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By Enyeribe Ejiogu
Dr Felix Emeka Menkiti is a medical professional with a strong academic and leadership background, who has had a scholarly and meteoric rise in the academia in his chosen specialty in medicine, pathology, for which he was awarded a fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Faculty of Pathology, Anatomic Pathology Specialty in 2019. Thereafter, he was appointed a Consultant Pathologist at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi and Lecturer in the Department of Anatomic Pathology and Forensic Medicine Department of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, College of Health Sciences, Nnewi Campus. He served as the Head of the Department of Histopathology/Anatomic Pathology and Forensic Medicine of both institutions.
A native of Achalla, in Awka-North LGA of Anambra State, Nigeria, Menkiti studied Medicine and Surgery at Nnnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State. In this interview he sheds light on Pathology, explaining why the field is regarded as the hub of medical practice while the other specialties in medicine and surgery are the spokes, when likened to the wheel of a bicycle.
Give us a snapshot of the trajectory of your medical career, to the present time and the position you currently occupy.
My medical career has followed a steady trajectory defined by structured training, continuous learning, and a growing sense of responsibility to patients and the profession. I began my journey with formal medical training in Medicine and Surgery, where I developed a strong foundation in clinical medicine, patient care, and ethical practice. I obtained the MBBS certificate January, 2008.
Following the completion of my undergraduate medical education, It took a year before I got a placement at the then Federal Medical Center (now Federal Teaching Hospital), Abakaliki for internship in 2009, and thereafter, did the one year compulsory national youth service in Taraba State at Medical Reception Station (Medical Center), 20 Mechanized Battalion Nigerian Army, Gashaka. Towards the end of my internship in 2009 at FMC, Abakaliki, I sat for and passed the Primary Examination of the National Postgraduate Medical College in Pathology. After my youth service, I worked in a mission hospital owned by the Ogbaru Anglican Diocese under Bishop Samuel Ezeofor, before I was admitted into residency training program at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in December, 2012. I progressed through the required stages of professional development, gaining hands-on experience. These experiences have strengthened my clinical judgment, adaptability, and commitment to evidence-based practice. My training under committed teachers and guides was well structured that I sat for and passed the Part 1 and Part 2 Fellowship examinations of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in 2015 and 2019 respectively. I was awarded a fellow of the Medical College, Faculty of Pathology, Anatomic Pathology Specialty in 2019 and thereafter, appointed a Consultant Pathologist at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi and Lecturer in the Department of Anatomic Pathology and Forensic Medicine Department of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, College of Health Sciences, Nnewi Campus. I have served as the Head of the Department of Histopathology/Anatomic Pathology and Forensic Medicine of both institutions.
At present, I am serving as the Sub-Dean of Students Affairs, CHS, NAU, Nnewi and Consultant Pathologist at NAUTH, where I am actively involved in training medical students, overseeing the students welfare, patient care, teamwork, and continuous professional development. My current position allows me to apply the knowledge and skills acquired over the years while contributing meaningfully to healthcare delivery and capacity building.
How did you arrive at your decision to specialise in pathology, giving up the other specialities like Obstetrics & Gynaecology, which is believed to generate more regular income, given the number of women having children?
Despite my love for pathology while in school, my decision to specialise in Pathology was a tough one for me, in that I wanted to be ‘visible’ and make money. I initially wanted to specialize in Surgery, ending up a Neurosurgeon due to the ‘fame and aura’ around the neurosurgeons then. However, as I thought over this, God reminded the purpose He enabled me to study medicine despite my background. So, I was guided primarily by purpose, aptitude, and long-term impact rather than by perceived income trends associated with certain specialties. While disciplines such as Obstetrics and Gynaecology play a vital and highly visible role in clinical care, I found myself more drawn to the diagnostic foundation upon which effective medical decisions are made.
During my clinical training, I had developed a strong interest in understanding disease processes at a deeper, cellular, and molecular level. Pathology appealed to me because it sits at the intersection of science and clinical medicine, influencing virtually every specialty through accurate diagnosis, disease classification, and prognostication. I came to appreciate that without precise pathology, even the most skilled clinical interventions may lack direction.
Additionally, Pathology aligns closely with my strengths in analytical thinking, research, and attention to detail. It offers an opportunity to impact patient outcomes on a broad scale—often beyond individual encounters—by supporting clinicians with reliable, evidence-based diagnoses. Ultimately, the fulfillment I derive from contributing meaningfully to patient care and advancing medical knowledge outweighs considerations of short-term financial comparisons between specialties. The Pathologist is a silent labourer shaping the lives of those he may have no direct contact with, including families and communities. Pathology sits between the law and human, helping to settle complex issues.
What would you say makes pathology special in the healthcare mix?
Pathology is an interesting specialty, being unique in the healthcare mix because it serves as the diagnostic backbone of modern medicine. It provides the scientific basis upon which clinical decisions are made, guiding prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis across virtually all medical specialties.
What makes pathology particularly special is its breadth of influence. A single pathological diagnosis can shape the management of not only the index patient, but also countless patients by informing treatment protocols, surgical decisions, and public health strategies. It helps ensure that patient care is grounded in accurate and objective evidence.
Furthermore, pathology bridges clinical practice and medical research. It plays a central role in disease surveillance, cancer diagnosis, quality assurance, and emerging fields such as precision medicine. Although much of the work occurs behind the scenes, its impact is profound—every reliable laboratory result and tissue diagnosis directly contributes to safer, more effective healthcare delivery.
Beyond the healthcare system, its role is crucial in the justice and conflict resolution system. Pathology aids Forensic investigations in determining cause of death, identify victims, and analyze evidence in crimes. Autopsy reports by Pathologists provide critical information for legal proceedings. The Pathologist serves as an Expert witness to help interpret medical evidence in court. In cases like mass disasters or human rights abuses, pathology helps identify victims and clarify circumstances. Pathology, especially Anatomic Pathology, is a well balanced specialty for societal impact.
Some people tend to think of pathology in terms of conducting autopsy. How erroneous is this assumption and how does that make you feel as a specialist?
The perception that pathology is synonymous with conducting autopsies is a common but significant misconception. While autopsy practice is an important component of pathology, it represents only a small fraction of what the specialty encompasses. My response to the previous question should be revealing and must have enlightened the audience, and all who would have opportunity to read this.
As a specialist, this misconception is not discouraging but rather motivating. It highlights the need for greater public and professional awareness of the critical role pathology plays in healthcare. I take pride in belonging to a specialty that operates largely behind the scenes yet remains indispensable to accurate diagnosis, patient safety, and quality healthcare delivery; a specialty that influences health policies without making noise, I dare say. Pathology is the bedrock of medical practice.
The average person knows that a cardiologist deals with health issues affecting the heart. Please educate the readers about your field, highlighting the different aspects of the discipline and drawing attention to the socio-economic importance of pathology in its ramifications.
In reality, pathology is involved in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease in living patients on a daily basis. It’s important to make something clear here. Pathology is a field encompassing four (4) specialties: Anatomic pathology (Histopathology), Chemical Pathology, Haematology (and Blood Transfusion), Medical Microbiology and Immunopathology. Autopsy pathology is only a branch of Anatomic Pathology, which also includes Cytopathology, Surgical Pathology, Molecular Pathology, etc. Pathologists not only analyze tissue specimens, they are also do clinical works. The chemical pathologists run the metabolic disease clinics; the Haematologists run the haemato-oncology clinics, sickle cell disease clinic and perform bone marrow transplants; the infectious disease and veneral disease clinics are run by medical microbiologists; to mention a few.
What role does pathology play in criminal or forensic investigations?
The role of Pathology in criminal and forensic investigations is enormous, providing objective and scientific evidence that helps establish the cause, manner, and sometimes the timing of death. It is that medical science that supports the justice system by ensuring that conclusions about death are based on facts rather than speculation.
It is important to note that in forensic investigations, the pathologist conducts detailed examinations, the extent of which is determined by the circumstances of death and the findings to which cause of death is determined and explained. This includes physical gross examination to identify injuries, disease processes; toxicology to identify toxic substances like drugs, alcohol, poisons that may have contributed to death; histology, and other ancillary laboratory analyses to detect microscopic tissue changes. This may involve determining whether a death was natural, accidental, suicidal, or homicidal. Findings such as wound patterns, internal injuries, or signs of poisoning can help reconstruct events leading up to death and may directly influence criminal proceedings. These scientific findings often form the backbone of medico-legal reports and expert testimony in court.
Overall, pathology ensures that forensic investigations are guided by accuracy, integrity, and scientific rigor. By bridging medicine and law, pathologists help uphold justice, protect public safety, and provide closure for families and society at large.
Pathology can be briefly described as the branch of medicine that seeks to understand what causes disease, how it develops, and how it affects the body, using scientific and laboratory-based methods, as well as participate in the treatment of diseases. While a cardiologist treats diseases of the heart, a pathologist provides the diagnostic information that often confirms what disease a patient has, how severe it is and guide therapeutic decision. I had earlier given a brief on the different pathology specialties.
The discipline of pathology is broad and comprises several interrelated subspecialties. Anatomic/Forensic Pathology involves the microscopic examination of tissues to diagnose conditions such as cancers, inflammatory diseases, etc, as well as investigates causes of death, contributing to justice and public safety.
Haematology focuses on disorders of the blood and bone marrow, including anaemias and blood cancers. Chemical Pathology evaluates body fluids to assess metabolic and hormonal disorders, such as diabetes and thyroid disease. Medical Microbiology identifies infectious agents and guides appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
Beyond its clinical relevance, pathology has significant socio-economic importance. Accurate and timely diagnosis prevents unnecessary treatments, reduces healthcare costs, and improves patient outcomes. At population level, pathology supports disease surveillance, outbreak control, cancer registries, and public health planning. It also underpins medical research, innovation, and the development of targeted therapies, all of which contribute to a more efficient and sustainable healthcare system.
Essentially, pathology quietly influences nearly every medical decision made in hospitals, clinics and policy making chambers. Although pathologists may not always interact directly with patients, their work ensures that healthcare is precise, evidence-based, and economically responsible. This makes pathology an indispensable pillar of modern medicine.
