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A '''pathologists’ assistant (PA)''' is a physician extender whose expertise lies in gross examination of surgical specimens as well as performing forensic, medicolegal, and hospital autopsies.<ref name="path">[http://www.pathassist.org]</ref>
== General Overview ==
PA’s work under the direct supervision of a board certified anatomical pathologist, who ultimately render a diagnosis based on the PA’s detailed gross description and/or tissue submission. Requirements to become a pathologists’ assistant include graduation from a National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)<ref>http://naacls.org/</ref> accredited education program and/or successfully passing the [http://www.ascp.org/ American Society for Clinical Pathology] (ASCP) certification exam.<ref name=path /> With ongoing changes in healthcare, increasing aging population, and a decreasing number of pathology residents, the role of the PA is in high demand due to high level of training and contribution of the overall efficiency of the pathology laboratory.<ref name=path />
In addition to major responsibilities outlined above, a
*Frozen section for intraopertative consultation
*Prepare tissue samples for flow cytometry, immunohistochemical (IHC) stains, genetic testing, microbiology culture, and various other laboratory evaluations
*Gross specimen photography
*Training PA fellows, pathology residents, and other pathology lab personnel (as needed)
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