About Pathology Careers
Pathology forms the basis of every physician's thinking about the patient. A pathologist deals with the causes and nature of disease and contributes to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment through knowledge gained by the laboratory application of the biologic, chemical, and physical sciences.
A pathologist uses information gathered from the microscopic examination of tissue specimens, cells, and body fluids as well as from clinical laboratory tests on body fluids and secretions for the diagnosis, exclusion, and monitoring of disease. Anatomic pathologists usually work in hospitals, investigating the effects of disease on the human body via autopsies and microscopic examination of tissues, cells, and other specimens. Clinical pathologists work in a lab analyzing and testing body fluids, tissues, and other specimens. Psychopathologists focus on mental illness study. This specialization of pathology focuses on diagnosing a mental illness and its causes. After a diagnosis is given treatment according to the illness whether it be medication or a different form.
New diseases and conditions emerge every year making the study of pathology essential to the medical field. The demand for pathologists will increase to help fight these new diseases and conditions.
Median Salary: $257,850 per year
Projected Growth: 18% from 2014-2024
