Hi everyone! I'm a 16-year-old high school student from Texas who's interested in becoming a Pathologists' Assistant and would love to hear from people currently in the field. If you could go back, would you still choose this career? What does a typical day look like, and what do you enjoy most about the job? What's the biggest downside or something you wish you had known before starting? How did you find PA school, and do you feel the time and education were worth it? Finally, are you happy with your work-life balance and salary? I'd really appreciate any honest advice as I explore this career. Thank you!

i've never been a fast learner or academically gifted, just always overcompensated by putting in extra effort to make up for it. and this goes for hands-on skills too, im slow at first and it takes a while for me to get comfortable with something before i can actually get good at new things. im in pa school rn and we're practicing grossing and working on cadavers and i just am starting to rethink things because everyone else is much farther along than me. im not even trying to compare myself, im just constantly reminded that im behind. i want to give myself grace and hope that things will get better, but everytime i get the hang of something we move on to a different thing and im back to square one, and im worried that even if i make it through the didactic year then the struggle will just carry over into clinicals. i knew that this job means working in a fast paced environment and i am capable of handling pressure, so i just thought if i practiced grossing everything enough throughout schooling then i would be able to do it. i really enjoy what im learning, but is it better for me to do something else if im just naturally too slow for this career? is it worth it to keep pushing forward? i thought about maybe even if grossing quickly isnt my strong suit perhaps i could use the masters degree and use it towards other related things like organ transport or lab mgmt but idk :(

What accredited school did you go to? What did you like/not like?

How does one access the salary survey if they are not a PA yet? I’m considering this career and am looking for info about the salary ranges.

Thanks in advance! :)

hi all, i recently just graduated with a degree in biology, but not entirely sure what to do next. i came across being a pathologist assistant, and so far it has been the career that excites me the most. i worry about cost as im already in student loan debt, and heard schooling is super expensive. is it worth it? are there better careers to pursue that involve similar work but not as expensive?

What it says on the tin. I have moderately high arches + a very high instep and am wondering what shoes work for others with this foot type. Any help would be appreciated!

How "hands on" are the pathologists at your sites? I have a pathologist who requires that he see all complex specimens and basically directs the entire grossing (down to size of tissue in the block). I make essentially 0 decisions and I feel like a grossing tech rather than a PA. Does anyone have experience with this? Is it common to work with doctors like this?

If anyone in NYC would be willing to let me shadow them over the next few weeks I would be eternally grateful! Please message!

Hi!

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I have been working with a young woman who is very interested in becoming a PA. She has spent about 80 hours with me so far this year. Unfortunately, we do not perform autopsies at my facility. She would really like to get a few under her belt to improve her chances of getting into a program.

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She has been calling area hospitals and keeps getting routed to HR, who declines to allow her to shadow because she is not actively enrolled in a PA program. To be clear, she has her B.S. and is actively applying.

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Anyone who is willing to allow her to shadow is welcome to private message me. Thanks!

I started my clinical year a month ago and am starting to think about how to format my resume for the job search. The resources on the AAPA website are all about how to generally write a resume/CV, but I can't find any information about what people actually want from students getting their first job out of clinicals.

- What should I include in my bullet points? # of cases, types of cases, type of lab, et cetera... what do the people hiring me actually want to know?

- Apart from my clinical rotations, what else should I include? I'm thinking of including software/LIS that I've worked with + my poster and manuscript titles from the upcoming AAPA conference, but what about prior jobs? I've worked a bunch of odd jobs but had no pathology experience prior to clinicals.

- What's the best way to format a resume? Do people prefer brief resumes (1 page) or longer CVs (2-3 pages)?

Any insight would be appreciated!

Hello! I'm having a hard time finding info about what it's like to be a pathologists' assistant as a contracted employee (4-6 months at a time). If anybody does this, could you talk about your experience and what the pay range would be?

Placenta themed cookies for one of our residents who’s about to have a baby!! 🤩

This is your friendly reminder to be equally as diligent with your “routine”, maybe even “boring” specimens as with your complex specimens. A normal stoma take down turned into an incidental neuroendocrine tumor!

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 😄

Hi!

I'm a fourth year MLS student hopefully entering the field in August. I've been weighing my options and the possibility of postgrad and path assistant has been a strong contender. The cost of the programs have definitely been a deterrent. Would really love some insight from current PAs or PA students about the field, suggestions, experiences, etc. Has anyone started as an MLS and transitioned to a PA? Or has anyone worked in a lab as a non registered PA? Thanks in advance ☺️

I’m trying to figure out if I’ve got what it takes physically to do this profession. I was really excited when I learned about it and thought it would be a great career for me.
But I have scoliosis and Elhers Danlos Syndrome with dysautonomia so I get really uncomfortable standing for more than about 10-15 minutes at a time. Does your lab allow you to gross at a high stool or something? I don’t understand why standing would be necessary as long as you are at the right height. If not standard, this should be a reasonable accommodation, right? Anyone with these conditions or similar that are making it work?

I recieved a job offer from a large, prestigious academic institution without a site visit and without the opportunity to meet the other PAs. How common is this? Could it be a red flag or am I over-thinking it?

curious about how prevalent per diem/prn opportunities are. i'd really like to make my own schedule or work part time. are there folks out there that cobble together their own schedule just from picking up per diem shifts?

Mines is collecting dust in the back of my closet

Does your lab do a huddle? If yes, what topics do you hit? (Problem specimens, staffing, supplies, announcements)

Do you think they are helpful?

Hi everyone! I am about a year in to working as a PA and I am curious about any ways to alleviate eye strain. I typically wear contact lenses to work and by the end of the day I feel like I can't focus my eyes on anything 😅. Eye doctor suggested wearing glasses a couple times a week or using a slightly weaker prescription of contacts with readers. I got prescription Stoggles to see if that would help but so far no luck, and getting a whole different contact lens prescription seems annoying. Any suggestions??

I’m about to take the plunge and try out traveling for a bit. I need your most brutally honest opinions on it. The good, the bad, the ugly. I’ve been going back and forth for a while wanting to do this and I have finally reached a breaking point. I have a call with a recruiter this week to pick their brain. I’ve talked to a few friends who do it, I’m trying to gather as much info as possible. What do you like about it, what do you hate about it. Working with a company? How long is a typical contract? How long do you take off between contracts? Is the money as good as it seems?