Surgical Pathology Assistant: Specimen Processing & Training

Massachusetts General Hospital; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 61,992 - 84,033; Full time

Job summary

Massachusetts General Hospital is seeking a Pathologists' Assistant to cover days off and vacations. The role involves gross description and dissection of surgical specimens, selecting tissue sections for microscopic examination, and preparing comprehensive reports.

You will mentor pathology residents and PA students, assist in collecting tissue for research and teaching, and manage specimen storage with strict record-keeping and postmortem authorization compliance.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree required for Pathologists' Assistant.
• 1–2 years of related experience.
• Extensive knowledge of human anatomy, tumor staging guidelines and medical terminology.
• Must be able to lift approximately 20 pounds.

Responsibilities

• Dictates gross description and complete dissection of surgical specimens (i.e. type, size, weight, color and anatomical characteristics).
• Selects and submits tissue sections for microscopic examination.
• Instructs residents, PA students and medical students in gross description, dissection, and sampling of surgical pathology specimens as well as frozen section specimens.
• Assists in collecting and submitting tissue for controls, teaching, research and tissue/tumor banking.
• Evaluates tissue to sample for frozen section and prepares sections for telepathology review.
• Oversees specimen storage, maintains records and disposes specimens as necessary.
• Ensures proper and legal authorization for postmortem examination.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Medical terminology

Anatomy knowledge

Tissue sampling

Education

Master's Degree Pathologists' Assistant

Job description

Massachusetts General Hospital is seeking a Pathologists' Assistant to cover days off and vacations. The role involves gross description and dissection of surgical specimens, selecting tissue sections for microscopic examination, and preparing comprehensive reports.

You will mentor pathology residents and PA students, assist in collecting tissue for research and teaching, and manage specimen storage with strict record-keeping and postmortem authorization compliance.