Forensic Pathology for Police - Brainshare Public Online Library

14 1 Introduction to Pathology
Table 1.3 Pathology disciplines
Clinical pathology Anatomic pathology
Chemistry Surgical pathology
Hematology Cytology
Microbiology Autopsy pathology
Blood banking
Molecular
Table 1.4 Board-certified subspecialties within pathology
Clinical pathology Anatomic pathology
Chemical pathology Cytopathology
Hematology Forensic pathology
Medical microbiology Pediatric pathology
Blood banking/transfusion medicine Dermatopathology
Molecular genetic pathology Neuropathology
examination administered by the ABP, the pathologist is then Board-certified within
that specific pathology subspecialty.
The certifying agencies for MD and DO degrees are the NBME and NBOME,
respectively, while the certifying body for pathology and its subspecialty areas is the
ABP. The reader should be aware that there are various international degrees that
are considered analogous to the MD and DO medical degrees. Likewise, there are
international credentials that are similar to the certifications in pathology granted by
the American Board of Pathology. Some international degrees and credentials may
be considered equivalent to those obtained in the United States; however, this is not
always the case. The reader should also be aware that the term “Board certification,”
as it applies to pathology and forensic pathology, should only be accepted when such
certification is conferred by the American Board of Pathology. Further discussion
of this issue will be presented in Chapter 3.
As with every medical specialty, there are numerous organizations that exist to
promote the pathology specialty, offer continuing medical education opportunities,
and act as an advocate agency for pathologists. Some of the larger organizations
are the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the American Society for
Clinical Pathology (ASCP), the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology
(USCAP), and the International Academy of Pathology (IAP). Subspecialties within
pathology also have organizations geared toward their particular subspecialty. The
leading forensic pathology and death investigation organization is the National
Association of Medical Examiners (NAME). A larger organization which encompasses
all forensic science disciplines, not just forensic pathology, is the American
Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS).