The College aims to deliver pathology training to the highest possible standard to advance excellence in pathology services. We provide several services to support our members through their training and examinations journey with us. These include:

• Resources for undergraduates and Foundation doctors
• Guidance for medical trainees
• Delivering New Trainee Welcome Days and resources
• Facilitating the Learning Environment for Pathology Trainees (LEPT) system
• Guidance and advice on College examinations
• Feedback on examination performance and appeals service
• Workplace-based assessments, guidance and advice
• Careers advice
• Provision of educational resources through our award-winning Pathology Portal

Membership and fellowship of the College is a widely respected indicator of specialist status, both in the UK and internationally. Use of post-nominals, such as FRCPath and DipRCPath, are globally recognised credentials. They are evidence of your commitment to the highest professional standards in the science and practice of pathology.  

Becoming a member of the College entitles you to:

• A personalised membership certificate
• Attend an admissions ceremony for new fellows
• Use of post-nominals respective to your position
• Voting rights in College elections, including Presidential and Trustee Board
• Be listed on our professional register.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an instrumental tool in ensuring good medical practice. The College is dedicated to delivering an exemplary CPD service to our members. 

As a member, you will have access to:

• A bespoke CPD portfolio tool to record and report on your CPD activity
• Advice from our dedicated CPD team 
• Online resources offering guidance and support on your CPD
• A directory of approved CPD courses
• A live conference and CPD events calendar
• Appraisal and revalidation resources and support.

Our members benefit from a range of professional guidance to help you deliver the highest level of care to your patients. This includes:

• Clinical guidelines
• Cancer datasets and tissue pathways
• Cross-specialty publications (including best practice recommendations)
• Specialty-specific publications (including best practice recommendations)
• Patient safety awareness programme
• Patient safety bulletins
• Implementation guidance webinar programme.

The College's work in External Quality Assurance (EQA) also benefits members by maintaining excellent professional standards across pathology laboratories. This work includes:

• Facilitating several National Quality Assurance Advisory Panels (NQAAPs)
• Delivering EQA reports

Members can stay up to date on the latest developments in pathology by accessing a range of College publications, including:

• The College's quarterly journal, The Bulletin
• The monthly President's Newsletter
• College news and blogs.

Members will also gain access to discounts on several medical publication and journals, as well as eligibility to obtain an NUS Totum Pro card.

The College delivers an extensive programme of events and webinars for our diverse membership. These include:

• A range of in-person and online events, to which members can gain discounted or free access
• Regional surgeries, where members can connect locally and access their regional representatives
• A range of bespoke events for specific member groups, such as taster days, the Pathology Summer School, the Medical Examiner Conference, events for trainees and consultants, the RCPath Achievement Awards and more
• Several virtual resources and webinar programmes include research webinars and guideline implementation webinars.

Becoming a member of the College grants you the opportunity to shape the future of pathology by voting and standing for numerous governing positions, or representing the College in various other ways. These include:

• Standing for College Honorary Officer positions
• Standing for membership of the Trustee Board and Council
• Joining the College’s specialty advisory committees 
• Standing for the College’s regional councils 
• Representing the College on an advisory appointments committees
• Representing the College on outside bodies or organisations
• Benefiting from the professional performance committee.

Members can also get involved with the College by undertaking a variety of volunteer roles that advance the pathology profession.

The College delivers a number of awards and bursaries for various aspects of our members’ work in pathology. These include:

• Foundation Fellowships for Foundation doctors rotating through a pathology specialty
• RCPath Science Communication Prize
• Hugh Platt foundation essay prize competition
• Paola Domizio undergraduate essay prize competition
• Percy Oliver Memorial Award
• Percy Oliver Trainee Travel Bursary Award
• Trainee Research Medal Awards
• Dr Neera Patel Travelling Bursary fund
• Medical elective small grant scheme
• RCPath achievement awards
• Collated information on external funding opportunities.

The College provides numerous services and resources to support the pathology workforce. As a member, you can benefit from:

• Specialty-specific staffing and workload guidance
• Model job descriptions and guidance
• Our job description review service
• Provision of a College Assessor to attend advisory appointment committees (AACs)
• Eligibility to act as an appointment committee assessor
• Access to invited reviews service to evaluate a service/practice.

The College has a dedicated International team that provides a range of services for our international members. These include:

• Acting as a professional sponsor for the medical training initiative
• Assisting with applications to the international sponsorship scheme
• Providing a range of resources, including webinars and lecture series'
• Supporting international events and meetings.

One of our mission statements is to further public education in the field of pathology. The College celebrates and promotes pathology and the contribution pathologists make to healthcare. We provide our members with a range of resources to support them in delivering public engagement activities, including:

• Guidance on running online events
• Event templates, pathology resources and activity packs
• Advice on working with local media
• Marketing materials, including A–Z fliers, factsheets, handouts, posters
• Guidance on giving presentations and running quizzes
• The opportunity to volunteer for our Pathology Ambassador Scheme.