Pathologist
Pathologists work in hospitals and laboratories on different areas of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Typical Salary
£46,000 – £72,000
per year
Working Hours
38–40
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
Depending on your area, as a pathologist you could:
- examine, explain and advice on the results of blood tests, smear tests and tissue removal
- research and develop new tests and treatments
- treat diseases and develop vaccines against diseases and conditions
- organise work in laboratories and supervise staff
- discuss the treatment of individual patients with other health professionals
You can find out more about what you'll do as a pathologist from the Royal College of Pathologists.
Skills needed
- knowledge of medicine and dentistry
- analytical thinking skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- knowledge of biology
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent verbal communication skills
- complex problem-solving skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through a university course.
Career progression
With experience you could:
- lead a team or manage a department
- apply for senior or consultant roles if you're on the General Medical Council's Specialist Register
- move into teaching and training students, trainee doctors and other healthcare professionals