223: You Don’t Need a Scanner to Start Digital Pathology | ACVP Podcast

Send us Fan MailYou don't need a fancy scanner, a huge budget, or a computational background to get started in digital pathology. That's what I told the ACVP podcast — and I meant it. In this episode, I share my full digital pathology journey: from being completely intimidated by scanners during residency, to building a career that combines toxicologic pathology, image analysis, and remote work at a global CRO.If you're a resident, a trainee, or even a seasoned pathologist who hasn't fully stepped into the digital space yet — this one's for you.We talked about practical ways to get started, what foundation models actually mean for our daily work, how to build a team when implementing digital pathology at your institution, and why change management might be the most underestimated skill in this whole process.What we cover:[00:00] My background — from veterinary school in Poland to digital pathology[03:22] Why I chose industry over academia, and what that transition looked like[05:02] How a simple IHC side project became my entry point into digital pathology[07:11] How digital slides helped me pass my boards — and fall back in love with histopathology[10:24] My first job at a digital pathology image analysis company[12:00] What my current role at Charles River Laboratories looks like day-to-day[13:53] The best free resources for trainees to start exploring digital slides RIGHT NOW[15:26] Why pathologists need to understand image analysis principles — segmentation, classification, object detection[19:31] Foundation models, transformer architecture, and why annotation bottlenecks may soon be a thing of the past[24:13] Practical advice for institutions implementing digital pathology — equipment, teams, and managing resistance to change[27:30] How I unplug: trail running, weight training, and pathology-themed earringsResources & Links:Joint Pathology Center (JPC) digital slides: https://www.jpc.orgDavis Thompson Foundation — Noah Slidebox: https://www.davisthomasonfoundation.orgQuPath (free, open-source image analysis): https://qupath.github.ioDigital Pathology Place: https://www.digitalpathologyplace.comWatch the full conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wTDdlxJzq-A?si=xkz5YNljrUX5SnhdSupport the showGet the "Digital Pathology 101" FREE E-book and join us!