Home/ Careers/ Allied Health Professions/ Pathologists' Assistant

Pathologists' Assistant

Overview

A pathologists’ assistant is an intensively trained allied health professional who provides anatomic pathology services under the direction and supervision of a pathologist. A pathologists’ sssistant is qualified to do all the work leading up to (but not including) diagnosis - including tissue banking, gross examination of surgical pathology specimens, and complex surgical resections and autopsies.

At the direction and under the supervision of a pathologist(s), a pathologists’ assistant may perform the following tasks and assume responsibility for:

Preparation, gross description and dissection of human tissue surgical specimens
Preparation of human postmortem examinations
Teaching courses in human anatomy and physiology, histology, gross pathology, gross and microscopic photography and gross dissection skills for both surgical and autopsy pathology.
Performance of various managerial and/or administrative duties, including handling budgets, supervising employees, etc.

By performing such a wide array of tasks, pathologists' assistants make a significant contribution to the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of a laboratory or pathology practice.

You can download, save and print a PDF of this career profile:

Pathologist Assistant 14 May 2008 [pdf, 187 KB]

Working Conditions

Many pathologists’ assistants work in community hospitals, while others work in community/public or government hospitals, reference laboratories, academic centers (i.e., medical schools or university hospitals), or within the Medical Examiners system.

Entry-level salaries in this field average $72,000; the range for new graduates usually runs from the high $60Ks to as much as $90K, depending upon workload, setting, and regional cost of living. Sign-on/retention bonuses and annual bonuses are becoming more frequent, as well. Experienced PAs can earn as much as the low six figures.

With a pathologists' assistant degree, you can find a job virtually anywhere in the United States, as well as in Canada, Australia, and Denmark. The prospects for finding a good job in this field are excellent for the foreseeable future.

NOTE:

This information has been reviewed and approved by the American Association of Pathologists' Assistants.

Photo courtesy of AAPA (Photo: Photo courtesy of AAPA)

Salary

$60,000 - $90,000

Years in school

4 - 6

Job outlook

Excellent

Sponsor

Take advantage of our generous credit transfer policy and no enrollment fee, giving you a strong start to your BS in Health Sciences with little investment up front. Excelsior College offers an accredited online program with financial aid and payment plan options that fit your unique budget and busy schedule. Learn more about Excelsior College ...

Academic Requirements

To become a pathologists’ assistant, you must graduate from an accredited baccalaureate degree program. A Master’s degree is also available in this field. For a list of accredited Pathologists’ Assistants (PathA) programs, see the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Lab Sciences website.

Many Pathologists' Assistants are already health professionals who have gone back for another degree. Common first careers include histotechnologists, clinical lab technologists, cytotechnologists, autopsy technicians and military trained medics or hospital corpsman.

Pathologists’ Assistants may join the American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants, which has three levels of membership: Student, Affiliate, and Fellow. To join as a student, you must be enrolled in a NAACLS-accredited program.

To become an Affiliate member of the AAPA, you must have a bachelor’s degree in the field, as well as three years of continuous bench experience; at this point, you are eligible to sit for the ASCP BOR Pathologists' Assistant Certification Examination. (Note: On-the-job trained practitioners also may take the exam, but this alternative will no longer be available after December 31, 2007.) Upon passing the exam, you are elevated to AAPA Fellow status.