Pathologist Assistant Job Description

Pathology assistants spend a lot of time using lab microscopes.

For some people, learning what makes a human being die is incredibly intriguing because it holds the possibility of finding solutions to disease and aging. It also helps solve crimes and determine liability for death. Pathologists are medical professionals who examine bodies with these purposes. However, they need extensive medical training to work. An alternative pathology route thus is to become a pathology assistant, which requires much less training but still provides the same type of work.

Duties

According to the American Association of Pathologists' Assistants (AAPA) and schoolsintheusa.com, pathologist assistants are qualified to handle most tasks a pathologist may handle except for diagnosis. They dissect, prepare and describe tissue specimens, get medical records and a history for the person examined, prepare bodies for release to funeral homes, and teach pathology-related courses. Much of their time is spent looking at samples under microscopes and performing basic tests on the tissue or bodily fluids they collect. They also handle some administrative tasks like supervising other pathology employees or working with the pathology budget.

Education

According to Education-Portal.com and schoolsintheusa.com, pathologist assistants must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in biology, nursing or other science field related to pathology such as mortuary science. The majority of pathologist assistant programs are offered at the master's level, which means that a pathologist assistant will need to get a Master of Pathology Assisting degree in addition to their baccalaureate degree. The pathologist assisting program from which the pathologist assistant graduates has to be accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). Pathologist assistants also must take and pass the certification exam provided by the American Society for Clinical Pathology in order to obtain a license in the state in which they work.

Skills

According to schoolsintheusa.com, pathologist assistants have to have excellent skills of analysis and be detail oriented. They must be comfortable working independently or as part of a team. A proficiency in both math and science subjects and techniques is fundamental.

Working Conditions

Pathologist assistants work in labs, hospitals, morgues and academic facilities that generally are clean, well-lit and ventilated properly. Work hours are stable. However, they may be exposed to biological hazards (i.e., disease) within the specimens with which they work. The chemicals required for some tests also pose some risks.

Salary

According to 2009 data from salary.com, pathologist assistants make a median annual wage of $79,100. Explorehealthcareers.org places the wage lower at $72,000. These figures are consistent with data from AAPA, which indicates that the salary range for pathologist assistants is $60,000 to $90,000.

References

• Explorehealthcareers.org: Pathologists' Assistant
• Salary.com: Average Pathologist Assistant Salary
• American Association of Pathologists' Assistants: What Is a Pathologists' Assistant?
• Education-Portal.com: Pathology Assistant Certification and Diploma Program Information
• Schoolsintheusa.com: Pathologist's Assistant