Get to Know Robert Seifert, MD August Member Spotlight

Welcome to this edition of the FSP member spotlight. This month we are delighted to feature Robert Seifert, MD. Dr. Seifert is currently the Unit & Medical Director for the University of Florida's Hematopathology Division. He also serves as the Program Director for the Hematopathology Fellowship. Dr. Seifert was recently recognized as ASCP's 40 under 40.

Robert Seifert, MD
Unit & Medical Director for the University of Florida's Division of Hematopathology; 
UF Hematopathology Fellowship Program Director 

What is your current role?
I am the Unit Director and Medical Director for the University of Florida's Hematopathology division as well as the Program Director for the Hematopathology Fellowship. 

What is the best part of your occupation? 
I have had great mentors. The primary reason I elected to stay in academia, rather than private practice, was to “pay it forward”. The best way I can demonstrate gratitude towards those who taught me is to elevate other students, trainees and junior faculty. I succeed when they succeed. 

How did you become interested in pathology?
Pathology was not on my radar until about half-way through medical school. During my surgery clerkship I went with an esophageal margin to the frozen room and saw, in real-time, the lab at work. Pathology is the intersection of biology and the diagnostic process and it is where I wanted stay from then on. 

How did you become involved with the FSP? 
I have been an FSP member since the beginning of my residency at the University of South Florida. For me, at the time, it was an opportunity to attend lectures given by thought leaders in our field and meet other residents. 

Explain how you benefit from being a member of FSP?
FSP membership is more than just an annual trip to Disney World to get your CMEs.  It is an opportunity to make connections and FSP has allowed me to keep in touch with colleagues around the region.  Also, as a medical director, it is critical to keep abreast of regulatory challenges and policy debates. FSP gives us a voice in the decision-making process. 

What would you like to see occur in the field of pathology (i.e., scientific advances, greater awareness of the field, etc.) during your career?  
While there are many exciting changes happening in pathology such as rapid whole slide imaging and artificial intelligence, what I would like to see, particularly with regard to the former, is better engagement with our clinical colleagues. Our colleagues lack pathology conversation partners. They need more than a result on a screen. The good news is, we have never been in a better position, in terms of information technology, to bridge that gap. 

What are your hobbies outside of the office?
Tabletop and video gaming, anything Star Wars, nerdy fantasy/sci fi books, Florida Football, the beach, and Walt Disney World. 

What is something surprising that most people do not know about you?
I am a published board game developer. The titles I have worked on are Space Empires: 4x and Talon, both published by GMT Games. One main job of a board game developer is to write the rule book. I've found writing board game rules and writing lab SOPs to be a very similar exercise. Medical directorship and board game development have more in common than you'd think.  At some point, you roll the dice. 

Is there anything I did not ask you that you would like to mention in this article?
Thank you for giving me this opportunity.