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Studies & Degrees in Pathology

Pathology is the study of disease. The Royal College of Pathologists calls it the bridge between science and medicine: pathology teams study samples from a patient's body to find out what is making the person unwell, and their results guide diagnosis and treatment. The College of American Pathologists describes how pathologists use gross, microscopic, immunologic, genetic and molecular methods to determine the presence of disease, working closely with surgeons, radiologists and oncologists.

People enter the field in two ways, as doctors or as scientists. According to the Royal College of Pathologists, pathologists are either doctors with specialist laboratory training or scientists with specialist clinical training, and they work alongside biomedical scientists and support staff. A third, shorter route trains laboratory technicians.

What students learn

Pathology is a group of disciplines rather than a single one. The Royal College of Pathologists counts 17 pathology specialties in total. The main medical ones listed by NHS Health Careers are:

  • histopathology, the study of tissue, which includes autopsies
  • chemical pathology, based on biochemical tests
  • haematology, the study of blood
  • microbiology and virology, the study of infection

In the United States the specialty is usually divided in two. Clinical pathology focuses on the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids. Anatomical pathology focuses on the examination of tissue and other samples obtained through autopsy or surgery.

Qualifications and levels

  • Medical route. A pathologist who is a doctor first completes a medical degree and then trains in the specialty. In the United States, physicians typically need a bachelor's degree and a 4-year medical degree, followed by 3 to 9 years of internship and residency depending on the specialty. In the United Kingdom a medical degree normally lasts five years, and specialty training outside general practice takes between five and eight years. In Spain the bachelor's degree (grado) in Medicine has 360 ECTS credits and the official programme for the specialty of Anatomía Patológica lasts 4 years; its main aim is the correct diagnosis of autopsies, biopsies, surgical specimens and cytology samples. Subspecialty fellowships follow: Saint Louis University, for example, offers them in forensic pathology, GI and liver pathology, haematopathology, paediatric pathology and transfusion medicine.
  • Science and research route. Graduates in the life sciences can study disease mechanisms at doctoral level. The Sir William Dunn School of Pathology at the University of Oxford admits up to 16 students a year to a four-year DPhil in Molecular Cell Biology in Health and Disease, and has around 70 postgraduate students from over 30 countries. Wayne State University offers a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Pathobiology, with research on cancer and metabolic diseases.
  • Laboratory technician route. In Spain, the higher vocational training (FP) qualification Técnico Superior en Anatomía Patológica y Citodiagnóstico lasts 2,000 hours. Its modules include biological sample management, general laboratory techniques, molecular biology and cytogenetics, necropsies, and cytological and tissue processing. In the United States, clinical laboratory technologists typically need a bachelor's degree, and technicians sometimes qualify with an associate's degree.

Where to study it

The SpainExchange directory lists 27 schools for pathology. Twelve are in the United States and three in Australia; India and the United Kingdom have two each. Nepal, Ethiopia, Iraq, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Ukraine and Russia have one each. In most of them pathology is a department of the medical school: it teaches medical and biomedical science students and offers postgraduate research or specialty training. At Oxford, for instance, the Dunn School contributes to the pre-clinical Medicine and Biomedical Sciences courses.

Before applying, check which of the three routes a programme belongs to. A research degree in pathology does not qualify its holder to practise as a medical pathologist, and medical specialty training is regulated in each country. Ask the school what recognition the qualification has.

Careers

Medical pathologists work mainly in hospital laboratories, and histopathologists also perform autopsies. Scientists with a research degree work in universities, research institutes and industry. Technicians work in hospital pathology and cytology laboratories; in Spain the vocational qualification leads to posts such as higher technician in pathological anatomy and cytology.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate projection for pathologists. For physicians and surgeons as a whole it counted 862,800 jobs in 2025 and projects growth of 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. For clinical laboratory technologists and technicians it counted 343,000 jobs in 2025 and projects growth of 3 percent.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a medical degree to work in pathology?

Not always. Medical pathologists are doctors, but the Royal College of Pathologists notes that many people in pathology start out as scientists. Laboratory technicians follow a shorter vocational or degree route.

How long does it take to become a pathologist in Spain?

The degree in Medicine has 360 ECTS credits, and the official training programme for the specialty of Anatomía Patológica lasts 4 years.

What is the difference between anatomical and clinical pathology?

Anatomical pathology examines tissue and other samples obtained through autopsy or surgery. Clinical pathology focuses on the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids.

Is there a vocational qualification in pathology?

Yes. In Spain the Técnico Superior en Anatomía Patológica y Citodiagnóstico is a higher vocational training qualification of 2,000 hours that prepares laboratory technicians.