International Pathology Day Date in the current year: November 6, 2024

Pathology is the study of disease and injury that acts as a bridge between medicine and science. It underpins every aspect of patient care, from the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases, to the use of cutting-edge genetic technologies to treat patients with life-threatening conditions.

The two main areas of study in pathology are general and systemic pathology. General pathology is primarily concerned with analyzing cellular responses to different abnormal stimuli and dealing with the general principles and mechanisms of diseases, whereas systemic pathology focuses on the way diseases occur in the specific organs and body systems.

When used in the context of medical treatment, the term “pathology” is often identified with general pathology, which has many subdisciplines. The three main branches of general pathology are anatomical pathology (which, in turn, includes cytopathology, dermatopathology, forensic pathology, histopathology, neuropathology, pulmonary pathology, renal pathology, and surgical pathology), clinical pathology (including chemical pathology, immunopathology, and hematopathology), and molecular pathology. Forensic pathology is sometimes regarded as a separate branch of pathology.

Pathology plays a crucial role in modern medical diagnosis and medical research. Every blood test, cancer screening test, or biopsy sample is studied by a pathology team. Pathologists also conduct various research and act as advisors to healthcare organizations.

Pathologists are highly qualified specialists who work in hospitals and laboratories with other healthcare professionals and scientists. Many of them start out as doctors or scientists before choosing to focus on pathology. The four most common areas and of focus among pathologists are cells and tissues (histopathology), blood (hematopathology), body chemistry (chemical pathology), and infection (microbiology and virology). Other pathologists focus on smaller, but just as important, fields such as genetics and reproduction, immunity, toxins, etc.

International Pathology Day (IPD) was launched in 2014 by the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath), a professional membership organization founded in 1962 to maintain the standards and reputation of pathology in the United Kingdom. It is a registered charity that unites 11,000 members working in hospitals, labs, universities, and industry in the UK and abroad.

The main goals of International Pathology Day are to raise awareness of pathology among the general public and to give pathologists from around the world the opportunity to exchange professional knowledge and experience. IPD events organized by the Royal College of Pathologists and other pathology and laboratory medicine organizations around the world include conferences, seminars and webinars, roundtable discussions, and more.

* date for 2024