Career as a Pathologist

Updated On: 12-Feb-2023

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Pathology is a medical process that includes the study of the causes and effects of various diseases. The person who is trained in this discipline is called a pathologist.

A Pathologist is a physician who examines the organs, tissues, and body fluids of the patient to deliver a diagnosis. They help the primary doctor by providing the information regarding the patient to find and diagnose the disease in the right way.

There are mainly two types of pathologists:

1. Clinical
2. Anatomical

Clinical pathologists mainly examine body fluids, including blood, urine, and bone marrow. They may conduct toxicology tests seeking the presence of illegal drugs and poisons, run a hospital blood bank, and test patients' immune functions to detect allergies and toleration of transplant organs.

Anatomical pathologists analyze samples of tissue and cells to aid in determining the diagnosis and

cause of diseases.

Also Check: Career opportunities in Healthcare

There are other subspecialties also like forensic pathology, veterinary pathologists, plant pathology, molecular pathology, surgical pathology, hematopathology, etc. Anyone who wants to make a career in this field can choose to be specialized in one of these.

The job and responsibilities of a pathologist are:

Managing the medical laboratory
Pathologists make diagnoses using a microscope
Review cases by analyzing autopsies, laboratory findings, or case investigation reports
Develop or adopt new tests or instruments to improve diagnosis of diseases
Examine microscopic samples to identify diseases or other abnormalities and prepare reports
Communicate pathologic findings to surgeons or other physicians
Analyze and interpret results from tests
Educate laboratory technicians, students and staffs about latest medical technologies
Participate in conferences, group talks, seminars etc. to gain knowledge
Prepare pathology reports summarizing analysis, results, and conclusions

There are different UG or PG level courses offered by a number of colleges and universities in India. Those candidates, who have completed the 10+2 examinations in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from any recognized Board, are eligible to apply for the UG courses.
To pursue this career, you must get an MBBS degree first and then go for M.D in pathologist or an equivalent diploma from a reputed institute.

List of top courses for a pathologist career in India

1. First of all the aspirants should have completed a 10+2 examination in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from any recognized Board.

2. After 10+2, you need to do MBBS from a reputed institute. To get admission to MBBS, you need to go through an entrance test.

3. After the MBBS Degree, you must pursue the M.D. degree in Pathology which is of 3 years. You can also choose to do a 2-year diploma in pathology or clinical pathology

A pathologist must have the following skills:
Communication skills: Effective writing and speaking skills are essential for a pathologist as he needs to write reports and spoke to patients and convey the information to the doctor also.
Data Interpretation: You must be extremely accurate in your work to be able to deliver precise test results and present & interpret data in an organized manner.
Active listening: an effective listening skill is vital as they need to clearly understand what other people are saying for better understanding.
Critical thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Learning skills: active learning skill is very important to understand the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Working hours depend on the place you are working with the hospital, lab, etc. If you are running your own lab then you decide your working hours.The pathologist can be a very lucrative and promising career in India. The average pay for a Pathologist is Rs 987,012 per year. Experience strongly influences income for this job. Different specializations can have different incomes. A skill in Histopathology is associated with higher pay for this job. (payscale)
A beginner can easily earn an average salary between Rs.25000 to 35000.As the healthcare sector is growing in India so the requirements of the experts in different areas and pathology one of them. Pathology is the demanding and evergreen field of medicine and diagnosis. The demand of pathologist is never ended.
Pathologists find employment in agriculture, public health, law enforcement, and many entities in other fields. Positions for pathologists are available in prestigious government hospitals such as AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi), where the posts are filled up as and when the vacancy arises; in military and government agencies such as the National Institute of Health, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, and Food and Drug Administration. Drug manufacturing, pharma, and biotechnology companies also employ pathologists. Another option for Pathologists is to start their own diagnostic laboratories or become consultants to private industry.Pros
A well paying profession
A respected profession
Cons
Wrong diagnose can get you in trouble.
It takes time to establish a reputation.
Depends on other doctor's referrals for patients