Diagnostic patient care has been my focus in neoplastic and non-neoplastic pulmonary pathology. In rendering an opinion, the pathologist must go beyond diagnosis by actively participating in multidisciplinary discussions and incorporating those conclusions into a larger interpretation. In neoplastic lung disease, this largely involves matching the surgical, oncologic and imaging features with the histopathology to assure an accurate tumor classification. In non-neoplastic lung disease, the incorporation of imaging and physiology, as well as clinical presentation, is critical to providing the best patient care that pathology can provide.