Forensic Pathology Career Path
Starting a Forensic Pathologist Career

A forensic pathology career path's unique. While a forensic pathology salary is enticing, it takes a special person to pursue an autopsy career - can you do it?

If you are able to meet the rigorous demands and get the education needed to become a forensic pathologist, then there's a great reward at the end of the tunnel.

Forensic Pathology Career: Right For You?

A forensic pathology salary averages about $100,000 per year and can go even higher depending on your qualifications and perseverance.

If you can get through all of the requirements needed, then you can expect to live comfortably.

Think you can handle a career performing autopsies as a medical examiner?

Then read on and discover the forensic science career options available in the pathology field,

Forensic Pathology Career: What to Expect

a forensic pathologist in a lab

A Forensic Pathologist Works in a Lab

Once you have your degrees and residency taken care of, you can officially begin your forensic pathology career.

So what does this mean? What do you actually do?

One of the main duties of a forensic pathologist is to perform autopsies on people who are suspected to have died from unnatural causes.

Working with other members of the criminal justice and forensic science teams, you will help tell the story of what happened, to whom, when, where, and how.

In essence, your work brings justice to the victim and punishment to the criminal(s).

Forensic pathologists have been known to work long hours in the lab and are often called upon to testify in a court of law. But, as mentioned previously, the salary is great (and so are the benefits!)

If you are interested in pursuing a career as a forensic pathologist, bear in mind that you need to be focused, have plenty of drive, and strive to always do your best.

As long as you have all of that, there shouldn't be anything standing in your way.

Forensic Science Career: Choosing Your Path

Whether you want an autopsy career, forensic toxicology career, or medical examiner career, the requirements are very much the same.

You need to earn a Bachelor's degree (preferably in biology), a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), and attend a pathologist residency for four to five years.

What this means is that you need to be extraordinarily motivated to get your hands on a forensic pathologist career.

Bear in mind, however, that you have a lot of options before you--not just where to go to school, but how to go, too.

If you want to follow the traditional route of getting your bachelor's from a four year, campus based institution, then that's great.

If, however, you don't have the time or the money to do that, you have another option:

Online schooling.

By earning your degree online, you can make your transition from your current life to your forensic pathology career easy.

Find a School!

Think a career in criminology is for you?

Then start here & find a school for you!

Some of the benefits of attending a web-based program include:

  • Flexible schedule
  • Taking classes from home
  • Keeping your current paycheck by doing your class work at night
  • Not having to uproot your home, family, or belongings

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