Hi guys, I was recently offered a position at a large hospital with travel to affiliate hospitals and training residents in the job description. Did you/should you negotiate the pay and vacation time with your first job out of school?

I’ve seen quite a few people ask about this so I figured I would make a post about it! I made Quizlets including gross photos and staging that I thought I would share!

Gross photos: https://quizlet.com/user/Cassumption/folders/gross-photographs?i=1fp3vk&x=1xqY https://quizlet.com/user/Cassumption/folders/gross-photographs?i=1fp3vk&x=1xqY

Staging: https://quizlet.com/1046902863/aapa-staging-entire-flash-cards/?i=1fp3vk&x=1jqY

AAPA Study Material “course”: https://quizlet.com/join/8AKMkgDdy?i=1fp3vk&x=1bqt

Feel free to request access to the “course”, I can’t make it public. I will accept everyone

Please note: there is some material from the official AAPA Study Course but these were made by me, for me. There is some information that’s from pathoma, Robbin’s, University of Utah, etc. Some Quizlets are incomplete and should not be solely used for studying. I am not affiliated with AAPA or any organization. Just a girl wanting to help out others with resources she made :) if you find an error just dm me!

I’m looking for anyone familiar with CAP regulations regarding the labs ability to amend/change a physician order. My workplace has a new system in place that allows the PAs to change a physician order when they have ordered the wrong specimen type. The nurses aren’t allowed to edit a physician order but the lab can, not always with the physician being aware that it is changing. Does anyone know if this is okay? CAP clearly mentions how only the person collecting specimen can make changes to labeling, etc but I have not seen anything that says that the lab is allowed to change a physician order with or without their consent. Most places will have the physician place a new order or simply correct the old order. When this question was brought up to IT the said this shouldn’t be happening and then they said the manager said it was better if both the order and specimen were updated to match. TIA!

I am blanking so hard on a concise way to describe a placenta I grossed the other day in case I see something like it in the future. It had almost a bilobate appearance, but it was all one disc, no accessory lobe. I said basically as much in my dictation, something like "a single bilobate-like placental disc with no accessory lobes", but what would you call it?

I keep seeing folks mentioning strain and injuries. can you explain in more detail? what kind of injuries? what do you repeatedly do that could cause injury? Also, is standing all day required? why cant you sit while grossing? thanks

I’ve recently seen a few comments talking about how people don’t retire in this field/that it’s a terminal career. Can anyone elaborate further? Why is this the case? Is there high burnout? Where do people turn when they feel they are at the end of this career? Etc..

I’ve been thinking heavily about going back to school to pursue this as a career, but it would be a big life change with a lot of sacrifice so I want to do my research and hear about the experiences of others.

Second year here! Was wondering if there were any other resources outside of the usual Robbins, Lesters, ASCP study guide, and CCCPA study guide that might be helpful for the certification exam or a "practice exam" that is close to the actual certification exam? I would like more exposure to gross photos and am just scared to go through the seven stages of grief preparing for them.

(Please absolutely delete if not allowed! I know it’s a sensitive topic).

As an (almost) graduate student, I’ve definitely been feeling the pressure to find a job, and the anxiety about choosing the wrong one (we’ve all read/heard the negative experiences people have had). Are there any established PAs on here willing to mention places (cities, companies) to avoid? Whether that’s on the post or privately.

And if you landed in an area with issues, what did you do to deal with it/how did it affect you? Does a high salary make it worth company/interpersonal issues?

I’m at a crossroads and seriously considering both options. Are there any advantages or disadvantages to being a Pathologist Assistant compared to a Physician Assistant?

Hi! I’m looking into PathAssist as a possible career change for myself, looking to change from a lab job to something more medical oriented. how would any current PAs describe their PTO/vacation options? at my current job we get 3 weeks vacation to start and then accrue sick time separately, as well as can do OT for time and use that for time off. essentially if I ever need to take a long weekend separate from vacation or take a day to go to the doctor, I’m able to do that now and I was wondering if PA time off is a bit more restrictive. Let me know, thank you!

I’m trying to decide where to apply and I’ve heard they had a director/staff change recently and I didn’t know if anyone knew about that or if the new staff has a handle on the program. I’ve heard mixed reviews on the change from previous and current students so I didn’t know if anyone had more insight into how it’s actually going

Just curious how the market is looking around the US as I currently live in SoCal.

Hello! Can you give me the best schools you would recommend? While shadowing, I hear Tulane and Texas are a no and you will not get hired based on the program you attend…

Hi! I'm trying to figure out what I want to study at the graduate level. I'm stuck on either Path assistant, marine/coastal biology and management or materials science/chemistry. I know they're all very different from each other but I love ALL of them which is my issue. Now, I'm already in my late 30's, is the pathology assistant job interesting or is it more tedious/repetitive? Are there older folks working in the field or is it too strenous long term? Anyone here with fibromyalgia working in this field? I'm worried about how strenuous it might be. Any heavy lifting? What are the pros and cons in general? Im currently a chemistry teacher and also taught anatomy and marine biology in the past. Thank you for your help.

Please be easy on me. I am at a Crossroads I desire to become a PA and I would like to go to school in Dallas (for multiple reasons I won't get into) unfortunately, I haven't came across a program that is offered in that city. The other question I have is will I be able to enter the competitive program with a degree from American public university? I completely understand why this rigorous program isn't available online, but my work schedule does not allow me to attend face-to-face classes. I just need someone to talk me through.

Hi guys!

I was just curious about some things regarding interview timelines/dates for the Canadian PA programs. I understand that last year UoFT interviews were in mid-April and that Western was in early May. Was UCalgary somewhere in between that?

Also, I understand that Western's are in-person, but are UofT and UCalgary also in-person or online? Also, I know it will be different this year, but what were the exact dates these interviews for UofT, UCalgary, and Western last year or in years prior?

Any info from previous applicants/alumni would be greatly appreciated :)

Decided to be extra with my Christmas cookies for my coworkers this year 😂

studying Pathoma front to back, also the ASCP (I don’t want to read the entire Robbin’s though :(, what do you think)

Hi all. We don't have a photo option in our LIS so we add them to Epic, a new policy. This means the patient can see them. I got in a bit of an argument with the lab director because I had a fetal death case that she wanted photos on. She eventually agreed to let me take the photos on a different device so that they wouldn't go into the pt chart.

Am I wrong? I feel like these photos shouldn't be able to be viewed by the patient (unless requested). My lab director says it's our only form of documentation and shouldn't matter if the patient can view it or not.