PAs in path programs

Started by luvalotapath
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luvalotapath

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Wondering, how many of you out there have a PA at your program and what roles do they play??
 
At our program they gross (mostly big specimens, some small specimens), and help with research tissue procurement. They also sit on committees and have designed a grossing manual, as well as teaching residents to gross. At other programs I have seen them cover frozens during the day (not reading them out, but grosssing and cutting the frozen) and be dieners on autopsy.
 
At our program they gross all small specimens i.e biopsies, amputations placentas, POC's, lipomas, breast reductions, e.t.c. All cancer or oriented specimens are grossed by the resident. They also second as dieners for autopsies. They're great.
 
We have PAs and techs. Our PAs share grossing of large specimens with the residents, have administrative roles in managing autopsy and surgical pathology, help teach residents grossing and autopsy. Our techs eviscerate and assist on autopsies, gross all the biopsies, orals, and small Gyn stuff including POCs and placentas.
 
As others, we have PAs and techs. The techs gross biopsies, and help with the non-educational part of grossing (photographs, printing blocks, etc). Depending on their role, our PAs do tissue procurement for research, gross biopsies and routine specimens, help with frozens, and (IMO, most importantly) teach residents that are new to the gross room. I don't know how we survived without them.
 
Our PAs accession all the cases, assist on frozens, gross all the biopsies, gross around two-thirds of the small cases, print cassettes, and act as dieners for autopsies.
 
So is the general consensus that PAs are really great to have around? I've been toying with the idea of getting a MS in PA since pathology is the only reason I was interested in medical school.
 
Katatonic said:
So is the general consensus that PAs are really great to have around? I've been toying with the idea of getting a MS in PA since pathology is the only reason I was interested in medical school.
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If you want to look through a scope then you gotta be a pathologist. PAs in the lab gross, gross, gross, aaand gross.
 
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