A Career as a Pathologist

If you have been enjoying laboratory work in school but you want to take it a big step further towards a medical career, then a career in pathology is worth consideration. Pathologists are medical doctors who specialise in diagnosing and treating diseases through laboratory methods. A pathologist can work in one or more of several main areas. They may work specifically in diagnostics, or they may work as teachers or even as investigators. Pathology as a field covers the combining of clinical data with laboratory studies. In a hospital or a scientific laboratory, a pathologist will work as a consultant doctor, where they use specialised knowledge of body tissues and laboratory analysis to aid in diagnosing and treating patients. Pathologists who function as science educators will share their expertise of medical conditions to their co-workers, students and any other relevant health professionals who can provide their skills to patients. Not only that, but pathologists can also work as scientific investigators, where they utilise laboratory techniques and information in clinical research studies, formulation of disease models and various experiments to help improve our understanding and treatment of diseases. Another newer branch of pathology is the field of computer forensics guided by a pathologist. Forensic pathology involves the determination of death and is often a part of criminal justice cases. The Right Person for Pathology Pathology is extremely well suited to someone who likes computer forensics and has an analytical, logical and investigative mind and way of thinking. If you're a natural problem solver, then pathology would probably be a wonderful fit. If you also enjoy being at the forefront of technology and related applications along with learning new things on a daily basis, then you may be an even better match for a career in pathology. Pathologists work across many areas of medicine genetics, anatomy, biochemistry and many others. They build upon established research to advance medical knowledge and treatment. If you think about it this way, pathology is actually a science specialty in medicine that forms the groundwork for virtually all types of medicine. A pathologist uses what we already know about laboratory medicine and then solves problems that are present in clinical practice. Given how broad the field of pathology is, a pathologist can specialise further by choosing a more refined specialty. You might prefer working in hospitals or perhaps in research and education while other pathologists will focus on academia or clinical pathology. As such, pathology can satisfy the career demands of flexibility and variety in work. If you choose to work as a pathologist, you can feel the satisfaction of knowing that your skills and work provide an important foundation to the diagnosis of disease, science knowledge and the improvement of patient outcomes in health. You may also provide valuable knowledge to the field of forensics in cause of death cases or provide important expertise in the area of computer forensics. What is a Pathologist's Daily Workload? If a pathologist chooses to work as a consultant, they would likely be contributing to the daily care of hospital patients. Their work would involve the provision and interpretation of data produced in the laboratory, which allows a pathologist to guide the primary doctor who is treating the patient. Some diagnostic and management tests have become so complex that a doctor will rely on a pathologist to provide direction for the patient's case. In this sense, a pathologist acts as a sort of 'textbook' reference to a doctor. A doctor can receive support and direction for a more complicated patient case, particularly when it involves interpretation of laboratory data. Some pathologists will also supervise laboratories, which means they are a key point of contact for laboratory technologists and other workers. On top of that, they play a role in the development of quality assurance programs in hospitals and private health care institutions. They may even sit on committees that involve policy-making at the national level.Research pathologists are in a skilled position because they have

extensive knowledge on the clinical aspects of medicine but they are also well-versed in the molecular and laboratory models of disease. Through research, pathologists will advance our understanding of medicine and pave the way for the prevention and treatment of disease. In the context of education, pathologists share their broad range of knowledge and expertise with their colleagues while also training students and other hospital or private care staff. Planning Ahead for a Career in Pathology If you are fascinated by disease, particularly from the laboratory and diagnostic approach, then a career in pathology could be a good choice. In school, you should take as many science courses as possible, including laboratory based ones. Also important is your ability to speak clearly and accurately about disease to students and professionals. If you enjoy working in a more 'behind the scenes,' style with laboratory professionals, physicians and other specialty doctors, then look into a career as a pathologist.Pathologist Job Description Pathology is the intermediary field between basic science application and detail medical science. A pathologist does the work of examining the nature, causal factors, development, symptoms and overall effects of a disease. For this purpose, blood sample, urine sample and tissue sample are tested for presence of disease. To be more precise, a pathologist works as a consultant to other physicians and is directly involved in diagnosing a disease condition (or tracking its developmental stages). Based on the test results, the best treatment for the patient is determined by the concerned physician. The actual job profile of a pathologist and also, pathologist salary depend on which field he/she has opted. Some pathologists are engaged in teaching pathology subject in medical schools; whereas some are interested in laboratory testing. Consequently, the pathologist can work as professors in universities, and researchers in scientific labs, forensic labs and medical labs. Also, there is speech pathology, which deals with assessing, identifying and treating speech related disorders in patients. Speech pathologists work in schools, hospitals, private facilities and home health care services. Average Pathologist Salary As expected, the pathologist salary range varies from one professional to another, depending on the field he is working. Although the job profile is highly respectable, pathology lecturers and professors who are engaged in academia are paid a slightly lower income (about USD 100,000 according to 2003 data) than those working in health care settings (about USD 120,000 as per 2003 salary data). Other factors that help determine a pathologist salary are geographical location, years of experience, employee credentials, specialization and hiring organization. According to the 2006 data concerning salary ranges for jobs, the median salary of a medical pathologist was approximately USD 214,984. In the same year data, the average speech pathologist salary was USD 70,180 in nursing care facilities and USD 53,110 in elementary schools. At present, the salary of a medical pathologist in United States falls between USD 239,000 to USD 330,000. Coming to forensic pathologist salary, those having an experience of 10 years or more will get a maximum pay scale of about USD 200,000 or more annually. Other benefits provided to pathologists are paid holidays (for a certain number of days), paid vacations, retirement plans and health insurance. Similar to other medical jobs, pathologist career prospect is highly impressive for the coming years. With the expansion of the heath care industry, the demand for expert pathologists will be higher. Besides working in hospitals, they are employed in private companies that deal with production of therapeutic drugs and plant insecticides. Highly qualified

pathologists are also hired in government offices, related to agriculture, horticulture and public health. With this information, I hope you have learned about what is the expected pathologist salary range. If you have a passion for medical science, laboratory testings and inclination for detection, you can definitely opt for this challenging career. With relative years of experience, you can switch on to teaching or consultancy fields. In order to become a medical pathologist, you need to enroll in a medical school and obtain a degree in medicine (MD). After holding a doctor degree, further training in pathology is required. For better career opportunities, it is best to qualify pathology licensing examination.