What's the difference between an immunologist and a pathologist, and what courses/degrees would one have to take to become either of these?

Hi Gauri,
I had asked myself almost the same question when I was in high school:-)! I did my masters in Biochemistry and then decided to go for PhD which I think will be one of your options. Since you "would preferably be working in a lab, but not be a practicing doctor" then going towards academic research can help. Also you can specialize in Immunology which a branch of Biochemistry, in college and then apply for a scholarship for your PhD.

While in your undergrad level you should also look for internships in various labs within your university or abroad if you have time. This way you will gain more exposure and will help you to get an insight on which field you really wanna go for. Just remember that PhD needs a lot of commitment on your part and m sure you have it since you already have a mindset.

Apart from that try to go for conferences that spikes your interests, talks within the campus on the specific topics of your interest, if possible try to talk to the speakers and get some ideas, Networking nowadays play a big role!! Don't hesitate to approach people and connect with as many as you can in your field.

Wish you all the best,
N.G

Immunology is the immune system in health and disease. As scientists, the members of the department have a common understanding and a passion for advancing knowledge of fundamental mechanisms that cause and regulate inflammation and immune responsiveness.

Pathology is Pathology is a branch of medical science primarily concerning the examination of organs, tissues, and bodily fluids in order to make a diagnosis of disease.

Types of pathology
The main branches of pathology are clinical pathology, anatomical pathology or a combination of the two, referred to as general pathology.

Now it all depends do you want to be a Pathologist? If so they are considered Dr's with Phd's. Educational Requirements for Pathologists
Undergraduate Education
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), although a minimum of three years of undergraduate study is required for medical school admittance, most applicants have earned bachelor's degrees (www.bls.gov). Since certain science courses are required for medical school admission, pre-medical students may consider pre-medicine programs and science majors; however, any major is acceptable. Required science courses and labs include biology, chemistry and physics. Students may consider volunteering at hospitals or shadowing physicians to gain practical experience.(http://education-portal.com/articles/Pathologist_Educational_Requirements_and_Career_Summary.html)

I love these questions.

I feel like I am well poised to help you begin to answer some of these. Before I became a consultant, I was a scientist (PhD), studying topics such as: How does stress affect the brain? Does stress change out ability to form memories and how? Why do the two sides of the vertebrate brain look and function differently? What makes someone right or left handed? I also have many friends who study various diseases and disorders.

Let me break my response into two broad parts: 1) Your wisdom, and 2) my advice

1) Your wisdom

A. While you currently have some clear preferences for what you would like to study, you also state that you are not sure. This, in my experience, is fantastic. Many of my peers in college and later in graduate school thought they knew what they wanted to study but truly only discovered it later on. Same story for me. This is great news.

B. you are thinking about this early on (I'm guessing before college yes?). Also fantastic.

C. You are asking for help. You have no idea how many more opportunities you will have in life and as a scientist because you're asking for help .

2) My advice

You do not need to apply to a medical school to do acidification research -even on human diseases- and you most certainly do not need to major in, say, pathology. Besides, there are not many universities with those majors -those are apecialtiea for medical doctors. Different things. What you want is to be a science major (e.g. biology, microbiology, chemistry, neurobiology) and, in your spare time, volunteer as a research assistant in a
Laboratory on campus in whatever interests you.

The WONDERFUL thing about doing research as an undergraduate is that you can often get scholarships from your university to so it through on-campus programs (e.g. SURF, MARC, etc), you will know your professors well, you will travel, you will meet super army and fantastic scientists, you will attend conferences , you will publish science papers, and you will establish a track record that will then get you into the greatest graduate programs in the world. You can easily go from a big state school with mediocre academics and with a reputation for partying to a place like Stanford or Harvard for your PhD if you apply early and stick with it doggedly - I did. :)

In short, be a science major, do research in a lab during the school year, travel to other universities to do research in the summers, try out two labs during your four years as an undergraduate (you'll experience more if you do research programs in the summer) and you'll find your way to your passions.

If you have any other questions or if you'd like me to clarify anything I've said, let me know!

Cheers and best!
R