Confusion - Pathologist/Biomed Scientist

[DrLemon]

Hi all,

I am very confused right now.

Is a biomedical scientist a pathologist?
Or is a pathologist a doctor?

According to the RCpath website, they say a biomedical scientist is. But then biomedical scientists make £40K, whereas I thought pathologists made 2-3 times this.

Can anyone clear this up please?!

[Keeley]

A pathologist is a doctor responsible for performing autopsies and determining how someone dies.
A biomedical scientist is a scientist educated in the field of biological science and carry out lab tests to assist doctors in diagnosis. They also work under a pathologists responsibility, so no they're not pathologists and yes a pathologist is a doctor.

Simple google search really but hope this helps

[DrLemon]

Thanks Keeley,

Thanks kind of what I thought but got confused when the rcpath website said a biomedical scientist was a pathologist.

I also hear, in the UK, that from early 2010, people can become pathologists without a medicine degree? Is this true?

[Keeley]

I also hear, in the UK, that from early 2010, people can become pathologists without a medicine degree? Is this true?

Sorry but I actually have no idea! :L
I've never heard anything on it before, but I can't really imagine that happening since you need to know all the info you learn at med school to become one. It'd be like becoming a surgeon without a medical degree if you get me.
Of course I could be wrong though

[Kinkerz]

Thanks Keeley,

Thanks kind of what I thought but got confused when the rcpath website said a biomedical scientist was a pathologist.

No. Don't think so.

I also hear, in the UK, that from early 2010, people can become pathologists without a medicine degree? Is this true?

Source?

[clc26]

What Keeley said is nearly correct. A pathologist is a qualified doctor who specialises in one of many pathology fields including histopathology, microbiology, haematology, immunology, chemical pathology.

When lay people think of a pathologist they think of a histopathologist, this is a doctor specialising in tissue diagnosis and autopsies. They dont spend their whole time examining dead bodies, they mostly make diagnoses looking at tissues and cells under the microscope.

A biomed scientist is someone with a Bsc/MSc who assists the pathologists by running lab tests or looking at smears and if its abnormal passing it onto the pathologist. I doubt they will in future become pathologists without a med degree, but if you can post a link that would be great.

[david1104]

A pathologist is a doctor responsible for performing autopsies and determining how someone dies.
A biomedical scientist is a scientist educated in the field of biological science and carry out lab tests to assist doctors in diagnosis. They also work under a pathologists responsibility, so no they're not pathologists and yes a pathologist is a doctor.

Simple google search really but hope this helps

There is more to being a pathologist than autopsies and cause of death...that is a subspeciality of pathology called forensic patholgy. I totally understnad the confusion of biomed scientist and pathologist because they both work in the lab doing the tests. I guess the pathologist is their superior and medical expert in the lab, im not quite sure