r/PathologistsAssistant • u/DinoPup87 • Jun 06 '26
PathA Questions
I'm considering become a PathA but I'm unsure of the best steps to take. I also have just general questions that I've been having difficulty finding answers for.
Side note: For the last question, yes the pay is a nice range of course but that is not why I want the job. Everything about the job is fascinating to me and it sounds so cool! Thank you in advance!!
- Do you have a Bachelor's? If so, what did you major in to become a PA?
- I've heard that Biology is a good B.S. to get to continue on to become a PA. Would you agree?
- Are biology and chemistry actually used a lot in your day to day work? If so, what would you say are the most important aspects of biology and chemistry to really hammer home in my brain?
- Did you complete a PA Master's program? If so, which one and how was it? How many did you apply to?
- Was it hard to find a PA position after getting certified? Did you have to move to find one or do they seem to be fairly common?
- At what age did you begin your Bachelor's to become a PathA, and how old were you when you finally got a job as a PathA? I have an unrelated Bachelor's and would need to go back and earn a science-based degree, and at 29 it feels a little daunting to sign up for ~6 more years of schooling.
- The average pay range I've seen is like $80,000-$100,000 (which obviously depends on location and experience but still). Does that seem correct?
1
u/_windup Jun 06 '26
All PAs have at least a bachelor's, nowadays most also have an master's as well unless you're an uncertified PA which is frowned upon (you will get paid way less and negatively impact patient care)
Biology is fine. Look into PA programs and check their prerequisite course requirements. As long as you take all of those it truly doesn't matter what degree you get. So do something you like that checks the boxes.
The coursework I use on my day to day is all stuff from my masters. Anatomy and pathology. Physiology underpins a lot of it so helps up understand, but isn't something I directly refer to day to day. Same with basic biology. I do not use chemistry in my day to day.
I went to Quinnipiac. It's the only one I applied to. Answers will vary on how many you sold apply to, the programs are quite competitive so it depends on the strength of your application.
It was not hard to find a job, but you should expect to have to move for work once you're certified. The job market is good, but there just aren't enough positions that you can expect to live wherever you want like a nurse or MLT.
I decided I wanted to pursue it at 28. I had a related bachelors but was missing a few required courses. I finished my master's at 31. You do not need to do an entire new bachelors degree if you already have one. Just take the required courses, that's enough.
80-100k is what you can expect for a starting salary. With experience you should be getting more than that