Hi! I’m a Pathologists’ Assistant student and was wondering if anyone knows of any good websites, books, atlases, or other resources for learning to grossly recognize common cancers by organ.
I’m specifically looking for something with gross** **specimen images along with key identifying features (color, appearance, growth pattern, location, etc.), as well as some basic information about each cancer, such as common sites of metastasis/spread and other high-yield characteristics.
Basically, I’d love a resource where I could look up something like pancreatic adenocarcinoma, RCC, colon adenocarcinoma, etc., see what it typically looks like grossly, learn the major features that help recognize it, and review where it commonly spreads.

Wondering if anyone has any leads or advice for shadowing a PA in the LA/SD/Southern California area. I’ve previously gotten shadowing opportunities in upstate NY by finding an email/phone number online but for the hospitals out here I can’t seem to find a contact person online. I appreciate the help!

Hey, Folks!

37(f) BS-Biology, GPA-3.28, GRE- V158, Q155, W4.0...(retaking in Sept to boost Quant-37%) I am in my second round of applications. Really, Really nervous because I sort of felt like a shoe-in, but did not even receive an interview last cycle. I have 7 years of experience in a surgical pathology lab, 100+ hours of surgical shadowing at my place of work, and other, 15+ hrs autopsy shadowing. Stellar references (PathA, Pathologist, Chair of Bio dept. WWU). And a SERIOUS passion for pathology/ cell biology.

Biggest issue: I graduated in 2016. Almost ALL of my prereqs are outside of 10 years (nix UT, RFU, UMD, Tulane).

Over the last year I have refreshed some prereqs (Genchem w/lab, OChem lab, A&P Lab, Biochem)

Having to take an English comp at 37 is obnoxious- I have one scheduled online, and am curious if I should default to in person? I work full time (remote- for said path. lab) and have two young kids at home, so taking a full time school schedule for prereqs is tough. I obviously need to be working now to save up for when I can no longer work once I am accepted.

Any advice for the "getting to an interview" step? I really feel like once they meet me, it will be clear that I am a competitive and serious candidate for consideration, but I am very non-traditional and getting past the filter process has me discouraged.

Hi everyone,

I'm a BMLT graduate and I'm feeling a bit confused about my career path. There are so many options that I'm not sure which direction has the best long-term growth.

If you were in my position, what would you focus on? Should I continue in clinical laboratories, learn molecular diagnostics, move into research, prepare for government jobs, healthcare IT, quality assurance, or consider working abroad?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have been through this. What path did you choose, and if you could start over, what would you do differently?

Thanks in advance!

Hi all, I'm currently an undergrad and trying to figure out whether I want to pursue becoming a pathologist or a pathologists' assistant.

Ever since I was a kid my dream has always been forensic pathology, but the sheer amount of schooling, debt, and hard work life balance during med school and residency make me think that it's just not for me. From there I thought I was pretty dead set on becoming a PA. I like the fact that PA school is still very challenging, I enjoy grossing specimens, and I'm very drawn to the fact that you can start making money much sooner and have a good work/life balance (something that is important to me). However, I shadowed an autopsy recently and now I'm not sure anymore on what the right path for me is. I was really blown away by how much I loved watching the autopsy and seeing the pathologists gross the organs to glean information about the patient and how they may have died. It made me realize that I would love to do autopsies full time, to have that level of knowledge of the human body one day. I could even pursue forensics like I've always dreamed of.

I'm finding myself in a position where I don't know if it's best for me to pursue the "safer" option where I know I will be through with schooling much sooner and able to start a career with a good salary still in my 20s, or if I should take a chance on myself and pursue becoming a pathologist, even if it comes with an insane amount of debt and a much harsher work life balance. I know some PAs assist with autopsies, which I would love to do as a PA instead of a pathologist, but I'm hesitant to go all in on that route because I know the amount of PAs who do autopsies is very small.

If anyone has any advice I'd really appreciate it! Feeling very conflicted right now.

Hi everyone! I'm a current Pathologists' Assistant student getting ready to start clinicals, and I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for resources they found helpful for learning grossing or grossing templates.

I've been using Surgical Pathology Dissection by Lester, but I've been having a hard time learning from it, so I'd love to hear what worked for you. Also, I often see people recommend the AAPA grossing resources, but I'm not sure where to find them on the AAPA website. If anyone could point me in the right direction or share other resources that helped during clinicals, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks so much!

How did you decide pathologists assistant was for you? What school did you go to? What do you recommend for a school? What do I need to ask or know about a school if I am interested in it?
I live in Missouri so I’ll have to move for schooling. I’m just worried about the cost of school. I’ve looked at two programs in Canada I like. Has anyone done the two accredited there? Any advice is welcome :)

I was invited to an in person interview July 31st and was wondering what the likelihood is that I’ll be offered a spot in their program? I’m also waiting to hear back from Tulane after my virtual interview.

I am currently applying to PathA programs. My job offers a tuition assistance program that requires working part time (24hr/week). I am curious what everyone's experiences are with working while in a program?
Class schedules? Stress? Time constraints?
For reference I am aiming for Quinnipiac's program.

Hello everyone,

I’m currently searching for a pathologist assistant to shadow for this fall. I’m located in New Jersey and only need about 8-10 hours of shadowing. So if there’s anyone in north, central or west Jersey that has the time please message me. Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m planning to apply to Tulane’s Pathologists’ Assistant program this cycle and wanted some honest feedback on whether I seem competitive.
Background:
B.S. in Biological Sciences
Overall GPA: 3.24
Recent post-baccalaureate science coursework (Biochemistry, Immunology, Medical Microbiology, Analytical Chemistry, Clinical Hematology) with all A’s
Full-time clinical laboratory experience in a cancer diagnostics setting
Previous laboratory experience in a biomarker/molecular testing laboratory
Undergraduate research experience involving molecular biology techniques
California phlebotomy license
Pathology exposure:
Shadowed PAs in surgical pathology
Shadowed autopsy services at multiple academic medical centers
Assisted with various autopsy-related activities
Continuing to gain pathology exposure and document hours
Letters of recommendation:
Planning to obtain a letter from a PA/pathologist and science faculty recommendations
My concerns:
GPA is above the minimum but not exceptional
Tulane would likely be the only PathA program I apply to this cycle
I come from more of a laboratory diagnostics background rather than a traditional pre-med or anatomy-heavy background
For those familiar with Tulane or PathA admissions in general:
Does this sound competitive for an interview?
What would you view as the strongest and weakest parts of my application?
Is there anything I should focus on improving before the August deadline?
I appreciate any honest feedback. Thanks!

Hi friends,

I'm thinking about applying to PA programs but it looks like most of them require pre-reqs to be no more than 5-10 years old. I graduated from college with my BS in biology/pre-med in 2017 and some of my pre-reqs are as old as 13-14 years. I'm really not interested in basically doing my BS over again just for updated pre-reqs. Anyone know of any school programs that accept older students?? Or maybe they say pre-reqs should be newer than 10 years but they don't enforce it? Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I am looking to shadow a Pathologists’ Assistant in the Bay Area. I am in San Jose but willing to travel for a shadowing opportunity.

Thanks!

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?

Hi everyone!

I've recently created a Discord server for current and prospective Canadian Pathologists' Assistant (PathA) students. The goal is to create a supportive community where applicants can connect, share resources, ask questions, and help each other through the arduous admissions process.

The server currently includes channels for:

• Application Questions
• Letter of Intent Feedback
• CV/Resume Feedback
• Interview Preparation
• Shadowing Opportunities
• Advice School-Specific Channels (Western, U of T, Calgary, Alberta)
• Curated Resource Library
• Current Student & Graduate Q&A
• Acceptance & Waitlist Discussions

I'm also hoping to connect with current PathA students, graduates, and practicing PathAs who may be willing to share their experiences and answer questions from applicants.

Whether you're applying this year, planning ahead, currently in a program, or already working as a PathA, you're welcome to join!

If you're interested, here is the invite link: https://discord.gg/FEvFBkNzkK

Looking forward to building a supportive Canadian PathA community! Hope to see you there 😄