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Program Overview

The Pathologists’ Assistant program at  Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, offers the students the opportunity to train in the highly specialized field of anatomical pathology. This two-year, full-time program begins in September of each year. The first year is comprised of various courses. The second year of the program is composed of rotations through the hospital experience in autopsy and surgical pathology, a research project and completing a two-month community elective.

Program Overview

This is a continuous program of 22 months duration. The students take various courses at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry during Year 1 (September to April). In the first two months of Year 2 (May, June), they will rotate through various laboratories of London Health Sciences Centre and perform several related activities (see below). They will rotate through autopsy and gross surgical pathology for a total of 10 months (July to May, Year 2). During Year 2 they also complete a pathology research project. During the last two months of Year 2, students complete a community hospital rotation.

This program is accredited by: The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).

NAACLS, in conjunction with the AAPA, has established national standards for Pathologists’ Assistant training programs. The standards include both didactic course work and clinical experiences necessary to properly educate a pathologists’ assistant. The  Master of Clinical Science, Pathology Assistant Program at Western University, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is accredited by NAACLS. As such, the program joins nine other accredited Pathologists’ Assistant Programs in the United States and Canada (Duke University, Quinnipiac University, Wayne State University, Ohio State University, University of Maryland, Indiana University, West Virginia University, Western University, and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science). Visit the NAACLS website at www.naacls.org to read more about the professional activities of this organization.