Path lab Roadshow

I updated the post from earlier in the week about what a TBL is, you can see it here.

My autopsy presentation is tomorrow, which should be fun! We are lucky that our lab instructor cut in the eyes so he is is going to present that part of it. His enthusiasm level is really pretty awesome.

Abdominal aortic aneurism illustration

And we had a good roadshow this week! Roadshows are where a pathologist will have multiple specimens showing different stages of a disease process (and sometimes do a cheer!) and present it to each lab. Last time it was clot formation which included an epically long, solid clot that had branch points and everything. This time it was about atherosclerosis and we were able to see aortas in various stages of atherosclerosis as well as examples of what can happen when you have it. There were huge clots, aneurisms, aortic dissections and examples of surgical repair.

It was really well done. The room had a long central stretch of tables with covered pans lining the middle and as you progressed down the table each pan was uncovered to show worsening stages of aortic disease. We started with clean, elastic aorta to ones with fatty streaks, to some that were just hardened to hardening and plaque formation all the way down to one that had multiple previous surgical repairs.

As for actual classes, we're in the middle of immunology right now and it is a busy week. I miss virology and bacteriology (last week and two weeks ago feels so far away!) but every subject we study can't be my favorites. And my group was on surg path this afternoon, which was great! My last rotation was at the VA so I was worried that I wouldn't remember Duke procedures but it went well. I've missed grossing so much!

Also, I am looking forward to this weekend! Last weekend was spent studying for the test and then right after it I had to start studying for the next day's IRA which meant not very much time to decompress. Saturday, I'm having a dinner party and my husband will actually get to come to this one! Should be fun. :-D