Pathoma
Pathoma is a privately held, founder-owned medical education company that sells a 218-page pathology textbook and 35+ hours of online video lectures to medical students preparing for the USMLE Step 1 and COMLEX exams, delivered through a direct-to-consumer subscription website.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLincolnwood, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Pathoma does
Pathoma is a privately held, founder-owned medical education company headquartered in Lincolnwood, Illinois, that produces and sells the Fundamentals of Pathology textbook and an accompanying online video subscription service targeting medical students preparing for the USMLE Step 1 and COMLEX Level 1 board exams. The company was founded in 2011 by Dr. Husain A. Sattar, an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Associate Director of the integrated pathophysiology course at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, who is also the sole author and instructor of all content. The product consists of a 218-page full-color textbook integrating key concepts from associated basic science disciplines, paired with 35+ hours of recorded online video lectures covering 19 chapters and 350+ full-color images, delivered via a self-serve online streaming platform with mobile support for iPad, iPhone (beta), and Android.
Pathoma operates a product-led, direct-to-consumer subscription model with no third-party resellers or institutional channel. The funnel begins with a frictionless free tier that provides access to 6 sample videos and a sample PDF without requiring a credit card, converting to a Pro subscription priced at $84.95 (3 months), $99.95 (12 months, the most popular tier), or $119.95 (21 months). Pro subscriptions include the physical paperback textbook shipped within 36 hours. Distribution is global, with international shipping to most countries excluding five sanctioned or conflict-affected jurisdictions, and the company serves a secondary segment of International Medical Graduates preparing for USMLE outside the US healthcare system. Customer acquisition is driven primarily by word-of-mouth and student-to-student referrals within US medical schools, supplemented by Dr. Sattar's guest lecture circuit at academic institutions.
Pathoma firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pathoma
- Legal name
- Pathoma LLC
- Website
- https://pathoma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Pathoma is a privately held, founder-owned medical education company that sells a 218-page pathology textbook and 35+ hours of online video lectures to medical students preparing for the USMLE Step 1 and COMLEX exams, delivered through a direct-to-consumer subscription website.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pathoma industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Medical Board Review
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Learning & Course Subscriptions (CRAFAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI)
Keywords
Where Pathoma is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lincolnwood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pathoma business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Subscription Video Access: Recurring subscription model providing 3, 12, or 21-month access to online video lectures. Includes physical copy of Fundamentals of Pathology textbook. No refunds for partially used periods. Video views limited to 8 per subsection.
- Free Account: Free tier providing trial access to 6 online videos and sample PDF of textbook to allow students to evaluate content before purchasing Pro subscription.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Account - $0 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Pro 3-Month - $84.95 |
| Subscription | Annual | Pro 12-Month - $99.95 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Pro 21-Month - $119.95 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Pathoma product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pathoma sells a self-paced pathology review course consisting of a 218-page full-color textbook (Fundamentals of Pathology) and 35+ hours of online video lectures by Dr. Husain A. Sattar, delivered via subscription tiers (3, 12, and 21 months) and a free trial tier. The Pro subscription includes a physical paperback copy of the textbook shipped to the buyer, while both tiers grant on-demand access to the video library covering all 19 textbook chapters.
Product overview
Pathoma is a medical education company offering a two-component product: the Fundamentals of Pathology textbook (a 218-page full-color text) and an online video subscription (35+ hours of lectures by Dr. Husain A. Sattar). These products are sold together as a combined package through two tiers: a Free account for trial access to limited videos and textbook samples, and a Pro account providing full video access plus a physical copy of the textbook shipped by mail. Subscriptions are available in 3-month ($84.95), 12-month ($99.95), and 21-month ($119.95) durations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fundamentals of Pathology: A 218-page full-color textbook covering pathology for USMLE Step 1 and medical course review, written and taught by Dr. Sattar.
Products and services
- Fundamentals of Pathology Textbook A 218-page full-color pathology textbook covering all major topics for USMLE Step 1 and medical course review, written by Dr. Husain A. Sattar and integrating key concepts from associated disciplines with over 300 full-color images. Sold as a paperback to Pro subscribers and shipped worldwide.
- Online Video Lecture Subscription On-demand streaming access to 35+ hours of video lectures by Dr. Sattar covering all 19 chapters of Fundamentals of Pathology, with content highlighting key concepts and highly-tested USMLE material. Available via 3, 12, or 21-month subscription terms, with multi-platform support (iPad, iPhone beta, Android) and 24/7 access.
Quantifiable outcome
- Students report scoring 260+ on USMLE Step 1 with Pathoma as a primary study resource
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Pathoma
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pathoma technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Pathoma partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Kaplan MedicalminorDr. Sattar serves as one of the most highly ranked and sought after instructors at Kaplan Medical, teaching USMLE board review courses for nearly a decade. This is a personal teaching relationship rather than a formal Pathoma company partnership.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Pathoma competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- UWorld: Dominant USMLE Step 1 question bank and prep platform used by virtually all US medical students. Directly competes for the same MS2/Step 1 prep wallet, though UWorld's core product is Q-banks whereas Pathoma's is video lectures — making them complementary in some baskets and substitutes in others.
- Sketchy Medical: Visual mnemonic-based learning platform for microbiology, pharmacology, and pathology. Directly competes in the pathology content niche with a different pedagogical approach (visual memory vs. mechanistic), making it a substitute for the same MS2 student buyer.
- Lecturio: Medical video lecture platform covering the full pre-clinical and Step 1 curriculum. Directly comparable subscription product for video-based Step 1 prep, though with broader subject coverage and a stronger international footprint.
- Boards & Beyond: Video lecture series by Dr. Ryan covering the full Step 1 curriculum. The closest format competitor to Pathoma's video lectures, though broader in scope (all subjects vs. pathology only) and typically paired with First Aid and UWorld.
- Osmosis (Elsevier): Visual, animated medical education platform used heavily in medical school curricula worldwide. Covers pathology within a broader subject catalog and competes for institutional and student subscriptions with a more scalable video production model.
- AMBOSS: Comprehensive USMLE and clinical knowledge platform with integrated Q-bank, knowledge library, and study planner. Competes directly for Step 1 prep dollars with a broader, more frequently updated product that includes pathology content.
Broad incumbents
- First Aid for the USMLE Step 1: The dominant Step 1 review textbook used alongside Pathoma as a study pair. Operates in the same prep-bundle but with a print/encyclopedic format versus Pathoma's mechanistic video/text approach — competitive for share-of-wallet if students consolidate around a single core resource.
- Kaplan Medical: Long-established USMLE prep incumbent offering live courses, Q-banks, and video content. Dr. Sattar himself teaches at Kaplan, creating both competitive and partnership overlap; Kaplan is a broader-portfolio player rather than a focused pathology specialist.
Emerging players
- Picmonic: Visual mnemonic learning platform for medical, nursing, and pharmacy students. Overlaps with Pathoma's audience and study-aid category but uses pictographic mnemonics rather than mechanistic video lectures — a partial substitute for high-yield content review.
- TrueLearn: USMLE-focused Q-bank and smart-learning platform with adaptive analytics. Competes for a share of Step 1 prep spending through differentiated assessment features rather than video lectures, but targets the same MS2 buyer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pathoma social profiles
Digital presencePathoma financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pathoma leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Pathoma funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pathoma M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pathoma
What does Pathoma do?
Pathoma sells a self-paced pathology review course consisting of a 218-page full-color textbook (Fundamentals of Pathology) and 35+ hours of online video lectures by Dr. Husain A. Sattar, delivered via subscription tiers (3, 12, and 21 months) and a free trial tier. The Pro subscription includes a physical paperback copy of the textbook shipped to the buyer, while both tiers grant on-demand access to the video library covering all 19 textbook chapters.
Is Pathoma a public or private company?
Pathoma is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pathoma founded?
Pathoma was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Pathoma based?
Pathoma is headquartered in Lincolnwood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pathoma make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription Video Access are the primary driver. The others are free Account.
Who are Pathoma's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are UWorld, Sketchy Medical, Lecturio, Boards & Beyond, Osmosis (Elsevier) and AMBOSS. Broad incumbents are First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 and Kaplan Medical. Emerging players are Picmonic and TrueLearn.
Does Pathoma have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pathoma.
What industry is Pathoma in?
Pathoma's product category is Medical Board Review. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAIAD, Digital Learning & Course Subscriptions, with a secondary code of EDAFAIAI, Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.