A pathologists’ assistant is a highly trained, certified allied health professional who is qualified by academic and practical training to provide services in anatomic pathology under the supervision of a licensed, board-certified, or board-eligible anatomic pathologist.

Services in both surgical and autopsy pathology include processing a variety of laboratory specimens, comprehensive macroscopic examination, and evaluating all surgical pathological specimens. Pathologists’ assistants also perform postmortem examinations including prosection, assisting the pathologist with rendering the provisional anatomic diagnosis, composing the clinical history, recording the macroscopic anatomic findings, and submitting tissue sections for microscopic examination.

Pathologists’ assistants work in hospitals, pathology labs, forensic labs, and morgues.