A PhD (Pathology) is a three-year doctoral degree program. Pathology is the study of diseases that incorporates all aspects of biomedical science in order to improve disease understanding and develop methods for disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
Our PhD in Pathology students have access to a variety of research opportunities. Pathologists assist physicians in patient diagnosis in clinical laboratories and hospitals. Candidates who complete this course will be able to work in academic institutions, where they will teach pathology fundamentals to students and trainees in academic departments of genetics, toxicology, and biochemistry.
PhD Pathology: An Overview
Some of the course’s main highlights are listed below.
Level of Course
Doctorate Level
Course Duration
3 Years
Type of Examination
Semester/year Wise
Eligibility Criteria
Masters or M.Phil. degree in the related domain
Process of Admission
Entrance Exam or Merit Based
Average Annual Course Fee
INR 5000 to 25 lacs
Average Salary in the Beginning
INR 2 to 15 lacs
Top Hiring Firms
National Institute of Health, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Apollo Hospital, Dr. Lal Path Labs, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, etc.
Top Areas of Recruitment
Government or Private Hospitals, Medical Colleges, Private clinics, Medical and Research Labs, ETc.
Top Positions of Job
Pathologist, Marketing Executive – Pathology Services, Professor, Sales Executive/Manager and BDM – Pathology Testing, Professor – Oral Surgery, Oral Surgeon Consultant, Research Associate – Oral Drug Delivery etc.
With a minimum of 50% in aggregate, a postgraduate degree in a relevant subject or equivalent is required. The candidate must pass the University’s common entrance examination to be considered for the course.
PhD Pathology: Focus Areas
A doctorate pathology course is a PhD in Pathology. Pathology is the study of diseases that incorporates all aspects of biomedical science in order to improve disease understanding and develop methods for disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
The doctoral program is broad-based, with research training in both essential and clinical examinations of sickness and disease. Candidates are encouraged to combine the two areas in their doctoral research if they so choose.
Within four semesters, students must complete all course requirements, select a dissertation laboratory, and begin dissertation research preparation. Candidates in the elective tracks follow a different educational path, with certain departmental requirements being replaced by requirements of the individual interdepartmental program.
PhD Pathology Admission Procedure
Admission to the PhD program will be determined by the student’s performance on the entrance exam administered by the relevant department or school at the university or institute.
Candidates who have passed the GATE/NET/SET/ M.Phil/JRF examinations in relevant subjects administered by apex bodies such as CSIR/UGC/ICAR/ICMR/DBT will be exempt from the Entrance Test. The institute’s Departmental Committee may consider the student’s research work/earlier PhD/experience when granting the exemption.
A student may be exempt from the entrance exam and pre-PhD coursework if he or she already has a Doctorate degree in a relevant subject from a UGC Approved University or Institute.
The student will be able to pay the course fee or registration fee after completing both steps.
Only a limited number of candidates will be accepted into the PhD program.
Some institutes prefer a NET (National Eligibility Test) score, which is administered by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for most subjects except science and engineering, which are covered by the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research).
PhD Pathology: Suitable Candidates for the Course
Candidates should be able to use critical thinking skills such as logic and analysis to identify the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches.
They should also be able to instruct/teach others how to do something, as well as active listening skills such as saying and asking questions appropriate to the situation.
They must have good time management skills, such as managing their own time as well as the time of others.
PhD Pathology Syllabus
The course’s syllabus is broken down by year in the table below..
First Year
Second Year
Third Year
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms
Cell Death and Regulation
Neurobiology
Cancer
Stem Cell and Developmental
Gene Regulation
Inflammation and Immunology
Biology
–
Areas of Specialization in Pathology
Cytopathology
Anatomical Pathology
Surgical Pathology
Haematology
Histopathology
Clinical Pathology
Veterinary Pathology
Molecular Pathology
Immunopathology
Plant Pathology
Systemic Pathology
General Pathology
Forensic Pathology
PhD Pathology: Important Documents Required
Documentary proof for date of birth
Gap certificate (if applicable)
Passing/Degree certificate of the last qualifying degree examination
Character certificate (from the head of the Institute from which the student has obtained his qualifying degree.
Mark-list of the last qualifying degree examination
Research Proposal *
No objection certificate from the employer (if employed)
Migration Certificate (No objection certificate from the University last attended)
Future Trends in Pathology
Pathologists are the only people who can determine the nature of a disease, its cause, and its ability to affect the body in the fight against disease. This information will assist doctors in formulating a strategy that will aid in the eradication of the disease. Technological advancements in this field are assisting pathologists in finding the necessary information, processing it, and analyzing it in a timely manner in today’s world. Among the innovations that would benefit pathologists are:
The explosion of biomedical information- Given that disease information is said to double every 73 days, diagnostic tools and genetic tests would aid pathologists in completing their tests more quickly.
Expertpath and Immunoquery are two examples of cloud-based software that saves all of the data.
Precision medicine is on the rise, with the basic goal of giving the right medicine to the right patient at the right time. A pathologist would collect information about the disease and correlate it with clinical data.
AI in healthcare– While AI (Artificial Intelligence) will not be able to replace a pathologist, it will be able to assist the pathologist in making disease-related decisions.
PhD Pathology: Top Academic Institutions
Some of the best institutes in India that offer the course are listed below.
Institute Name
Place
Average Fees (Annually)
Loyola College
Chennai
INR 6,000
Presidency College
Chennai
INR 2,220
Basanthali University
Jaipur
INR 87,500
Jadavpur University
Kolkata
INR 8,000
Meenakshi College for Women
Chennai
INR 6,000
Jyoti Vidyapeeth Women’s University
Jaipur
INR 75,000
Nalanda Open University
Patna
INR 10,000
Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth
Pune
INR 1,21,000
Indian Institute of Technology
Varanasi
INR 27,500
Maharishi Dayanand University
Rohtak
INR 2,030
University of Calcutta
Kolkata
INR 3,400
University of Hyderabad
Hyderabad
INR 5,750
PhD Pathology: Top Job Opportunities and Profiles
Because pathology has so many specialties, a postgraduate can specialize in any of them, such as histopathology, cytopathology, or clinical pathology, and work under the supervision of some of the best pathologists. clinical pathology, anatomical pathology, veterinary pathology, surgical pathology, molecular pathology, plant pathology, and forensic pathology are all sub-branches of pathology that successful postgraduates work in.
They could also work as doctors’ or medical examiners’ consultants. University, laboratory, and hospital positions are also available for experienced professionals in this field. They work in a variety of fields, including public health, law enforcement, and government agencies.
Research Associate
Oral Surgery Professor
Colleges & Universities
Pathology Services
Sales Executive/Manager and BDM
Oral Surgeon Consultant
Hospitals
Professor
Marketing Executive
Pathologist
Private Clinics
Pathology Testing Labs
POSITION OF JOB
DESCRIPTION OF JOB
AVERAGE SALARY (ANNUALLY)
Medical Pathologist
Medical pathologists are in charge of examining bodily fluids and tissue samples, as well as conducting toxicology tests to aid in disease diagnosis.
INR 3 to 4 Lacs
Forensic Pathologist
They are in responsible for examining injuries and wounds, as well as collecting samples and beginning work in the lab.
INR 6 to 7 Lacs
Veterinary Clinical Pathologist
Veterinary Clinical Pathologists are in charge of analyzing and interpreting clinical pathology data from animals that have been exposed to test materials..
INR 8 to 9 Lacs
Pathology Professor
Through consultations and formal seminars, pathology professors are responsible for teaching medical and advanced level students about kidney-related ailments and diagnoses.
INR 7 to 8 Lacs
Medical Examiner
The Medical Examiner is in charge of specialized forensic pathology training. They also examine organs and perform autopsies on organs, tissue, and bodily fluids to determine the cause of death.
INR 9 to 10 Lacs
PhD Pathology: Important Skills Required
To ensure that he or she is working efficiently in the required field, the pathologist should have a skill-packed nature. Some of the abilities include:
Hardworking – The pathologist should put in a lot of effort to meet all of the requirements. In their work, they should be efficient and effective.
Good Communication Skills – A pathologist should be able to communicate with customers in such a way that they feel safe and confident about the tests that are being performed.
Good Analytical Skills – A pathologist must correctly analyse the samples; a mistake can cause serious problems for the patient.
Confidence – A pathologist should be confident in his or her own judgement.
Good Observing Skills – The pathologist should have good observational skills that can help diagnose the patient’s symptom.
They must be able to comprehend and communicate their thoughts.
PhD Pathology: Benefits and Scope
The course teaches students how to learn and apply their knowledge of oral pathology in identifying problems and making diagnoses, as well as how to conduct research with sound scientific knowledge and skills.
It is useful for those who want to improve their pathology and microbiology skills in order to better understand the nature of oral diseases, their causes, processes, and effects.
The course is designed to prepare students for careers as independent scientific investigators in academic or biotechnology settings, with a focus on the study of disease mechanisms at the molecular and cellular levels.
Students will not only receive training in basic mechanisms and research, but they will also be immersed in a research environment that features internationally recognized faculty and is supported by a departmental structure that encourages collaborative research.
This course has a lot of potential. Following a master’s degree, one can pursue specialization courses. Many job openings are also available for master’s degree holders. Histopathology and cytopathology are two branches of pathology that can be specialized in. Specialization allows one to advance in their career.
Working in laboratories would be your job if you became a clinical pathologist. Work in laboratories to determine the causes of diseases, deaths, and any new diseases that have emerged, among other things.
Aspirants can work in a variety of hospitals, including government hospitals, private hospitals, and even armed hospitals. Private hospitals such as AIIMS, government hospitals such as National Institute of Health, and armed hospitals such as Armed Forces Institute of Pathology are all available.
If you are a new pathologist, your salary will vary depending on the degree you have. In order to advance in your career and earn a higher salary, you will need to specialize in one or more fields.
FAQs
Is a PhD required to work as a pathologist?
Pathologists typically require a bachelor’s degree, a four-year medical school degree, and three to seven years of internship and residency training.
Is a pathologist a doctor of medicine?
A pathologist is a medical professional who examines people’s bodies and tissues. He or she is also in charge of conducting lab tests. A pathologist is an integral part of the treatment team who assists other healthcare providers in reaching diagnoses.
Is becoming a pathology assistant a good career choice?
Working as a pathologists’ assistant (PA) is a rewarding and interesting job. While this is not the type of job for everyone, it does have a lot of potential in terms of pay and career advancement.
Is a PhD superior to an MD?
But here’s the biggest distinction between the two degrees: PhDs contribute to the advancement of knowledge, whereas MDs simply apply it. If you want to make important scientific discoveries and then make sure everyone knows about them, a PhD is far superior to an MD in terms of preparation.
Who is qualified to pursue a PhD in Pathology?
Eligibility for a PhD in Pathology: A postgraduate degree in a relevant subject or an equivalent degree with a minimum of 50% in the aggregate is required. For the Course, the candidate must pass the University’s common entrance exam.
What does a pathologist do on a regular basis?
A pathologist is a physician who studies the causes, nature, and effects of disease in the medical field. Every day, pathologists assist in the care of patients by providing their doctors with the information they require to ensure proper patient care.
What is the UGCC net exam for a pathology PhD?
‘National Eligibility Test’ is abbreviated as NET Full Form. UGC-NET is the acronym for the National Eligibility Test. The University Grant Commission is holding an examination for assistant professor positions. The National Eligibility Test (NET) is a competitive examination for junior fellowships in Indian universities and colleges.
What happens if you pass the UGC NET?
Candidates can pursue research in their respective postgraduate disciplines after qualifying for NET-JRF. They enroll in PhD programs at various universities/institutes and IIMs after selecting universities/colleges from NET Coordinating Institutes
Is it difficult to find work as a pathologist?
According to statistics, the majority of pathology trainees find work within a year, and the majority of trainees find work in the geographic area they desire.
Are autopsies performed by pathologists?
A county coroner, who is not necessarily a doctor, can perform autopsies ordered by the state. An autopsy is performed by a doctor, most commonly a pathologist. A pathologist performs all clinical autopsies.