Pathologist

You can take either a medical doctor route or clinical scientist route to become a pathologist.

Medical doctor route

To become a pathologist through the medical doctor route, you'll need to complete:

• a degree in medicine, recognised by the General Medical Council which takes 5 years
• a foundation course of general training which takes 2 years
• a specialist training programme in pathology which can take between 5 to 6 years

There's a lot of competition for places on medical degrees. Most universities will expect you to have done some paid or voluntary work experience in healthcare .

Science degrees

If you already have a first class or 2:

• 1 (upper second class) science degree, you could take the graduate entry route into medicine instead. Some universities will also accept non-science graduates, but you might need to a do a foundation year.

Entry tests

When you apply for a course in medicine, you may be asked to take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) .

It tests the skills you'll need on the course, like critical thinking, problem solving, data analysis, communication and scientific knowledge.

Clinical scientist route

To become a pathologist through the clinical scientist route, you'll need to complete:

• a degree or master's in a science subject like biology, chemistry, clinical or biomedical science which takes 3 to 4 years
• the Scientist Training Programme which is work based, takes 3 years and leads to a master's degree
• the pathology speciality of the Higher Specialist Scientist Training Programme which takes 5 years

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science

• 3 A levels, or equivalent, including biology and chemistry

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
• student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
• University Clinical Aptitude Test|https://www.ucat.ac.uk/

To become a veterinary pathologist, you'll need to train as a vet .

Registrations

you'll need to register with the General Medical Council

Further Information

You can find out more about a career in pathology from the Royal College of Pathologists  and Health Careers .

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.

You could work in an NHS or private hospital or in a laboratory.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

You may need to wear protective clothing.