INTRODUCTION TO

PATHOLOGY
Dr Huzlinda Hussin
MD (USM), MPath (UM)
Pathologist
Department of Pathology
FMHS, UPM
a. Doctor & health issues of individuals & community
b. Aspiration of society & nation
c. Medical Curriculum & Input of general pathology
d. Pathology teaching & Problem Based approach
e. What is Pathology?
f. Scope of Pathology
g. How does one study Pathology?
h. Contents of General Pathology modules
i. Methods of implementation & Assessment
 Pathology teaching & Problem Based
approach
• Use modular approach- is one of the SCL methods that emphasizes on
compact self-contained teaching/learning module to encourage students’
participation and engagement towards learning
• Module format:
1. Module title
2. Module code
3. Learning resources- list of references
4. Terminologies- list of important terms in the topics eg: pathogenesis
5. Learning outcomes (LO)
6. Course contents & learning activities -lists of topics that will be
covered in the lectures; other activities eg: practicals and tutorial
7. Summary
8. Assignment
9. Evaluation- final exam
 Problem-based learning (PBL)
• PBL sessions are superimposed on the modular
approach to teaching and learning.
• Have their own code course and slots
• To challenge student to `learn to learn’ and work
together in groups.
• Encourages students to think creatively & analytically
in a team with appropriate learning resources.
• The emphasis is on a multidisciplinary organization
of the curriculum.
• Confronts students with problems as they would find
them in real-life (multidiscipline)
 What is pathology?
• Pathology is literally the study (logos) of suffering
(pathos)
• More specific- a bridging discipline involving both
basic science and clinical practice and is devoted to the
study of the structural and functional changes in the
cells, tissues and organs that underlie disease.
• The study of pathology- general pathology (GP) and
systemic pathology (SP).
• GP-basic reactions of cells and tissues to abnormal
stimuli that underlie all diseases.
• SP-examines the specific responses of specialized
organs and tissues to more or less well defined stimuli.
• 4 aspects of disease process that form the core
of pathology are:
1. Etiology: cause of disease
2. Pathogenesis: mechanisms of disease
development
3. Morphologic changes: structural alterations
induced in cells and organs of the body
4. Clinical significance: functional
consequences of the morphologic changes
 1. Etiology or Cause
• 2 major classes of etiologic factors:
1. Intrinsic/ genetic
2. Acquired- eg infections, nutritional ,
chemical, physical
Knowledge of etiology remains the backbone:
Disease diagnoses
Understanding the nature of diseases
Treatment of diseases.
 2. Pathogenesis
• Refers to the sequence of events in the
response of cells of tissues to the etiologic
agent, from the initial stimulus to the
ultimate expression of the dz.
Eg: to understand cystic fibrosis- need to know not only
the defective gene and gene products but also the
biochemical, immunologic and morphologic events
leading to the formation of cysts and fibrosis in the
lung, pancreas and other organs
 3. Morphologic changes
• Refer to the structural alterations in cells or
tissues that are either characteristic of the
disease or diagnostic of the etiologic process.
• Characteristic of the disease
• Diagnostic of the etiologic process
How does one study Pathology?
 Methods of implementation &
Assessment
LECTURES : (18 x 1 hour) 19 hours
PRACTICAL : (5 x 3 hours) 15 hours
Student centred learning (SCL) : (2 x 1 hour) 2 hours
TOTAL 35 hours

ASSESSMENTS
• Assessment : (1 x 1 hour) 1 hours

PACKAGE 3 CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENTS (Gen.Pathology, Microbiology,

Parasitology): 10+10+10=30%
PACKAGE 3 END OF SEMESTER EXAMINATION: 70%

Continuous Assessments for General Pathology Module : 10%

• Practical reports 10 Marks
• Assessment 2 20 Marks
30 marks which will be converted to 10%