What is a Pathologists' Assistant?

A student working in a lab

Pathologists’ Assistants (PAs) are highly trained health professionals who work under the supervision of a medically-qualified Pathologist, providing a broad range of services in anatomic pathology. Many of their duties are those previously performed by pathologists. The extra technical skills brought to the laboratory by the PAs, standardize and enhance the overall quality in the practice of anatomic pathology. The PAs assume major responsibility for the initial examination and dissection of all surgically-removed tissues and to a variable extent, for the dissection of bodies during post-mortem examination.