Pathology Student

Why, why, why D-dimer?

This song by TheMashedPotatoMan is a hilarious and memorable reminder of one very important aspect of the D-dimer assay, which is this: (more…)

Medical presentation tip #2: Don’t crowd the slide with text.

One of the most common faux pas in medical presentations is making slides that are jam-packed with text.
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Very cool coagulation video (no, really!)

This video is awesome for so many reasons, I just have to post it here so you can watch it. (more…)

Medical presentation tip #1: Use a simple slide design

I’ve been giving and watching medical presentations for more years than I care to count. (more…)

Wait, the growth fraction drops as tumors grow?

Q. In class, we talked about how as tumors age, their growth fraction decreases. (more…)

Intrinsic vs. extrinsic anemias

Q. Can you help me understand intrinsic vs. extrinsic anemias? My concept of it is that intrinsic means it’s in the blood vessels and extrinsic means it’s in the spleen. (more…)

What are the MCHC, MCV and RDW in hereditary spherocytosis?

Q. I’m having some difficulty grasping the MCHC, MCV and RDW in hereditary spherocytosis. Wouldn’t the MCHC, MCV, and RDW be elevated in all anemias? (more…)

What’s the difference between Howell-Jolly bodies and Heinz bodies?

Q. Love your website, its helped me remember some super key concepts. (more…)

CREST syndrome

CREST syndrome is one expression of a larger disease known as systemic sclerosis (or, if you’re stuck in your ways like me, “scleroderema”). (more…)

A 3 year-old male with an abdominal mass

A 3 year-old boy presents with a 7 cm, solitary abdominal mass which is surgically removed. Grossly, the mass is well-circumscribed, soft, and tan. A representative section is shown here. (more…)