An Overview of United States Physician Training, Certification, and Career Pathways in Clinical Pathology (Laboratory Medicine)

Clinical Pathology (CP) – also known as Laboratory Medicine - is a rewarding and yet under-recognized career option for United States (U.S.) and international medical school graduates. The present article outlines the training pathway toward becoming a clinical pathologist in the U.S, including undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate phases of training. As the current state of CP residency training in the U.S. is the result of decades of curriculum reform, that progression is briefly reviewed to provide context for the shift toward competency-based education during residency and beyond. Options for fellowship training in CP subspecialties, as well as the current emphasis on Maintenance of Certification (MOC) and Maintenance of Licensure (MOL) are also discussed. This article concludes with a general overview of career pathways and options for those with CP training.