Master of Health Sciences, Pathologists' Assistant Pathologists' Assistant (MHSPA)

The ODU Pathologists’ Assistant (PathA) Program is committed to educate and train individuals to become academically qualified and highly competent Allied Health Professionals as Pathologists’ Assistants that provide surgical, autopsy, and forensic pathology professional services under the guidance of a board-certified pathologist. The program will prepare students to successfully complete the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification examination for Pathologists’ Assistant. Upon completing this program, students will have acquired the necessary skills and demonstrated the professionalism required to fulfill the responsibilities of a Pathologists’ Assistant and shall be prepared to serve in hospitals, clinical laboratories, biorepositories, and medical teaching facilities.

https://www.odu.edu/academics/programs/masters/pathologists-assistant

Admission

Candidates must have completed all undergraduate degree requirements and have been issued a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculating as a Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University student. If the bachelor’s degree was issued by a U.S. college or university, as a general rule it should be from a regionally accredited institution. Official transcripts from the awarding institution must specify the date upon which the degree was issued.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a weighted undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4-point scale) and must have completed the following:

• Required science courses
  • Two semesters of General Biology with lab or equivalent
  • Two semesters of General Chemistry with lab
  • Two semesters of Organic Chemistry with lab or one semester of Organic Chemistry with lab and one semester of Biochemistry
  • One semester of Mathematics
  • One semester of Physics
• Recommended science courses (if a deficiency is apparent with low GPA on prerequisite course work)
  • One semester of Microbiology 
  • One semester of combined Anatomy and Physiology 
  • Neuroanatomy and Histology courses
• Required Shadowing Experience
  • The Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University Pathologists’ Assistant Program requires applicants to have shadowing experience.  In many instances, 30 to 40 hours of shadowing can be sufficient to fulfill this requirement. The shadowing experience should include observing the dissection and dictation of a variety of complex specimens, exposure to the frozen section technique, and if feasible autopsy cases (medical or forensic).  We encourage candidates to obtain as much shadowing experience as is possible prior to the interview process.
• Official transcripts must be sent in an unopened envelope directly to GradCAS.
• Submit two letters of recommendation from faculty (in the prerequisite courses) who are familiar with the student’s ability to be successful in a graduate program. Letters from employers may be submitted and will be considered as supplemental letters.
• Letter of intent/personal essay outlining the applicant’s academic and professional goals and their particular interest in the Pathologists’ Assistant career.
• Resume/CV with health-related experience listed (including shadowing experience)
• GRE GMAT or MCAT scores will be relevant for five years.  Older scores will need to be retaken.
• A virtual interaction meet and greet session with Pathologists’ Assistant Admissions Committee
• Complete and submit online application (including $125 nonrefundable application fee).  Application will not be deemed complete until the application fee has been paid.

Early Assurance Program:

The Early Assurance Program (EAP) exists to offer outstanding and qualified undergraduate students with firm interests in a career as a Pathologists' Assistant the opportunity to gain early assurance of acceptance into the PathA program at the ODU School of Health Professions before beginning their final year of college.

By granting early assurance of acceptance into the PathA program, students will be able to broaden their academic focus and engage in extracurricular leadership activities. Students who are accepted through the Early Assurance Program will have to fulfill the stipulated prerequisite requirements of the PathA program.

Partner Institutions include:

• Old Dominion University
• Virginia Wesleyan University
• Hampton University
• Hampden-Sydney College

Academic Common Market

What is the Academic Common Market?

The Master of Science in Pathologists’ Assistant (PathA) program is a member of the Academic Common Market (ACM). The ACM is a tuition-savings initiative administered by the Southern Regional Education Board that allows students from participating states to pursue specialized academic programs at out-of-state public institutions while paying in-state tuition rates.

The participating ACM states currently approved for the Pathologists’ Assistant program may include: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. Participation and eligibility requirements may change, and ACM benefits cannot be guaranteed until certification is approved by the student’s home state ACM coordinator.

How the ACM Works

1. Students apply and are accepted to the Pathologists’ Assistant program through the standard admissions process.
2. Students must receive unconditional admission to the program before beginning the ACM certification process.
3. After admission, students apply for ACM certification through their home state ACM coordinator.
4. Once approved and certified by their home state, students must provide certification documentation to the university liaison/Registrar for tuition reciprocity processing.
5. Approved students may then qualify for ODU in-state tuition rates instead of out-of-state tuition rates.

Applicant Responsibilities

To help ensure a smooth ACM process, applicants should:

• Verify that the Pathologists’ Assistant program participates in the ACM and that their state of legal residence is approved for this specific program.
• Apply and obtain unconditional acceptance to the Pathologists’ Assistant program at Old Dominion University.
• Submit all required ACM certification materials through their home state ACM coordinator.
• Provide ACM certification documentation to the university after approval.
• Notify the university of any changes to legal residency status, as residency changes may impact ACM eligibility.

For additional information about the Academic Common Market, please visit the Southern Regional Education Board ACM website or contact the program directly.

Additional Requirements for International Applicants

• English Proficiency Exams 
  • TOEFL (Minimum scores: Paper 550, Computer 213, iBT 80)
  • IELTS (Minimum scores: Total 6.5, Subscores: 6)
• In addition to official transcripts, provide both a transcript evaluation and translation (course-by-course evaluation with an overall GPA calculation) through one of these services:
  • Educational Credential Evaluators or World Education Services

Technical Standards

Technical standards for admission are defined as “physical, cognitive and behavioral abilities required for satisfactory completion of all aspects of the curriculum and for entry into the profession.”

The technical standards for admission establish the expectations and abilities considered essential for students admitted to the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University Pathologists’ Assistant program in order to achieve the level of competency required for graduation and competency in the practice for a Pathologists’ Assistant.

Applicants to the program must possess independent ability, aptitude and skills in the following areas - observation, communication, critical reasoning, motor and sensory functions and behavioral and social attributes - as outlined below. It is expected that students also have sufficient computer skills and are comfortable with electronic communication and media to successfully and professionally function as a Pathologists’ Assistant student.

Observation Skills Technical Standard

Demonstrate sufficient attention and proficiency in observation skills (visual, auditory and tactile) in the lecture hall, laboratory and clinical rotations and setting.

Indicators include but are not limited to the following examples:

• Accurate observation and participation in the lecture hall and the laboratory and during clinical rotations at affiliated hospitals and other clinical settings.
• Accurate identification of appropriate pathology in frozen and fixed surgical specimens and gross findings in autopsy cases.
• Accurate visualization and discrimination of text, numbers, patterns, graphic illustrations and findings in academic and clinical settings.

Communication Skills Technical Standard 

Demonstrate effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills with other students, faculty, pathologists, surgeons and other healthcare providers from different social backgrounds, cultural backgrounds and varying personalities.

Indicators include but are not limited to the following examples:

• Clear, efficient and intelligible articulation of English language.
• Legible, efficient and intelligible written English language.
• Ability to prepare and communicate concise oral and written summaries of gross surgical specimens and case presentations of autopsy findings.
• Ability to provide appropriate dictations of gross specimens.
• Record examination and provide clear, accurate and precise descriptions of autopsy cases.

Critical Reasoning Skills Technical Standard 

Demonstrate critical reasoning skills required to undertake the full curriculum, achieve the level of competency required by the faculty and meet the demands of a fully competent Pathologists’ Assistant. These skills include, but are not limited to, intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities.

Indicators include, but are not limited to, these examples:

• Accurate and efficient reading skills (English language).
• Demonstrate ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, integrate and synthesize information.
• Comprehend the spatial relationships of structures (e.g. three-dimensional relationships)
• Demonstrate ability to acquire, retain, assimilate and apply large amounts of complex, technical and detailed general medical, specific pathological and non-medical information.
• Demonstrate ability to synthesize and apply concepts and information from various disciplines in order to deliver appropriate technical support.
• Demonstrate appropriate judgment in pathological cases, including planning, time management, extraction of critical information from review of medical charts and medical history and use of resources to obtain relevant information.

Motor and Sensory Function Technical Standard 

Demonstrate sufficient motor and sensory function to perform typical functions of a Pathologists’ Assistant, including, but not limited to, physical examinations of autopsies, assessment of surgical pathology specimens, tissue preparation and fixation techniques and general functions that pertain to a career as a Pathologists’ Assistant.

Indicators include but are not limited to the following examples:

• Functional and sufficient sensory capacity (visual, auditory and tactile) to adequately perform a complete physical examination in autopsy cases and elicit information gained from proper use of examination tools and maneuvers.
• Execute fine and gross motor movements with sufficient coordination, postural control, equilibrium and hand-eye coordination to safely participate in laboratory sessions, use standard medical/surgical instruments, assess cadavers, provide appropriate summary and findings and participate in basic and advanced assistance of pathological diagnostic maneuvers and procedures.
• Execute motor movements that demonstrate safety and efficiency in the various learning settings (i.e., classroom, laboratories and clinical rotations, including appropriate negotiation of self in various clinical support environments).
• Physical stamina sufficient to complete the rigorous course of didactic and clinical study, which may include prolonged periods of sitting, standing and/or rapid ambulation.
• Coordination of motor skills necessary to respond to “on-call” emergency situations quickly and appropriately.

Behavioral and Social Attributes Technical Standard

Demonstrate the behavioral and social attributes vital to participation in a professional program and service as a practicing professional Pathologists‘ Assistant.

Indicators include but are not limited to the following examples:

• Possess personal qualities that facilitate effective peer interactions (e.g., compassion, empathy, integrity, honesty, benevolence, confidentiality).
• Possess the emotional health required for full utilization of mental faculties (including judgment, orientation, affect and cognition).
• Ability to establish rapport and develop mature and effective professional relationships with faculty, professional peers, the public and other members of the medical profession team.
• Demonstrate impartial motives, attitudes and values in roles, functions and relationships. Communicate and interact with, in a non-judgmental way, persons who differ from oneself and one’s beliefs in a variety of ways, including but not limited to gender, age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, culture, creed, military status, sexual orientation and identity and religious or spiritual beliefs.
• Ability to monitor and react appropriately to one’s own emotional needs and responses.
• Display appropriate flexibility, adaptability, composure and emotional stability during periods of high stress or uncertainty associated with didactic and clinical encounters and environments.
• Ability to accurately follow oral and written directions with prompt completion of all responsibilities in the classroom and clinical setting.
• Compliance with standards, policies and practices set forth in the program handbook.

These standards will serve as prerequisites for entrance, continuation, promotion and graduation from the Pathologists’ Assistant program. Pathologists’ Assistant students and applicants must be prepared to meet the technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, in order to complete the program and indicate possession of such ability prior to their matriculation into the program and during registration for each semester.

Note that the use of an intermediary (a person trained to perform essential skills on behalf of the student) is not permitted.

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University must maintain the integrity of the curriculum and preserve those elements deemed essential to the education of a pathologists’ assistant and cannot compromise the health and safety of other students or health officials.

Inquiry by the program faculty and staff regarding disability is strictly prohibited. The Pathologists’ Assistant program, in accordance with Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University policy and as delineated by federal and Virginia law, does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs or employment against any individual on the basis of that individual’s disability and will make good faith efforts at providing reasonable accommodation as required. However the program reserves the right not to admit or register students who cannot meet the technical standards or who would constitute a direct threat to the health and safety or others.

Applicants or students who may have questions regarding these technical standards or who believe they may need to request reasonable accommodation in order to meet the standards are encouraged to contact theMacon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University Disability Officer by email at studentdisability@odu.edu or by phone at 757.446.7261.

Revealing a disability is voluntary; however, such disclosure is necessary before any accommodations may be made in the learning environment or in the program’s procedures. Information regarding disabilities is handled in a confidential manner

Curriculum Requirements

Students rotate through various facilities where they observe and practice the various aspects of anatomical pathology under the supervision of pathologists and pathology assistants. Rotations account for a minimum of 20 credit hours. Review the Supervised Clinical Practice Guidebook for more information.

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Course Sequence - 1st Year
Term 1 - Fall		14
PATH 501	Medical Ethics
PATH 513	Histology Health Professions
PATH 514	Medical Terminology
PATH 610	Introduction to Anatomical Laboratories
PATH 611	Essential Physiology & Anatomy
PATH 612	Histotechnology I
Term 2- Spring		16
PATH 515	Embryology
PATH 516	General Mechanisms of Disease
PATH 620	Anatomical Foundations
PATH 621	Neuroanatomy
PATH 622	Pathophysiology
Term 3 - Summer		13
PATH 630	Educational Methodologies
PATH 631	Microbiology
PATH 632	Medical Photography
PATH 633	Autopsy & Surgical Path Techniques
PATH 634	Organ System Pathology
Course Sequence - 2nd Year
Term 4 - Fall		13
PATH 640	Clinical Rotations I
PATH 641	Pathology Informatics
PATH 642	Pediatric Pathology
PATH 643	Inter-Professional Education
Term 5 - Spring		14
PATH 650	Clinical Rotations II
PATH 651	Lab Management
PATH 652	Gross Anatomy Teaching Assistant
PATH 653	Neuropathology
Term 6 - Summer		8
PATH 660	Clinical Rotations III
PATH 661	ASCP Certification Exam Prep
PATH 690	Graduate Seminar
ASCP Certification Exam
Total Credit Hours		78