Additional Information
It takes a long time to become a forensic pathologist. There are a number
of steps to be completed.
First, you need to get a medical degree. This can take as long as six years,
depending on where you live and the university you attend. You'll need good
marks -- and a whole bunch of commitment -- to get into medical school. You'll
also need a good, solid background in biology, chemistry, physics and math.
You'll need to do at least a one-year internship after completing your
medical degree, specializing in pathology. To practice as a forensic pathologist,
you'll need a specialty degree in pathology. This is obtained after completing
a medical degree. It requires taking courses in pathology and passing exams
set by the medical board in your area.
This last step can take four years to complete. If you're keeping count,
you're up to a total of 11 years so far to reach your goal of becoming a forensic
pathologist -- and you're not finished yet.
Forensic pathology is a subspecialty of pathology. This will require another
two to three years of education. Some forensic pathologists also add a law
degree to their education so they are better able to understand the legal
aspects of the job.
Get connected! Before setting out on this career path, you should do some
investigating to make sure it's right for you. Talk to someone who's already
working in pathology or in forensic pathology. There are three ways to go
about this:
- Call up the coroner in your region and ask for the name of the local forensic
pathologist. Then call the person and find out more about the career.
- Contact your doctor's office and ask if they know a pathologist in your
community.
- There are forensic centers operating at different levels of government
in the United States. You may be able to contact the directors of the centers
to get information on other forensic science jobs, as well as forensic pathology.