2020. The year everyone remembers. The year many despise. It was the year when the words pandemic, social distancing and quarantine took precedence. The year when the chapter of the Corona Virus or COVID-19 started to unfold. Although the death rates at the initial stages were rampant it slowly started to decrease with diagnosis.
Scientists conduct various experiments, identify the virus and study the causes of the diseases. They formulated and prepared vaccines to reduce the affects of COVID-19. In addition, they created better medications after analysing the effects of the vaccine.
From the above scenario we can understand that, ‘To come up with a cure one needs to thoroughly understand a disease’. There is a special field of medicine where students study and investigate the reasons for the birth of a disease and the effects that illness has on humans. This branch is widely recognised as ‘Pathology’.
A Doctor who chooses to study and gain expertise in ‘Pathology’ is known as a ‘Pathologist’. Intrigued by the infusion of Medicine and Science? Want to know ‘How to become a Pathologist?’ Interested in pursuing a career as a Pathologist? Let’s plunge into the details.
How to Become a Pathologist?
Have you decided on taking the Pathology lane after your 12th? If you have got an amazing NEET-UG score, then you can kickstart your career as a Pathologist with a bachelor’s degree in Medicine, i.e MBBS. After securing a MBBS degree you can go on to pursue one of the following Master’s degree:
Pathology Courses – Duration:
1. MD in Pathology – 3 Years
2. PG Diploma in Pathology – 2 Years
Pathology Colleges in Bangalore:
The Pathology colleges in Bangalore that offer MD Pathology courses are mentioned below.
- St John’s Medical College (SJMC)
- Ramaiah Medical College (RMC)
- Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS)
- BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences (BGSIMS)
- Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (VIMS & RC)
If you are a student who has not secured a good score in your NEET-UG exam or if you prefer a non-medical degree, you can still enter the Pathology lane with the the following popular degrees:
Pathology Courses – Duration:
1. B.Sc Pathology – 3 years
2. M.Sc Pathology – 2 years
3. Post Graduate Diploma in Pathology – 2 years
Candidates need to meet the eligibility criteria laid down by colleges for any course they decide to pursue.
Eligibility Criteria:
For MBBS:
Candidates need to have an aggregate of 50% marks in their 2nd PUC/ 10+2/ equivalent from a recognised board with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as mandatory subjects. Candidates need to secure a good score in NEET-UG.
For other Undergraduate Courses:
Candidates need to have an aggregate of 50% marks in their PUC/ 10+2/ equivalent from a recognised board with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as mandatory subjects. Candidates need to qualify in the entrance exams conducted by colleges.
Online Courses:
If you are working professional but want to enhance your skills in the field of Pathology or if your a student who is looking for a short term course then the courses tabulated below are for you:
Certification – Platform:
1. Introduction to Biology of Cancer – Coursera
2. Introductory Human Physiology – Coursera
3. General Pathophysiology – Coursera
4. Dermatologic Pathologies – Udemy
There are numerous Pathology degrees to choose from. But, what after that? Are you wondering what the job options are after pursuing a Pathology course? Then, let’s jump to the next section.
Pathologist Jobs:
With plenty of new diseases emerging everyday, the detection and prevention of illnesses is very important. Hence, the demand for Pathologists has also increased rapidly. The roles and responsibilities of a Pathologist are:
- Perform tests on the samples of the specimen or virus with relevant laboratory tools.
- Suggest the relevant treatment options.
- Write Pathology reports after final diagnosis.
- Find different ways to treat a disease.
As the branch of Pathology is enormous, one can choose to work in any one of the sectors mentioned below:
Anatomical Pathology
- Dermatopathology
- Gastrointestinal Pathology
- Pulmonary Pathology
- Breast Pathology
Clinical Pathology
- Chemical Pathology
- Immunopathology
- Haematology
If you don’t want to work as a Pathologist, there are various career options to choose from, some of which are:
- Medical Examiner
- Professor
- Medical Laboratory Technician
- Mortuary Assistant & more.
Pathologist Salary:
Pathology is a lucrative career and Pathologist jobs provide an employee Rs.11,19,746 LPA on an average. Pathologists’ salaries are based on factors such as the level of experience, degree obtained, geographical location and more. The average salary statistics of a Pathologist are mentioned in the table below:
Years of Experience – Pathologist salary (Average Per Annum):
1. <1 year – Rs. 860K
2. 1 to 4 years – Rs. 948K
3. 5 to 9 years – Rs. 1M
4. 20+ years – Rs. 3M
Do you have all the answers to the questions and ‘What is Pathology’ ‘How to become Pathologist’. Then, it’s time to kickstart your career in Pathology.
