Do pathologists actually talk?
The days when pathologists could somehow shelter in windowless basements are long gone, and they are (or should be) in regular communication with their clinical counterparts. It is not the pathologist’s primary role to communicate directly with patients, and the most appropriate way for patients to receive and assimilate their diagnoses is in discussion with their personal physicians, who are in the best position to provide clinical perspectives on pathologic entities. Still, in certain cases, provided that professional protocol is observed, and with the consent of the treating physician, pathologist and patient might yet have a productive conversation. I recall many instances in which I have had the opportunity to give reassurance, perhaps explaining why things are taking so long, or delivering other useful information about the underlying condition.