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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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31100.14 – Specialists in laboratory medicine, including pathologists

Specialists in laboratory medicine, including pathologists, diagnose presence and stage of diseases using laboratory techniques and patient specimens. They study the nature, cause and development of diseases in humans and the structural and functional changes caused by diseases.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Anatomical pathologist
  • Clinical pathologist
  • Forensic pathologist
  • General pathologist
  • Infectious disease specialist
  • Medical microbiologist
  • Medical pathologist

Core competencies

  • Critical Thinking, Decision Making and Problem Solving to analyze complex data from laboratory tests, interpret results accurately and make informed decisions regarding diagnosis, prognosis and treatment recommendations
  • Instructing to teach physicians, medical students and laboratory professionals in disciplines such as medical technology, cytotechnology and histotechnology
  • Categorization Flexibility and Information Ordering to organize results from research and tests into meaningful scientific findings to present in academic or medical journals
  • Problem Identification and Inductive Reasoning to diagnose infections, diseases or other abnormalities by conducting tests to detect the antibodies that patients' immune systems make to fight infections
  • Attention to Detail to closely examine microscopic samples to identify diseases, other cell abnormalities, how viruses react to various treatments
  • Knowledge in Biology to understand how diseases develop at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels to identify indicators of diseases in patient laboratory tests

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Diagnose presence and stage of diseases using laboratory techniques and patient specimens. Study the nature, cause and development of diseases in humans and the structural and functional changes caused by diseases. Act as consultants to other physicians. May perform autopsies.

Additional information

  • Progression to management positions, such as director of laboratory medicine is possible with experience.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • General practitioners and family physicians (31102)
  • Managers in health care (30010)
  • Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating (31209)
  • Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals (31303)
  • Specialists in surgery (31101)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

3 – Health occupations

TEER

1 – Occupations usually require a university degree

Major group

31 – Professional occupations in health

Sub-major group

311 – Health treating and consultation services professionals

Minor group

3110 – Physicians and veterinarians

Unit group

31100 – Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine

Occupational profile

31100.14 – Specialists in laboratory medicine, including pathologists

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 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. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.