The statement applies not only to individual pathologists but also to the specialty as a whole. The demand for Pathology activity in service, teaching, and research is increasing. The organization and the supply of laboratory physicians are inadequate to meet this demand. Furthermore, a common response from colleagues to this challenge is internal complaint about their burdens. In the first instance, the challenge is to redirect pathologist's attitudes toward a more constructive position.
Pathologists are pathologists because they are pathologists.
To some extent we may have self-selected ourselves not to be very adept in dealing with the problems that now face our discipline. Nevertheless by consistently following the Canadian tradition of pragmatic compromise we have now as a specialty reached a most disadvantageous situation. But health is provincial. It is true that, technically, health is a provincial matter. The intent was to engage in a major planning and visioning exercise encompassing all components of Laboratory Medicine, and decide which issues we wish to emphasize as a group and how to best help each other.