Forensic Pathologist Certification

Forensic pathology can be a very exciting and rewarding career – but the journey to becoming certified is not an easy one. Below we shall look at some information regarding degrees and certifications to become a qualified forensic pathologist.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Certified Forensic Pathologist?

To become a certified forensic pathologist takes approximately 13 years after high school. There are several stages to becoming certified which we shall look at below.

Step one – Undergraduate Degree

The first step to becoming a certified forensic pathologist is a four-year college degree. It is not largely important what you study at college, however you need to make sure that you can meet the prerequisites for entry into medical school once you have finished.

You should try and think about your application into medical school throughout your college years and ensure that you have done the necessary work experience and extracurricular activities to make your application stand out from the crowd.

Step two – Medical School

Entry into medical school is notoriously difficult and competitive – however it is achievable if you have worked hard throughout your college years and have maintained very high grades.

Medical school last for four years and you will be a qualified physician by the time you graduate. Not all medical schools offer electives specifically in forensic pathology – however this is not essential in becoming a forensic pathologist. Obviously if there are electives you should take them, otherwise concentrate your electives in basic patient care.

Your choice of medical school is not very important either – essentially you should choose the cheapest one you can get into and the one that you like the most. The medical education across schools is very similar in quality wherever you go.

Step three – Residency

Your residency is one of the most important stages as it is where you learn specifically about forensic pathology and very little else.

Your residency can either take place in a university or at a private hospital. It takes anything between 4 to 5 years – depending on what you study. The minimum to become a forensic pathologist is anatomical pathology- however many people choose to also study clinical pathology on top of this which is an extra year of study.

If you are doing a residency in just anatomical pathology it takes 3 years plus a one year credentialing year – which can be used up with a year-long internship, research or subspecialty training.

If your residency is in both anatomical and clinical pathology then it will take 4 years plus a credentialing year.

Step four – Fellowship

Once your residency has been completed you will need to do a one year fellowship. It is recommended that you head to a large city to do this so you can gain maximum experience. Smaller towns may not have many autopsies being requested meaning you will not get as much on-hands experience. Ideally you will want to work at a place that does at least 250 autopsies a year.

You will work alongside a professional medical examiner or forensic pathologist and be able to put all your skills learnt over the previous years into practice.

Step five – Certifications

The final step to becoming a certified forensic pathologist is to pass The American Board of Pathology. The failure rates for the examinations are notoriously high – with a 30-40 percent failure rate in anatomic pathology and a 50-60 percent failure rate in clinical pathology.

Forensic pathologist certification can also be very expensive – but obviously once you have passed this final step you will be qualified and able to work on your own as a forensic pathologist.

Where can you Study for a Forensic Pathologist Certification or Degree?

As we mentioned before, where you study is not a crucial factor in becoming a forensic pathologist. It is more important that you enjoy your studies and you maintain very high grades throughout.

Some universities and medical schools do have specialist electives in forensic pathology which may help you make your decision as to where to go. However, it is not essential that you go to a college or med school that offers these electives to become a forensic pathologist as you learn everything you need to know during your residency and fellowship.