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Diagnostic & Analytics$100,000 - $135,000
Pathologists' Assistant (PA)
Performs surgical gross dissection of tumors and organs, determining margins while the patient is still on the operating table.
Min Degree
Master
Years Post-HS
6 Years
Patient Contact
Zero / Lab Only
Setting
Surgical Pathology Grossing Labs, Academic Medical Centers
The PrePro Hidden Gem Factor
High-level anatomy and surgical dissection with zero patient small-talk, standard 8-to-5 schedules, and immediate six-figure salaries.
Clinical Role Overview
When a surgeon removes a cancerous breast, colon, or kidney, it goes straight to the Pathologists' Assistant. They ink the surgical margins, dissect the specimen with surgical precision, dictate diagnostic descriptions, and select sections for microscopic cancer staging.
A Day in the Life (Hospital Shift Chronology)
08:00 - Preparing rapid frozen section analysis for an active OR lung lobectomy
09:30 - Grossing a complex Whipple procedure specimen (pancreatic cancer resection)
11:15 - Multi-color inking of tumor margins (superior, deep, radial) to test clearance
14:00 - Dissecting lymph nodes from mesenteric adipose tissue for staging
16:00 - Reviewing autopsy findings with forensic and anatomical pathologists
Core Clinical Tools & Hardware
- Grossing Workstation
- Surgical Inks & Scalpels
- Cryostat (Frozen Section)
- Digital Macro-Photography Systems
Educational Prerequisites
- Bachelor's in Biology or Pre-Med
- 2-Year NAACLS-Accredited Pathologists' Assistant Master's
- ASCP Board of Certification