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==Motivation== | ==Motivation== | ||
With few exceptions, pathology journals are pay-per-view. Imagine a world in which pathology knowledge is accessible to every person on the planet with an internet connection. Patients and other physicians would have a chance to see for them self | With a few exceptions, pathology journals and textbooks are pay-per-view. Imagine a world in which pathology knowledge is accessible to every person on the planet with an internet connection. Patients and other physicians would have a chance to see for them self the challenges pathologists deal with. Medical students would see a vibrant specialty that is evolving with progress in medicine and, in fact, a driver of progress. | ||
Second, good pathology textbooks are few. Most are laden with dense text and impractical when looking down the [[microscope]]. The philosophy seems wrong -- the emphasis is on making dense text. In my first profession, I have heard it said that the textbook writers are paid by the figure and table. In this light, many of the people writing pathology textbooks, by and large, have it backward. The philosophy here is deliver the goods straight and give a [[differential diagnosis|differential]]. Tables are considered highly desirable and decision trees useful. Dense text is seen as a weakness. | Second, good pathology textbooks are few. Most are laden with dense text and impractical when looking down the [[microscope]]. The philosophy seems wrong -- the emphasis is on making dense text. In my first profession, I have heard it said that the textbook writers are paid by the figure and table. In this light, many of the people writing pathology textbooks, by and large, have it backward. The philosophy here is deliver the goods straight and give a [[differential diagnosis|differential]]. Tables are considered highly desirable and decision trees useful. Dense text is seen as a weakness. |
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