I'm a medical lab scientist. I'll try to help a bit, but that's a pretty vague question dependent on a lot of factors that only you know the answer to.
If you aren't sure, the best thing is to work for a year or two as an MLS and see what you decide at that point. A little work experience never hurt anyone and medical schools who know a bit about the degree and have experience with medical students who've gotten the degree tend to look favorably on it.
Medical lab science and pathology are in the same area, but very different as well. What interests you, what do you know about MLS, what about that appeals to you? What year are you currently in school?
Are there any other fields of medicine you think might interest you? A lot of people say it's not a good idea to go into medical school dead set on one speciality. I'd say that's especially true for a specialty as unique as pathology. If you decide you don't like it after you're 250k in debt and there isn't another speciality that interests you, it's going to suck. Also the job market for pathology is a bit iffy right now.
Other points: 50-60 K is not the average right now for people starting out most places. It's very region specific. But you'll still make good money for a bachelor's degree. The job market is a bit tighter in this economy. There is still a bit of a shortage of MLS folks, however, a lot of hospitals are just having everyone work short or hiring 2 year degreed people instead of hiring the 4 year MLS folks so it costs them less money for staffing. It also means a more intensive workload and a more stressful environment some places.
