The Duties of a Pathologist Assistant

The job of a pathologist's assistant is to perform various autopsy or surgery preparation tasks under the supervision of a licensed pathologist. The Schoolsintheusa website says a pathologist's assistant possesses a Bachelor of Sciences degree in biology or nursing. The salary range is $34,000 to a maximum yearly pay of about $90,000.

Specimen Processing

• One of their duties is the preparation of specimens for diagnostic review by trained pathologists and doctors. According to the Pathologistassistants website, the pathologist assistant prepares various tissue for numerous tests, such as frozen section diagnosis, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemical staining. Also, they take pictures of both gross and microscopic specimens as part of this diagnostic preparation process.

Human Postmortem Preparation

• Pathologist assistants help with autopsy preparation. According to the Schoolsintheusa website, they must obtain legal authorization and the medical history charts before the procedure can take place. They also coordinate special requests for specimens. They assist the pathologist in postmortem tests. They are also responsible for taking pictures and for recording the data that will enable them to help write the final autopsy report.

Training/Teaching

• Pathologist assistants can also be teachers. According to the Explorehealthcarecareers website, they teach college courses in such areas as human anatomy and physiology, histology, and gross and microscopic photography. They also may teach gross dissection skills, both for surgical and autopsy pathology.

  The Schoolsintheusa website also says that pathologist assistants train junior resident pathologists, in addition to the supervision and training that they give morgue attendants.

Administrative/Supervisory

• Pathologist assistants may also be responsible for office and management duties. According to the Schoolsintheusa website, they may file data and reports. The medical office or hospital may also call upon them to see that the billing and coding staff follow proper procedures. The website also says that it is possible that the institution for which they work may place them in charge of keeping the office equipment clean and in working order.

Preparation for Morgue

• According to the Pathologistsassistant Scope of Practice website, one of the responsibilities for the pathologist assistant is to ready a corpse for the morgue after the autopsy has ended. These duties include informing morgue personnel of any biohazards that the deceased may have, such as HIV, hepatitis or syphilis. They are in charge of seeing that the body is clean and ready for transport to the funeral home.