Pathologist: Job Duties, Occupational Outlook, and Education Requirements

Pathologist Job Description

A pathologist is a type of physician who specializes in studying cells, body fluids, and human tissue to research diseases. Pathologists rarely work with patients but usually report their research to a primary physician. Most of their time is spent working in a lab, collaborating with or leading other laboratory staff, performing tests, and keeping detailed records of their findings. Some pathologists work with medical examiners to help them discover the cause of death or other contributing factors, like a health condition. Pathologists can also work in these specializations:

• Immunopathology
• Hematopathology
• Chemical pathology
• Histopathology
• Forensic pathology
• Surgical pathology
• Cytopathology
• Dermatopathology
• Molecular pathology

Some of these specializations are grouped together as subspecialties to form one branch of pathology. The branches include clinical, which is the study of bodily tissues and fluids, and anatomical, which is the study of the whole or parts of the body. Molecular pathology is also considered a branch but includes different disciplines of pathology that are studied at a molecular level.

Pathologist Responsibilities

The role of a pathologist comes with certain responsibilities and job duties. Pathologists use various methods, medical equipment, and technology to perform their research, and they must follow all approved lab procedures and processes. Some other responsibilities include:

• Managing technicians and assistants
• Adhering to regulations related to health and safety
• Arranging samples for analysis
• Logging all findings and reporting work done
• Composing information for additional study

It must be noted that a medical pathologist is different from a speech pathologist. Speech pathologists help people with communication and swallowing issues and require a speech pathology degree.

Pathologist Job Outlook and Salary

Pathologists can be grouped under the larger category of physicians and surgeons. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an expected job growth of 3% from 2020-2030 for the category of physicians and surgeons.

PayScale.com reports an average salary of $214,622 for pathologists as of December 2021. However, the salary can be affected by experience level, location, and employer. According to PayScale.com, pathologists in the 10th percentile earned an average of $113,000, while pathologists in the 90th percentile earned an average of $314,000.

Pathologist Requirements

Becoming a pathologist requires years of education, training, a license, and certification. Below is a table, followed by paragraphs, providing information related to these requirements.

Medical Pathologist Education

Pathologist education starts with a four-year undergraduate degree. Pre-med programs can help an individual take the necessary courses, such as chemistry, biology, physics, and math for future medical education and testing, but they're not required. Students then take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) to gain entry into an accredited four-year medical school to earn either a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO). Both MD and DO programs teach students foundational medical science and practice theory and require clinical rotations.

After medical school, students begin specialized pathology training through a residency program. Residency programs typically last 3-4 years and, depending on the school, students can choose to specialize in anatomic pathology, neuropathology, or clinical pathology. Many schools usually teach both clinical and anatomical pathology as part of one residency.

Lastly, students have the option to pursue a pathology fellowship, where the training is catered to a subspecialty. If certification is part of an individual's plan, they will need to enter a fellowship. Depending on the program, students can choose from many subspecialties, such as gynecologic pathology, clinical chemistry, or cytopathology, among others. Fellowships usually last 1-2 years.

Pathologist License and Certification

All states require physicians to hold a state license, which can be obtained by passing either the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA).

Pathologists seeking board certification must take an exam from the American Board of Pathology. According to the board's requirements, certification must be obtained within 5 years of completing pathology training. There are individual exams for primary and subspecialty certification. Primary certification does not require a fellowship, but subspecialty certification requires a fellowship in the subspecialty a candidate is applying for. Additionally, each subspecialty has its own set of requirements.