Pathologists, working with other health care providers, use laboratory methods to diagnose illness, to detect sources of illness in the community, to track the progress of illness in the individuals and in the community, and to screen populations for some illnesses.

You must complete a Bachelor of Science degree or, in Quebec, a college program in health science, and one year of pre-medicine university studies.

You must graduate from an approved medical school with training in your chosen area of specialization.

You must complete the certifying examinations of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and obtain a licence from the licensing authority in the province/territory where you'll work.

You also need to complete an additional period of supervised fieldwork/practical training or specialty residency program. The minimum residency program duration is four years and must be taken at a designated teaching hospital recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

You may also need to complete two additional years of subspecialty training.