How to hire physicians, pathologists

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Analyze and interpret results from tests, such as microbial or parasite tests, urine analyses, hormonal assays, fine needle aspirations (FNAs), and polymerase chain reactions (PCRs).
• Communicate pathologic findings to surgeons or other physicians.
• Consult with physicians about ordering and interpreting tests or providing treatments.
• Diagnose diseases or study medical conditions, using techniques such as gross pathology, histology, cytology, cytopathology, clinical chemistry, immunology, flow cytometry, or molecular biology.
• Examine microscopic samples to identify diseases or other abnormalities.
• Identify the etiology, pathogenesis, morphological change, and clinical significance of diseases.
• Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in pathology.
• Write pathology reports summarizing analyses, results, and conclusions.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Doctoral or professional degree]
• Strong reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, active learning, active listening and science skills
• Working knowledge of medicine and dentistry, biology and English Language
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $150.19 an hour ($312,400 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for physicians, pathologists

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to analyze and interpret results from tests, such as microbial or parasite tests, urine analyses, hormonal assays, fine needle aspirations (FNAs), and polymerase chain reactions (PCRs). What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to communicate pathologic findings to surgeons or other physicians. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to consult with physicians about ordering and interpreting tests or providing treatments. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to diagnose diseases or study medical conditions, using techniques such as gross pathology, histology, cytology, cytopathology, clinical chemistry, immunology, flow cytometry, or molecular biology. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
6. Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
7. Describe something important you wrote at work, such as a report, notes or an email. Who read it and what happened next?
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What physicians, pathologists do

• Analyze and interpret results from tests, such as microbial or parasite tests, urine analyses, hormonal assays, fine needle aspirations (FNAs), and polymerase chain reactions (PCRs).
• Communicate pathologic findings to surgeons or other physicians.
• Consult with physicians about ordering and interpreting tests or providing treatments.
• Diagnose diseases or study medical conditions, using techniques such as gross pathology, histology, cytology, cytopathology, clinical chemistry, immunology, flow cytometry, or molecular biology.
• Examine microscopic samples to identify diseases or other abnormalities.
• Identify the etiology, pathogenesis, morphological change, and clinical significance of diseases.
• Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in pathology.
• Write pathology reports summarizing analyses, results, and conclusions.

Skills that matter most

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingWritingActive LearningActive ListeningScienceMedicine and DentistryBiologyEnglish Language

Education, experience and outlook for physicians, pathologists

• Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 4 to 6 years (O*NET)
• Training on the job: Internship/residency (BLS)
• Job outlook: +4.8% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 300 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay physicians, pathologists

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See physicians, pathologists pay in every state

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Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.