Advocacy, Regulation & Legislation

A pathologists’ assistant (PA) is a certified allied health professional, qualified by academic and practical training to assist in providing services in anatomic pathology under the direction and supervision of a qualified anatomic pathologist. Pathologists’ assistants are analogous to PAs, functioning as dependent practitioners with anatomic pathologists. PAs conduct comprehensive macroscopic evaluations of surgical specimens and submit tissue sections for microscopic examination. PAs also perform postmortem examinations including prosection, assisting with rendering the provisional anatomic diagnosis, composing the clinical history, recording the macroscopic anatomic findings, and submitting tissue sections for microscopic examination. Pathologists’ assistants serve as physician extenders to pathologists, similar to physician assistants and nurse practitioners, and play a critical role in healthcare delivery in both surgical and autopsy pathology. They are key partners in assisting the pathologist to arrive at a pathologic diagnosis, but it is the sole responsibility of the pathologist to render a diagnosis.

PAs often are responsible for the organization and operational management of the surgical pathology suite and the anatomic pathology service. This may comprise personnel management including the development of competency testing and supervising accessioners, lab aides, grossing technicians, students and residents; writing and reviewing surgical pathology and autopsy policies and procedures; inventory control; research, education and training of residents, students and hospital staff; and administrative activities such as quality assurance and control, accreditation inspection preparation, and budgeting.

Pathologists’ assistants currently prepare for their roles as advanced practitioners in anatomic pathology by successfully completing a NAACLS accredited Pathologists’ Assistant training program and by attaining certification as a Pathologists’ Assistant from the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP BOC). Prior to 2010, PAs who had received on-the-job training (via a 3-year supervised internship) and had successfully attained certification as a Pathologists’ Assistant from the ASCP BOC have the same qualifications as NAACLS program-trained individuals and are capable as advanced practitioners in anatomic pathology.

Both NAACLS program-trained and grandfathered on-the-job trained PAs who pass the ASCP BOC Pathologists’ Assistant Certification Examination use the credentials PA(ASCP) and are qualified as competent advanced practitioners in anatomic pathology. To maintain certification and a level of expertise and awareness of changes and advances in practice, the AAPA and ASCP BOC require participation in the Credentialing Maintenance Program (CMP), which requires 60 continuing education (CE) credits every three years: 15 advanced anatomic pathology credits, 20 anatomic pathology credits, 23 general pathology credits, one laboratory safety credit, and one medical ethics credit. Following completion of the CMP program, the CM superscript designation is appropriate; PA(ASCP) CM.
NAACLS-Accredited Training Programs for PAs