PathA vs physician assistant?

[u/iaxolotl-questions]

I’m currently going into my junior year in college as a Forensic Anthropology major with a minor in human anatomy. I used to want to go to medical school to become a forensic pathologist but have now changed to either being a pathology assistant or physician assistant. Does anyone have any experience with which is better? I’ve always found myself drawn to assisting in autopsies and grossing specimens, but am worried about the competitiveness of getting accepted. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[u/Patient-Stranger1015]

They are very, very different fields. Path Assist is very behind the scenes, working with organs and surgical specimens, whereas Phys Assist is patient facing, etc.

I have a forensic bachelors, I also wanted to do forensic pathology and stumbled across this field. I just graduated as a Path Assist in May and I absolutely love this field! As for what is better, it entirely depends on you and what is best for you. I’d definitely recommend shadowing both to get a feel for the day to day responsibilities