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Pathologist vs doctor

The differences between pathologists and doctors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a doctor has an average salary of $208,582, which is higher than the $61,808 average annual salary of a pathologist.

The top three skills for a pathologist include patients, patient care and diagnosis. The most important skills for a doctor are patients, customer service, and emergency medicine.

Pathologist vs doctor overview

PathologistDoctor
Yearly salary$61,808$208,582
Hourly rate$29.72$100.28
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs20,34014,571
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age4848
Years of experience6-

What does a pathologist do?

Pathologists are medical healthcare professionals who are responsible for conducting examinations of bodies and body tissues. These pathologists must perform laboratory tests of body fluids and tissues to help primary care doctors make a diagnosis about the health of patients who are with chronic conditions. They specialize in genetic testing that will examine a tissue biopsy to determine whether a tumor is benign or cancerous. Pathologists must also perform autopsies to inform family members of the deceased about the cause of death and help them take preventive action for their own health.

What does a doctor do?

A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.

Pathologist vs doctor salary

Pathologists and doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.

PathologistDoctor
Average salary$61,808$208,582
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $148,000Between $106,000 And $408,000
Highest paying CityAnchorage, AKGreen Bay, WI
Highest paying stateAlaskaOhio
Best paying companyUT Medical Group, Inc.Saint Luke's Health System
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between pathologist and doctor education

There are a few differences between a pathologist and a doctor in terms of educational background:

PathologistDoctor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common majorPhysiology And AnatomyMedicine
Most common collegeStanford UniversityDuke University

Pathologist vs doctor demographics

Here are the differences between pathologists' and doctors' demographics:

PathologistDoctor
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 40.7% Female, 59.3%Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 20.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between pathologist and doctor duties and responsibilities

Pathologist example responsibilities.

  • Supervise and manage pathology, microbiology and biochemistry laboratory.
  • Provide consultations to care providers and interpret laboratory findings and diagnosis to patients.
  • Screen by ELISA & immunoblots.
  • Result in answering an FDA concern regarding device.
  • Participate in FDA submissions, plan 510k and PMA submissions.
  • Perform oncology markers and hormonal assays by Elisa and Delfia system.
  • Show more

Doctor example responsibilities.

  • Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
  • Develop personalize treatment plans, rehabilitation plans, exercise plans, report of findings, nutritional plans and narrative reports.
  • Perform patient x-rays, provide MRI consultations.
  • Perform x-rays of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.
  • Hire, train, educate and monitor staff in HIPPA policies and procedures.
  • Create, update, and maintain confidential patient EHRs in compliance with all HIPAA laws and regulations.
  • Show more

Pathologist vs doctor skills

Common pathologist skills
  • Patients, 31%
  • Patient Care, 11%
  • Diagnosis, 8%
  • GI, 4%
  • GYN, 4%
  • Frozen Sections, 3%
Common doctor skills
  • Patients, 33%
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Emergency Medicine, 5%
  • Surgery, 5%
  • DR, 4%
  • Cleanliness, 3%

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