Skills
Pathologist Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in pathologists, and how to build and show them.
What skills do pathologists need?
Pathologists need technical skills such as histopathology, cytopathology, and clinical laboratory medicine, plus people skills like attention to detail and analytical thinking. They also use tools such as Microscopes and Digital pathology scanners.
Technical (hard) skills
- Histopathology
- Cytopathology
- Clinical laboratory medicine
- Immunohistochemistry
- Molecular pathology
- Autopsy
People (soft) skills
- Attention to detail
- Analytical thinking
- Communication
- Patience
Tools, equipment and technology
- Microscopes
- Digital pathology scanners
- Laboratory information systems
- Cryostats
- Staining systems
- Molecular testing platforms
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how pathologists put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Histopathology” and “Cytopathology.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “attention to detail,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as ABPath board certification near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our pathologist glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Pathologist training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.