1. Pathologists’ Assistants
John Vitale, MHS, PA(ASCP)CM Lisa Dionisi, MS, PA(ASCP)CM
Program Director Assistant Program Director
Assistant Professor and Acting Chair Instructor
Pathologists’ Assistant Department

2. Pathologists’ Assistant Professional History
1966 Dr. Eugene Stead, Duke University, pioneered the concept of physician extenders and established the first physician assistant program
1969 Dr. Thomas Kinney, Chair of Pathology at Duke University, starts the first pathologists’ assistant program

4. The Pathologists’ Assistant Department at RFU
Considered “The Best PA Program in the Country” - NAACLS
100% pass rate on ASCP – certification exam for the last 6 years
Above national average in every category of the exam
Receive over 120 applicants/yr for 33 spots
Highly sought after graduates with excellent reputations (Graduates Harvard, U of Chicago, UCLA, etc…)
Average ~ 2 job offers/graduate before graduation
Starting Salaries ~ $87,000 w/experienced PA’s earning over $100,000

9. Intra-Operative Consultations & Frozen Sections

13. Frozen Section Interpretation

14. Purpose of the Autopsy
“The primary purpose of the Autopsy is not to verify a diagnosis, nor is it to determine the cause of death. Rather the primary purpose is to afford the opportunity to observe disease as a biological process at all stages and under varying circumstances.”
Am. Hospital Assoc. Postmortem Procedures, 1970; p.6

15. Functions of the Autopsy
1. Determining the cause of Death
2. Monitoring accuracy of clinical diagnosis
3. Evaluation of Treatments
4. Education
5. Research
6. Tissue Transplantation
7. Pharmacological Extractions
8. Tissue Culture Work
9. Recovery of Prosthetic Material
10. Medical Statistics/Epidemiology/QA
11. Public Health
12. Medical Legal (Forensic)
13. Genetic Counseling
14. To Provide Reassurance to loved ones

16. Autopsy Pathology: Evisceration

17. Autopsy Pathology: Prosection “Block Dissection”

18. Clinical Pathologic Correlations
“Pathological anatomy is a science whose aim is the knowledge of the visible alterations produced on the organs of the human body by the state of disease. The opening up of corpses is the means of acquiring this knowledge; but in order for it to become of direct use…it must be joined to observation of the symptoms or alterations of functions that coincide with each kind of alteration in the organs.”
-Laennec
(Foucault, The Birth of the Clinic, p.135)

19. PA’s Serve as Teachers in the Laboratory and the Classroom