We want to reiterate our thanks and appreciation for our wonderful volunteer members. They are vital in supporting us to deliver outputs that advance the profession. 

For the last blog in our Volunteers’ Week mini-series, we spoke to Dr Lance Sandle. Lance has worked with the College in many different capacities over the years, from starting as a College tutor, through to taking the position of College Registrar between 2017 and 2023. He talked to us about his various roles, and the value of volunteering.  

Please see the end of the blog for an announcement on a number of College council vacancies. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background? What drew you to pathology as a profession? 

Chemistry was my best subject at school and the one in which I was most interested. Having drifted into medical school, biochemistry was, unsurprisingly, also my best subject. I spent an extra year at medical school completing a BSc in it. After qualifying in Medicine, I was still interested in rattling test tubes as well as seeing patients. Pathology was a way of combining the two. 

What volunteer roles have you had at the College? Can you tell us more about how you got involved and what these roles entail/have entailed? 

I have had a wide variety of roles, including:  

• College tutor 

• Regional CPD advisor 

• NQAAP (National Quality Assurance Advisory Panel) in Chemical Pathology – Member and Chair 

• Regional Council Chair 

• Nationally Elected Council Member 

• Vice President for Professionalism (now Professional Practice) 

• Registrar.

The Regional CPD advisor was at an early stage in CPD development and offered a developmental challenge. The officer roles at senior level with the College were clearly far more wide-ranging and involved exercising interpersonal skills as well as negotiating and debating skills. 

The most challenging of all these roles was as NQAAP Chair. This role gives you executive responsibility for the quality of laboratory results in all biochemistry laboratories (public or private) across the UK. There are a large number of quality schemes, and as the panel met every 6 weeks, there was a very tight timetable to turn around the results of each meeting. It was a huge commitment but rewarding and challenging in equal measure. You really had to know your stuff about external quality assurance. 

How does this work benefit/bring value to members? 

It’s a 2-way street. At College level, it brings personal experience to advocacy. Back at local level, it improves intelligence and understanding of central initiatives. 

What are your favourite things about volunteering with the College? 

Volunteering with the College provides opportunities to work with a wide variety of people across the profession, as well as with non-pathologist College staff, all providing a different perspective. It’s always instructive to have an alternative slant. Although there may be divergent views, we all share the same commitment to improving pathology.  

Why do you think it's important for members to get involved in College activities? 

Getting involved with the College keeps your clinical work fresh by giving you a different perspective on that particular activity. 

What advice do you have for other members who are interested in volunteering with the College? 

Start as soon as your professional and personal circumstances allow, and don’t bow to criticism from cynics who are not similarly motivated. The only way the College will benefit members is through member involvement. 

What are your hopes for the pathology profession over the next 5 years, and how can the College support in this? 

I hope that there will be an alleviation of workforce pressures through a refined approach to workforce planning. This would include increasing awareness of pathology to medical students and ensuring a guaranteed consultant post for trainees at the successful completion of their training. College databases of trainees and consultants should inform government planning. 

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Are you interested in volunteering as part of the College's governing bodies? If so, the nomination phase for the election of the College Council members has opened today, Friday 7 June 2024. The vacancies include:

Nationally Elected Council Member (1 post) 
English Regional Representative (3 posts - South, Midlands and East England, London). 

Information on the roles can be found here. Nominations will be accepted up to midday on Friday 7 July 2024. 

Get involved at the College: volunteer roles

Have you enjoyed reading our volunteer stories this week? Do you feel motivated to get involved in College activities? 

If so, there are plenty of opportunities to participate in the College’s work. As well as supporting our mission to advance the science and practice of pathology, volunteering is a fantastic way to build up your CPD portfolio with diverse and interesting activities. If you are interested, please visit our volunteers page. 

If you have any thoughts or feedback for us on this blog series, or have another idea for a blog, we would love to hear from you. We are committed to representing our members, their stories and experiences, from across their broad range of specialties and backgrounds. 

Beyond Volunteers’ Week 2024, we hope to continue with our Volunteers Spotlight Series. If you’d like to talk about your experience of volunteering with the College, please get in touch with us at [email protected].