Pathologist

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Work Tasks

• Research and study the cause of diseases and possible cures
• Look for signs of disease using blood and tissue samples
• Tell doctors the best ways to care for patients based on what stage their disease is in
• Do autopsies to find out why people died
• Work for hospitals, private clinical labs, medical schools, the government, public health agencies, industry, drug companies, and private researchers
• Work with microscopes, counting machines, chemical analyzers, blood, tissue, body fluids, specimens, patient's records, and other lab equipment

Salary, Size & Growth

• $247,000 average per year ($118.75 per hour)
• A medium occupation (93,600 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (4.0% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year degree, including 4 years of undergraduate school, 4 years of medical school, and 3 to 8 years of internship and residency, depending on the specialty selected
• Skills/Courses: Premedical students must complete college undergraduate work in physics, biology, math, English, inorganic and organic chemistry, and the humanities and the social sciences.
• Certification/Licensing: All states require physicians to be licensed and board certified.