The College of Medicine successfully conducted the launch ceremony of PathoLens- a student centered online histopathology platform on April 21, 2025. This event marked the official launch of a year-long project, initiated and led by Dr. Eman Hassan, aimed to enhance the accessibility and engagement of histopathology education through innovative digital resources. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Prof. Salah Kassab the acting dean, COM, Prof. Nelofar, the head of biomedical sciences department and esteemed faculty members and students from different programs (MBBS, MD, GMD, HDPCS & BBMS).
Dr. Eman delivered an inspiring keynote address, sharing the journey behind PathoLens. She highlighted that the project originated from a clear vision: to make histopathology more accessible, relatable, and clinically integrated for medical students. She carefully selected a group of academically distinguished students passionate about teaching and histopathology to collaborate from MBBS and BBMS.
Each educational video within PathoLens begins with a clinical case, seamlessly transitioning into gross pathology findings and detailed histopathological features, ensuring a high-quality and standardized learning experience. To maintain consistency across all materials, Dr. Eman provided a model video template, closely supervised content development, and offered individualized feedback throughout the process. The event involved live demonstration of the PathoLens platform, allowing attendees to explore the resources developed and understand how they could contribute to it later to build on what their colleagues started.
The ceremony was further enriched by a speech from Dr. Naail Mohamed Ghazi, a GMU alumnus and valued contributor to PathoLens. Dr. Naail shared his passion for histopathology and encouraged students to embrace the subject with enthusiasm, famously declaring, “Patho is my path and medical education is my passion”.
Several PathoLens contributors also shared their reflections:
Wesam Darwich, a final-year MBBS student, remarked, “Students usually see the histopathology slide as a mixture of pink and blue, and my contribution to PathoLens allowed me to teach histopathology from the student lens, wishing to make it easier for them.”
Mariam ElSayed, another final-year MBBS student, reflected, “I consider teaching as part of my personality, and histopathology is much more than just interpreting a slide — it holds the key to a patient’s treatment and outcome. During my surgery clerkship, we managed a patient with a breast mass, and I witnessed firsthand how her entire management and prognosis depended on the histopathology report.”
Fatima Shamim, a BBMS alumna, shared, “Histopathology was my favorite subject during my university years. I was always fascinated by the ability to visualize diseases under the microscope and observe the intricate cellular changes that reveal the underlying pathology.”
In the closing remarks, Dr. Eman Hassan emphasized that “Although each video may only last a few minutes, behind every second lies countless hours of dedication, refinement, and teamwork”.
She concluded by highlighting a powerful message:
“Today’s students are no longer passive recipients of knowledge; they are active contributors to the creation of their own learning resources”.
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