Dr. Fitzhugh is an associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She is an expert in the pathology of sarcomas. Dr. Fitzhugh also has interests in the recruitment, retention, and promotion of Black and other underrepresented groups in medicine to pathology as well as racial disparities in treating patients. Dr. Fitzhugh is a celebrity pathologist and has >21,000 followers on Twitter - find her at @DrFNA. And check out her article: Through My Eyes: The experience of a Black woman in pathology

In this episode we talk about all things sarcoma pathology and also Dr. Fitzhugh's unique experience as a Black woman pathologist and her platform #blacklivesmatter

 

We discuss:

5:30 what does a pathologist do?

 

12:30 why pathology diagnosis takes time and the steps pathologists take to determine sarcoma type

 

14:00 why second opinions are needed

 

16:30 The variety of sarcoma tumors 

 

18:00 why it is so important to get the diagnosis right 

 

19:00 pathologists have big hearts

 

22:18 : breaking down IHC/working up a tumor

 

25:30 growing and karyotyping tumors and genomics

 

30:00 FISH breakdown

 

33:15 why is tissue an issue?

 

34:45  Sarcoma is a team sport and including families 

 

38:15 how is pathology changing with new technology 

 

43:00 Dr. Fitzhugh platform - women of color in medicine 

 

44:00 Convincing minority children pathology is where they want to be - letting future generations know the role of a pathologist

 

46:30 meaningful impact of having black role models in pathology 

 

49:45 Dr. Fitzhugh finding her voice

 

50:25 Trolls on Twitter and assigning value to black people

 

54:00 Bubba Watson update

 

music: Rospigg

photo: CDC