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Pathologist

Identify and diagnose the presence and stages of diseases and possible sources of infection in body tissues, fluids and other scientific specimens.

Pathologist

Pathologist

Roles and responsibilities

To qualify as an pathologist:

Step 1
Complete any undergraduate bachelor’s course {Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Science or the Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)} as your first degree.

Step 2
Complete the postgraduate Doctor of Medicine to qualify as a doctor.

Refer to the Study Pathways to the right for more information.

As a pathologist you would be employed primarily in private pathology practices, hospital laboratories or government health laboratories. You may work in private practice on your own, in partnership with another pathologist or in a group practice. Opportunities for general pathologists exist in community hospitals, large country towns and non-metropolitan centres.

Pathologists:

  • study the nature, cause, development and clinical management of diseases in people, and the structural and functional changes caused by them
  • prepare or supervise the preparation of, tissue sections from surgical and diagnostic cases and autopsies
  • examine bodily fluids and tissues for the presence and measurement of chemical substances, microbiological organisms (such as HIV and Hepatitis C), and chemical and other biological responses to disease processes
  • examine tissues using scientific techniques and equipment to determine the nature, cause and progress of disease
  • perform autopsies to determine causes of death, the nature and extent of disease and injury, and the effect of treatment supervise and coordinate the work of technical officers and technicians
  • write reports of findings for use by other medical practitioners and coroners
  • direct the activities of pathology departments in hospitals, private clinics or laboratories, or other locations.

Source: myFuture

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Roles and responsibilities

To qualify as an pathologist:

Step 1
Complete any undergraduate bachelor’s course {Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Science or the Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)} as your first degree.

Step 2
Complete the postgraduate Doctor of Medicine to qualify as a doctor.

Refer to the Study Pathways to the right for more information.

As a pathologist you would be employed primarily in private pathology practices, hospital laboratories or government health laboratories. You may work in private practice on your own, in partnership with another pathologist or in a group practice. Opportunities for general pathologists exist in community hospitals, large country towns and non-metropolitan centres.

Pathologists:

  • study the nature, cause, development and clinical management of diseases in people, and the structural and functional changes caused by them
  • prepare or supervise the preparation of, tissue sections from surgical and diagnostic cases and autopsies
  • examine bodily fluids and tissues for the presence and measurement of chemical substances, microbiological organisms (such as HIV and Hepatitis C), and chemical and other biological responses to disease processes
  • examine tissues using scientific techniques and equipment to determine the nature, cause and progress of disease
  • perform autopsies to determine causes of death, the nature and extent of disease and injury, and the effect of treatment supervise and coordinate the work of technical officers and technicians
  • write reports of findings for use by other medical practitioners and coroners
  • direct the activities of pathology departments in hospitals, private clinics or laboratories, or other locations.

Source: myFuture

Undergraduate Courses To Become

Pathologist

Recommended major/s to pursue this career

Relevant majors include:
student in front of skeleton Anatomy and Human Biology cell Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Exercise and Health Genetics
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Undergraduate Courses To Become Pathologist

Anatomy and Human Biology

A major in Anatomy and Human Biology will let you discover how your body works, why it works that way, where people come from and how we are related to one another.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Biochemists and molecular biologists are interested in the molecular functions of all living organisms from the smallest bacterium to the largest whale.

Exercise and Health

If you are you passionate about exercise and health and want to spread the word and educate others about keeping fit and being healthy, then this major is for you.

Genetics

Genetics is the study of biologically inherited traits as diverse as those that cause human disease, or allow a rare plant to live in only one isolated spot in the South West, or result in a desirable characteristic found in a domestic animal used in agriculture.

Microbiology and Immunology

Microbes are organisms too small to be seen without a microscope and Microbiology is the study of these organisms and the role they play in health and disease and the environment.

Neuroscience

A major in Neuroscience will allow you to explore how nervous systems work and how nervous system function can be restored after disease and injury to the brain.

Pharmacology

A major in Pharmacology provides a modern understanding of how medicines produce their effects on the body and how such knowledge is used to alleviate suffering caused by disease.

Physiology

Do you differ from a robot? Learn about the molecular and cellular machinery that makes up your body, as well as how it works in everyday life, and what causes disease.

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

With Pathology and Laboratory Medicine you can explore the causes and mechanisms of human disease.

Public Health

A major in Public Health will allow you to study the patterns of health and disease in society and to consider what we can do to improve the health of the community.
Postgraduate Courses To Become

Pathologist

Coursework courses to pursue this career

Professional requirements

After completion of the Doctor of Medicine and working in the public hospital system for two years (internship and residency), doctors interested in becoming a pathologist can apply to the Royal College of Pathologists Australasia to undertake further training and ultimately receive Fellowship which normally takes at least five years of study while working as a doctor.

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