Loma Linda University Health
Loma Linda University School of Medicine Awarded National Accreditation for Pathologists’ Assistant Program Only program west of Chicago to offer a nationally accredited degree in pathologists’ assistant
L
oma Linda University School of Medicine’s pathologists’ assistant program earned national accreditation by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences for five years, the longest an initial applicant can be awarded. The two-year master’s degree in health sciences is among 11 accredited pathologists’ assistant programs in the country and the only program west of Chicago to offer master’s-level education in surgical and autopsy pathology. “To be awarded a full five years as
48
PA C I F I C U N I O N R E CO R D E R
an initial applicant for accreditation is quite an honor and speaks to the high-quality education our students will receive,” said Cheryl Germain, MHS, PA (ASCP), program director for the pathologists’ assistant program at the School of Medicine. Surgical pathology performs the dissection and description of the specimens generated from the clinics or operating rooms, from a biopsy to a complex cancer resection. Pathologists’ assistants are required to have comprehensive knowledge of anatomy, pathology, and surgical techniques, in addition to a patient’s
clinical history. Students in the program study in various clinical sites —including academic, community hospitals, and private labs—which offer exposure to different work environments. “The accreditation assures our students meet the highest standards required to work in the growing field of pathologists’ assistants and take the national certification exam with the American Society for Clinical Pathology,” Germain said. “We had a 100 percent pass rate for our inaugural class, and it’s our intent to maintain that level of success for years to come.”
