THIS laboratory is behind many diagnoses made at Bathurst Base Hospital, but it is one of the most unsung parts of medicine.
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Pathology is all about analysing samples to find out what is wrong with a patient, and without the expertise of scientists, many conditions would never be diagnosed.
Wednesday was Pathology Day and to celebrate, the media was invited into the pathology lab at Bathurst Base to tour the area and find out more about the vital work it does every single day.
Supervising scientist Bill Picken said pathology is a very busy departent particularly in regional areas.
“The difference here is that, in the big labs in Sydney, you’ve got a lot of hierarchy and everything is pretty set and you’ve got division of labour, but in the regional areas it’s really that everyone’s an expert,” he said.
“Everyone has to jump in and do this role, and then the next day another role; it is actually really quite demanding.”
Pathology involves a lot of shift work, with one shift starting at 6.30am and another finishing at midnight.
Staff also have times when they are on call overnight, usually finding themselves having to come into work to help with a patient.
“It is probably a bit of a blow to the lifestyle,” Mr Picken said.
Advancing technology has changed pathology a lot over the years.
Scientists once used test tubes and colour changing chemicals to test blood samples, which would take an hour alone, but now they have machines that can test samples and deliver results in a minute.
Once administration is included, it takes about an hour to get the results back to the doctor, but this process can be sped up in an emergency.
While it can be a busy job, Mr Picken couldn’t stress enough how rewarding it is to work in pathology in a regional area, saying that the experience you get is amazing and you develop close relationships with doctors.
“Even if you prefer living in Sydney, it is worthwhile coming to the regional areas to get some kind of experience,” he said.
“A couple of years experience here and you can walk away pretty well rounded.”