Pathologist

KOWNLEDGE
 Veterinary pathologists play a core part in advances in animal health.
Only a small proportion of pathologists (less than 1%) investigate suspicious deaths.
 Humans have 20,000–25,000 genes. Scientists working in genetics help to investigate the
genetic causes of disease.
Skills
Organizational skills. Pathologists are tasked with keeping their chemical analysis laboratories in order
and keeping all ongoing projects and analyses running properly. They must also frequently meet with
patients during their day

 Clinical and technological knowledge. ...

Education
Becoming a pathologist can require 11 years of education, including four years of
college, four years of medical school, and a three-year residency. It will take even
longer if a person pursues a pathology subspecialty after their residency program.

Required Certification/Licenses

 completion of a medical degree from an accredited medical school

 Completion of a pathology residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council

for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the American Osteopathic Association
(AOA)

 Passing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or

Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) to obtain a
medical license

Continuing Education Requirements

Upon attainment of your license, you would next begin a three-year residency program in either
anatomical or clinical pathology. There are around 145 accredited programs nationwide. You can
also opt to train in a combined four-year program in anatomical and clinical pathology (AP/CP).
Upon the completion of residency, most pathologists will obtain board certification from the
American Board of Pathology (ABP) by passing a written and practical exam. Those who do
tend to have more job opportunities.

ABP certification must be renewed every 10 years, during which time you must maintain a
certain number of study hours by participating in accredited continuing medical education
(CME) programs.

Day-to-Day Tasks

 Write pathology reports summarizing analyses, results, and conclusions.

 Manage medical laboratories.
 Identify the etiology, pathogenesis, morphological change, and clinical significance of
diseases.
 Plan and supervise the work of the pathology staff, residents or visiting pathologists.
 Communicate pathologic findings to surgeons or other physicians.

Entry-Level Positions and Starting Salary

 Entry-level (less than one year) – 6 individuals reporting: $175,000

 An entry-level pathologist with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an
average total compensation of $195,180 based on 43 salaries

Opportunities for Advancement and Salary Ranges

Around 283 to 308,000
They can also advance to become full professors in colleges or
universities or directors of research or administrators at
universities, medical centers, government agencies, or private
companies. Pathologists in the medical field can advance to a
position as head of the pathology department in a large
hospital. They can also start their own diagnostic laboratories.
Pros and cons list

 Pro: You’ll earn a comfortable living. A 2019 Medscape survey found that the
average pay for pathologists in the US is approximately $308,000.
 Pro: You’ll be in demand.
  Pro: Every day is different.
 Con: It’s not a high-visibility job.

ALL MY SOUCES

Medical Pathologist: Expertise, Specialties, and Training (verywellhealth.com)