Forensic Pathology Schools and Education
Forensic pathology is not for the faint-hearted, or for those who aren’t willing to commit over ten years of their life to studying. The rewards are fantastic though, and the roles and responsibilities of the forensic pathologist is vast and varied. No work day will be the same!
If you are wishing to become a forensic pathologist, the qualifications and requirements vary between states and countries. In general, all forensic pathologists must first become qualified medical doctors and then must specialize in pathology.
In the USA, you must complete four years of college, followed by four years of medical school to get a doctor of medicine degree (MD). You must then do four or five years of residency (4 for anatomic pathology or 5 for clinical and anatomic pathology combined). You will then be eligible to take the Board exams in pathology. After you have passed these exams, you must then do 1 or 2 years of a forensic pathology fellowship, after which you can sit the specific forensic pathology Board exams. That’s up to 15 years of studying – so be ready to commit!
However, it is not as bad as it sounds, as after your 8 years of college you will earn a decent salary as a resident or fellow, so will not have to live the poor student life for the whole 15 years! Resident and fellow pathologists generally earn around $25,000 per year.
When you go to college, it is important to choose your subjects wisely to ensure you get into medical school – which is notoriously competitive. You don’t necessarily have to major in science to be accepted into medical school, however it is recommended that you do take more science subjects than the minimum prerequisite for entry.
When choosing what school to study medicine in, it is largely unimportant as they all have similar standards and generally you will not have much choice on the matter. Often you may just have to go to the one that you can afford.
It is advised that you choose pathology elective units at the start of your course, so you can ensure that it is the right path for you, and it also looks good when you are applying for your residency. All medical schools have a pathology unit, and they are usually of similar standards.
The top five medical schools in the USA for research are: Harvard University; John Hopkins University; University of Pennsylvania; Washington University in St. Louis and University of California San Francisco.
When choosing your residency this is a more important matter, and it is generally advised that you choose to do this at a university instead of at a private hospital.
Once you have reached the stage of doing your forensic pathology fellowship, it is best advised that you head to a large city to gain sufficient experience. Doing your fellowship in a small town where there are very few dead bodies, will really limit what experience you receive. On the other hand, you don’t want to be working at a place where you are inundated with bodies to work on and not have time to do any outside research or reading.
One of the most important things to think about when wanting to become a forensic pathologist is to maintain high grades throughout high school, so that you do not limit your chances of admittance into college and medical school. Entry is highly competitive, and by being the best you can be you are maximizing your chances.
