Pathologists' Assistant
Learn about this occupation – including typical duties, education required, salary and job outlook information, job boards and more.
Pathologists' assistants help pathologists prepare and conduct medical laboratory tests, examinations and experiments and perform analyses on medical data in order to diagnose, treat and prevent disease and illness (alis). They are usually employed in hospitals and universities (NOC).
Occupational profile
Find detailed information about the occupation, including typical duties and working conditions, in the links below:
- National Occupational Classification (NOC) - Canadian occupational description
- OCCinfo by alis - Alberta-based occupational information
- What is a Pathologists' Assistant? - University of Manitoba Pathology MSc. Program
- Pathologists' Assistants - Alternate Careers for Lab Professionals from CSMLS
- Career Overview: Pathologists' Assistant - ExploreHealthCareers.org (U.S.)
- Medical Laboratory Professionals: Who's Who in the Lab - from the American Association for Clinical Chemistry
- Pathologists' Assistants scope of practice (surgical, autopsy, laboratory) - AAPA
- Career Awareness: Real Life Pathologists' Assistant - from Mayo Clinic
- Why become a PA (video) - American Association of Pathologists' Assistants
Education
U of M Academic Calendar
The Academic Calendar & Catalogue outlines program admission and course requirements. Use the left menu to navigate to a specific faculty and program. To determine which degree path suits your unique occupational goals, speak with a Career Consultant. For support with course registration and academic issues, speak with an Academic Advisor.
Faculty and Department Homepages
Visit the faculty and department homepage to learn about program application deadlines and processes, as well as additional in-house resources and opportunities.
- Pathologists' Assistant - MSc. Program - Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Exploring Other Education Options
- Accredited Programs (U.S. & Canada) - American Assoc. of Pathologists' Assistants
- Search Directories
Information for foreign-trained professionals - Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials
Labour market information
Labour market information informs users of supply and demand for specific occupations and sectors. It includes such things as salary and job outlook information. These resources support informed career decision making and job search efforts.
Resources
- Trend Analysis: Job Market Report (Winnipeg Region) - Gov. of Canada Job Bank
- Collective Agreements - Manitoba Association of Healthcare Professionals (search Schedule A: Salary, e.g. DSM - use keyword "Pathology Assistant")
- American Society for Clinical Pathology's 2017 Wage Survey of Medical Laboratories in the U.S. - American Journal of Clinical Pathology
- OpportuNext - salary range and job growth prospects - Manitoba
Professional Associations
Professional associations may organize events and provide directories, job postings, career and labour market information. Student membership opportunities may also be available: engage, learn and network!
- Canadian Association of Pathologists - Pathologists' Assistants Section
- American Association of Pathologists' Assistants
Directories, Industry Associations, and Sector Councils
These resources provide industry news, labour market information and a list of potential employers. Remember, there are usually multiple industries worth exploring.
- Regional Health Authorities - Province of Manitoba
- Health Regions in Canada - listings and maps from Statistics Canada
- Institute for Quality Management in Health Care - Accredited Labs (BC, ON, Atlantic Canada)
Job Boards
Search occupations of interest in the industry-specific job boards below to learn about skill requirements, employers, job duties and available jobs. You may also wish to search more general online job boards.
- Shared Health Manitoba
- Canadian Association of Pathologists - Careers page
- Winnipeg Regional Health Authority - search other RHA job boards in MB & Canada
- HealthCareJobs.ca
- ASCLS Career Centre (U.S.)
Other links
These external resources may provide you with additional information about the occupation and opportunities to build experience:
- Article: Value-Added Benefits and Utilization of Pathologists’ Assistants (2011) - from the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
- American Journal of Clinical Pathology
- Article: Working As a "Neither" - PA profile from The Pathologist
- Canadian Institute for Health Information