What are the responsibilities and job description for the Pathologist Assistant position at PathGroup?
Job Summary
The Pathologists' Assistant (PA) is an extensively trained allied health professional who provides anatomic pathology services under the direction and supervision of a Board Certified, licensed medical doctor (pathologist). PA's interact with pathologists in same manner that physicians' assistants carry out their duties under the direction of physicians in surgical and medical practices. The Pathologists' Assistant serves as the eyes of the pathologist and is often the initial (and sometimes only) individual to look at the specimen when it arrives from the operating room, clinic, and/or physician's office. A fully trained PA is allowed to perform post mortem examinations (autopsies) through to the preliminary anatomic diagnoses (PAD) without a pathologist present. Pathologists' Assistants contribute to the overall efficiency of the laboratory or pathology practice in a cost-effective manner by performing a variety of tasks, consisting primarily of gross examination of surgical pathology specimens.
Major Responsibilities
The Pathologists' Assistant (PA) is an extensively trained allied health professional who provides anatomic pathology services under the direction and supervision of a Board Certified, licensed medical doctor (pathologist). PA's interact with pathologists in same manner that physicians' assistants carry out their duties under the direction of physicians in surgical and medical practices. The Pathologists' Assistant serves as the eyes of the pathologist and is often the initial (and sometimes only) individual to look at the specimen when it arrives from the operating room, clinic, and/or physician's office. A fully trained PA is allowed to perform post mortem examinations (autopsies) through to the preliminary anatomic diagnoses (PAD) without a pathologist present. Pathologists' Assistants contribute to the overall efficiency of the laboratory or pathology practice in a cost-effective manner by performing a variety of tasks, consisting primarily of gross examination of surgical pathology specimens.
Major Responsibilities
- Preparation, gross description, dictation and dissection of human tissue
- Ensuring appropriate specimen accessioning
- Obtaining pertinent clinical history including x-rays and other laboratory data
- Obtaining tissue such as blood and toxicological material for studies such as flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry
- Photographing all pertinent gross specimens
- Assists with frozen section tissue preparation
- Ascertaining proper legal authorization for autopsy
- Retrieving the patient's medical chart and other pertinent data for review with the attending pathologist
- Conferring with the attending pathologist to identify any special techniques or procedures to be utilized
- Perform postmortem examination to include external exam, internal exam, evisceration, dissection and submission of appropriate tissue for microscopy
- Dictation of the postmortem examination
- Completion of the postmortem preliminary anatomic diagnosis (PAD)
- Notify the pathologist in charge and the funeral home upon completion
- Ensuring the completion of specimen coding
- Assist in the organization of anatomic pathology conferences
- Ensuring the proper maintenance of equipment
- Provision of adequate supplies
- Cleaning of grossing stations
- Disposal of biological and administrative waste
- Solve any discrepancies or other issues that may arise
- Other duties as assigned
