Dr. Spoorthy Gurajala, MD, Manipal Hospital, Bangalore

There’s one struggle almost every pathology postgraduate in India faces—but few admit openly: the fear of speaking up during discussions.

You’re at the multi-headed microscope. A case is on the screen. Your mind is working—you’ve formed a differential, you’ve noticed patterns—but the words don’t come out.

“What if I’m wrong?”
“What if it sounds basic?”
“What if everyone else already knows this?”

So you stay quiet.

And then someone else says exactly what you were thinking.

The case moves on, but that small moment stays with you.

Here’s the truth: most people realise a little late that learning in pathology does not happen in silence. It happens in the back-and-forth—in questioning, in hesitating, in even getting it wrong.

Pathology is not about instantly knowing the answer. It is about thinking out loud, refining your approach, and building diagnostic confidence over time.

If you always wait to be 100% sure, you will rarely speak. And if you rarely speak, you slow your own growth.

Start small. Even saying, “I’m not sure, but could this be…?” is enough. Ask why a diagnosis was made. Ask what ruled out the other possibilities.

Most good seniors don’t expect perfection—they appreciate curiosity.

Because every question you ask today becomes a pattern you’ll recognise tomorrow.

And slowly, that hesitation turns into clarity.

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