The department of pathology educates each class of about 100 students in the School of Medicine throughout their four-year curriculum. Basic science courses are taught in the first two years and include microbiology, immunology, general pathology and systemic pathology. These courses provide students with broad knowledge in applied anatomic and clinical pathology. The courses utilize a mixture of teaching modalities, including lectures, laboratories, small group sessions, problem-based learning sessions, and microscope tutorials. Most of the laboratories and small group sessions are taught in a case-based format that allows extensive interaction between students and faculty. The emphasis is on active student learning to develop problem-solving skills.

In the third and fourth years of the medical student curriculum, the department offers several elective courses, including laboratory medicine, neuropathology, anatomic pathology, pediatric pathology, and forensic pathology. These electives provide an opportunity for one-on one interactions between students, faculty, and residents to learn more about the practice of pathology. Independent study electives in both anatomic and clinical pathology are available to students who want to pursue a research project.

In addition to the materials for specific courses, the department maintains a site on the internet known as WebPath (http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/webpath.html). WebPath is a comprehensive resource for medical education in pathology, with high-quality images, text, tutorials, and review questions. WebPath enables students and teachers in the health sciences, such as health care workers desiring continuing education to obtain a broad base of current information. The department also publishes educational CD-ROMs. The web site and the CD-ROMs provide a powerful, efficient, and effective interface for information retrieval around the clock via computers located anywhere in the world.