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Pathologists’ assistants combine profound knowledge of human anatomy and disease systems with clinical procedural skills to help a pathologist diagnose diseases, assist in autopsies and ensure successful treatment for all patients.
As a pathologists’ assistant, you’ll uncover the many factors preventing the healthy function of organs and body systems. Our NAACLS-accredited program — one of only 11 of its kind in the U.S. and Canada — teaches you to examine, process and prepare tissue specimens for a variety of clinical tests and procedures. The skills you acquire place you in high demand in hospitals, clinical laboratories, research and medical teaching facilities.
Our program emphasizes a strong foundation in the theory and application of anatomical, surgical and autopsy pathology. You’ll become proficient in such procedures as light microscopy, biomedical imaging, frozen sections and tumor triage. This combination of knowledge and technical skill enables you to competently identify diseases, assist in postmortem examinations and compile accurate clinical histories.
State-of-the-art facilities, such as our clinical skills lab, blend the classroom and laboratory dynamic for a collaborative and hands-on learning experience. Your 12-month rotations place you in both community and university hospitals, giving you the opportunity to apply your skills in settings for both surgical and autopsy pathology and further define your career goals.
Per ASCP, the classes of 2017, 2018 and 2019 had a 100% first-time pass rate.
100% of our 2020 graduates have secured a full time position. (2019-2020 Path. Asst. Graduate Survey)
The Pathologists’ Assistant program hosted its inaugural white coat ceremony in April of 2019 to celebrate the completion of the academic portion of its first-year students’ graduate education. The students of the Class of 2019 have dispersed throughout the country to begin their clinicals.
The program was one of Quinnipiac’s first master’s programs, graduating about 600 students since 1973. Program alumni are working in almost every state — 49 in all. It’s also one of just 9 such programs in the United States, with 2 additional programs in Canada.
“We have gained national recognition. We want our students to understand that we value them and all that they have accomplished and continue to accomplish.” –Robert Cottrell, Director of the Pathologists’ Assistant program
Kristine McCluskey, MHS ’02
Whether it’s in the classroom, lab or hospital, pathologists’ assistant and professor Kristine McCluskey, MHS ’02, is a recognized leader in teaching.
A professor of pathology and immunology at Baylor College of Medicine, McCluskey founded the professional organization Pathassist of Texas and created the 2017 All-City Anatomic Pathology Symposium in Houston. She also helped the American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants develop stronger professional development programs.
In 2016, she received Baylor’s Fulbright & Jaworski LLP Faculty Excellence Award for her work in teaching and evaluation.
“My passion is to strengthen both pathology residency and pathologists’ assistant programs,” McCluskey said. “We need to focus on training people to be the best they can be.”
As a clinical preceptor, McCluskey has trained and evaluated students from many colleges and universities, including Quinnipiac, where she once taught as a clinical adjunct professor. She said Quinnipiac students are among the most capable and confident in the country.
“With their self-direction and pathology knowledge, Quinnipiac students are more comprehensively prepared to begin their second year of clinical training,” McCluskey said.
McCluskey still remembers her time as a Quinnipiac pathologists’ assistant student and how her classmates and preceptors, many of whom were Quinnipiac alumni, motivated her to take control of her learning during both her didactic and clinical training.
”I can’t say enough about Quinnipiac’s program,” McCluskey said. ”Residency programs should learn from it how to condense the expanding knowledge in this field and teach students to apply it in clinical settings.”
Through their graduate studies, pathologists’ assistant students are able to:
Quinnipiac University is a charter member of the Association of Pathologists’ Assistant Training Programs, and its program meets criteria established by the American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants (AAPA). This program is fully accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018 | naacls.org | 773-714-8880
| Year | Job Placement Rate | Graduation Rate | ASCP Certification Pass Rate |
| 2020 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 2019 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 2018 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 2017 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Year | Rate |
| 2020 | 0% |
| 2019 | 8% |
| 2018 | 4% |
| 2017 | 4% |
Our graduate admissions representatives are here to answer any questions you may have and help you navigate the application process.