Established in 1892, the Department of Pathology at McGill University has been one of the most reputable academic pathology departments in North America. Many outstanding individuals have worked and studied in the department, including Sir William Osler, frequently described as the ‘father of modern medicine’, Dr. Maude Abbott, renowned pioneer in cardiovascular research and one of the first female physicians in North America and Dr. John McCrae, author of the famous war poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. The department has a wealth of documents, specimens and educational materials, some of which are now housed in the Maude Abbott Medical Museum.
The ‘Pathology Institute’, as part of the Royal Victoria Hospital complex, came into being in 1923 with building funds from the J.D. Rockefeller Foundation. In the 1960s, the Pathology Institute was expanded by the construction of the Lyman Duff Medical Sciences Building, located next to the Royal Victoria Hospital. In May 2015, the pathology laboratories of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal General Hospital (MGH), Montreal Children’s Hospital and Montreal Chest Institute were centralised and relocated to the McGill University Health Center (MUHC) Glen Campus. The department provides service to a population of nearly two million people who receive clinical care in one of the McGill-affiliated hospitals. The department has an annual activity of about 200 000 surgical pathology samples, 170 000 cytology tests, 350 adult autopsies and 200 pediatric autopsies.
The above text is from Gao Z, Zorychta E, Karamchandani J, et al. Revitalising an academic pathology department: lessons learnt. Journal of Clinical Pathology 2019;72:213-220.