My Path to Pathology

My path to pathology has been channeled by my inquisitive personality. For as long as I can remember, whenever I encounter something new, I have asked myself, “Why?” and “How?” These were the questions I asked when, in 2008, my mother was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Although many specialists cared for her, I was struck by how, ultimately, they relied on a pathologist’s diagnosis—from the assessment of her hematological evaluation to her ultimate diagnosis through a transbronchial biopsy—to guide her care. During her hospital stay, in the months before her death, my mother advised me to “Do something that is meaningful and will benefit the people around you.” Pathology does justice to my mother’s words. It was the pathologist that answered my family’s question as to why my mother was coughing, and later explained how her disease progressed to respiratory failure. My mother’s loss is one that I will carry as long as I breathe, but with her words in my ears, I discovered my calling. By my final year of medical school, I knew I wanted to be a pathologist.

Syeda Qasim, Ontario IMG School, Toronto

Syeda Qasim is an aspiring pathologist from Canada. She has graduated from medical school in Pakistan and has worked periodically as a Pathologists’ Assistant and a Researcher. Currently, she is a Pathology Instructor at Ontario IMG School in Toronto where she loves to engage with medical students and share with them her passion for pathology. In her free time, she is an avid baker who loves to make delicious creations with her four-year-old daughter.

Twitter : @syeda_qasim