regeneration can further studies in helping aged patients who are afflicted with pain to heal and improve their quality of life during palliative care days.

Tissue repair will also help in countering cancer cells and help develop improved treatment plans. In pathology, various models of the ischemia process of cell and energy depletion are explored. When the molecular mechanism of cell regeneration can be understood the process can be used to revive patients from tumors and cancer with a minimally invasive procedure.

After iterating the importance of pathology, interested candidates will be looking for the appropriate courses to help steer their career through online pathology courses. Here is a list of such programs that can be considered by future pathologists:

1. UMass Lowell Graduate Certificate Programs

This certificate program is completely online and is designed to suit the requirements of a busy schedule for resident program doctors who are looking for an additional certificate in clinical pathology or a bachelor in related life sciences who wants to be associated with lab work. It consists of four courses constituting 12 graduate credits and can be used to earn a grad-level credit while preparing for a master’s program.

2. ASCP certificate programs

American Society for Clinical Pathology offers selective online certificates that can be completed to maintain CME points for continuing education requirements. These programs help professional pathologists to stay current, and aware of the current developments and advancements in the field of diagnostic procedures. Participants can use their critical thinking abilities and learn new skills. The online programs are self-paced and help one fit these programs within their busy schedule.

3. Lecturio

Lecturio is a MedTech platform that offers immersive videos with simulation and 3D animated illustrations, short-recall quizzes, and numerous content topics that cover the pathology curriculum exhaustively. With instructor-led videos that explain the content lucidly and interactively, students who have this platform have found it to be an indispensable tool for learning clinical pathology.

4. Harvard University

Harvard University has a foundation program in clinical research. It is an online, self-paced study program that can help healthcare professionals with clinical research training. In turn, reliable independent investigators who can pursue forensic and clinical pathology and help run a diagnostic lab are nurtured.

Significance of pathologists in disease prevention

The pandemic has highlighted the importance of the doctors in labs, who tirelessly are studying microscopic pathogens, some of which are observed in highly contained environments and can start a bio-war.

Pathologists who work in disease prevention medicine usually research for:

1. Investigate outbreaks
2. Identify a previously unrecognized communicable disease
3. Contribute to emergency response in case of major outbreaks or a pandemic
4. Improve diagnosis and treatment plans

Pathology will always remain an interesting profile, as long as there is a human race and people are careless about basic sanitation and personal hygiene.

Conclusion:

Online courses in pathology are mostly certificate programs and can be pursued to gain a holistic viewpoint about diseases and the microbe or agent that is causing the problem. MedTech platforms offer online courses in pathology that can be used as study aids that make the content simple and easy to understand through a range of self-explanatory videos and quizzes. Anyone interested in taking up pathology should consider the sub-specialization and fine-tune their certificate programs to suit their requirement.