Degree Offered
MS
Program Description
The program aims to prepare students for a career as a Pathologists’ assistant in a clinical laboratory environment. The entire curriculum prepares students for the practice of the profession. The Pathologists’ assistant is an allied health professional, qualified by academic and practical training to provide service in anatomic pathology under the direction and supervision of an anatomic Pathologists’. The high degree of responsibility assumed by the Pathologists’ assistant requires skills and abilities including, but not limited to, the following:
- Surgical Pathology: The Pathologists’ assistant performs surgical specimen dissection by identifying the anatomical structures within the specimen and assessing the nature and extent of the pathological process. The Pathologists’ assistant also assures appropriate specimen accessioning, obtains and assesses pertinent clinical information and ancillary studies, describes the gross anatomic pathology, and selects tissue to be submitted for further histologic processing and microscopic examination by the Pathologists’. The Pathologists’ assistant also submits specimens for additional analytic procedures, such as immunohistochemical staining, flow cytometry, image analysis, microbiological cultures, genetic analysis, chemical analysis, and toxicology, and assists in the photography of pathological specimens as indicated or requested.
- Autopsy Pathology: The Pathologists’ assistant may be involved in the performance of postmortem examination, including the assessment of death certificates and obtaining proper legal authorization, and the reviewing of the patient’s medical record and pertinent clinical data.
The Pathologists’ assistant may perform evisceration, organ- block dissection per the departmental protocol, and triage autopsy specimens for special procedures and techniques as required. The Pathologists’ assistant may further select tissue for histologic processing and special studies, obtain specimens for biological and toxicologic analysis, assist in photography of gross specimens, and communicate with clinicians regarding autopsy findings. The Pathologists’ assistant also may be assigned to teaching, administrative, supervisory, and budgetary functions in anatomic pathology, depending on how the position is structured.
Pathologists’ assistants are employed in a variety of settings, which include community and regional hospitals, university medical centers, private pathology laboratories, and medical examiner offices. The ability to relate to people, a capacity for calm and reasoned judgment, and a demonstration of commitment to quality patient care are essential for Pathologists’ assistants. They must demonstrate ethical and moral attitudes and principles that are essential for gaining and maintaining the trust of professional associates, the support of the community, and the confidence of the patient and family. Respect for the patient and confidentiality of the patient’s records and/or diagnoses must be maintained.
The Pathologists’ Assistant Program track is full time; no part-time option is available. The program calendar begins in July and ends in May. The first year of the program is largely concentrated on didactic coursework. During the second year of the program, Pathologists’ assistant students learn essential technical skills through affiliate clinical laboratory rotations. Program affiliates include, but are not limited to, the University of Maryland Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore Pathologists’ Assistant Program is accredited by:
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
5600 N. River Road, Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018
773-714-8880; 773-714-8886 (fax)
https://www.naacls.org/
Program Admissions
Completed application packets must be received by Feb. 1 to be considered for admission in July of the same year. All completed application packets, international and domestic, are reviewed by the Program Admissions Committee and receive equal consideration. From these completed applications, the committee invites selected candidates to participate in an interview. These students meet with select faculty, tour the facilities, and are given the opportunity to discuss their career goals. No admissions are deferred for subsequent years. If a student who is accepted into the program declines admission, but desires admission the following year, the application materials (transcripts, letters of recommendation, Graduation Record Examinations scores, etc.) will be held by the department; however, the student must reapply.
The program adheres to the minimum standards and requirements for admission to graduate programs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, outlined in this catalog, including the requirement of an undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0. The program prefers grades of A or B in all science courses. Applicants must take the general aptitude GRE. Preference is given to students with verbal and quantitative scores above the 50th percentile and greater than or equal to 4.5 in the analytical writing scoring section. International applicants who meet the application, coursework, grade, and GRE requirements previously stated, and who hold degrees from foreign colleges or universities where English is not the primary language, must pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language with a score above 100 on the internet-based test as proof of their proficiency in English.
Applicants are required to have successfully completed a minimum of one semester of each of our prerequisites, as follows: biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry or biochemistry, microbiology, mathematics, and English composition.
Applicants are encouraged to use the application essay to describe their interest and experience in the Pathologists’ assistant field, rather than contemplated research projects.
Degree Requirements
The required curriculum includes courses in general pathology, systemic pathology, clinical pathology, surgical pathology, autopsy pathology, lab management, physiology, and structure and development (anatomy training). The minimum number of credits required for the master’s degree in the Pathologists’ Assistant Program track is 38. The program is structured to comply with University standards and standards from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA for the duration of the program. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 are placed on academic probation. They will not be permitted to graduate without remediation, and they face possible dismissal from the University.
The MANA 601 course, Structure and Development (Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology), is offered during the second semester of enrollment and is a benchmark course. MANA 601 comprises a concentrated learning experience in human anatomy, histology, and embryology, which are essential for entry-level competency as a Pathologists’ assistant. This course also provides a foundation for the remainder of the two-year curriculum. Therefore, students must demonstrate a mastery of these subject areas by achieving a grade of C or better in MANA 601. Failure to do so will result in academic dismissal.
Beginning with the summer semester between the first and second years, Pathologists’ assistant students fulfill clinical laboratory rotation requirements. Each rotation provides ample time to familiarize students with the duties and responsibilities of a Pathologists’ assistant for each particular institution and training site.
Completion of the Pathologists’ Assistant Program requires 22 consecutive months of instruction as a full-time student. There is no part-time option available.
Required Courses (Credits)