Pathologists’ Assistant students represent WVU at national conference, present case study
WVU School of Medicine students Amelia Adams and Tori Goch were selected to represent the Pathologists’ Assistant program as student delegates at the American Association for Pathologists’ Assistants (AAPA) national conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
To be chosen for the competitive conference, students were required to submit an abstract from a case in either surgical or autopsy pathology, which was reviewed by a committee.
Upon selection, students attend the conference, where they present a poster showcasing the case study they grossed during their surgical or autopsy pathology clinical rotation. Grossing is an industry term meaning to inspect specimens, describe and measure the samples, and complete any additional processing for diagnosis.
Students also participate in workshops alongside other student delegates from pathologists' assistant programs across the country.
“It meant a lot to me to be selected as one of WVU's representatives,” Goch, a second-year student from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said. “I was excited to share the unique cases we receive at our facility and to display my work to other people within the field.”
“At the conference, I had the opportunity to make meaningful connections and learn new information not just about grossing, but about the profession in general,” Adams said. “The student workshops were my favorite because I was able to talk through various topics with my peers as well as other pathologists’ assistants.”
During the second year of their program, WVU Pathologists’ Assistant students complete clinical rotations in surgical and autopsy pathology that prepare them for a career where they will work closely with pathologists and surgeons to examine organs and tissues for disease, perform autopsies, and prepare tissue samples for diagnosis.
Goch and Adams each selected a case that interested them the most for their case studies. Goch presented a poster titled “Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix: A Rare Neoplasm in a Young Female,” and Adams’ poster was titled “Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Rare Dermatologic Neuroendocrine Neoplasm.”
“I gained experience in following through with a case from grossing to diagnosis and learned how to demonstrate the complete case concisely,” Adams, a second-year student from Weirton, West Virginia, said. “My major takeaway from my experience is that is that I will always keep learning in this profession. No matter how long someone has been a practicing PA, there are always new and exciting things to learn based on continual research being done in our field.”
“Tori and Amelia confidently answered questions about their cases and demonstrated their knowledge of cancer staging and disease processes to practicing pathologists’ assistants from across the nation,” said Michell Costas, MHS, PA (ASCP), director of the Pathologists’ Assistant program. “They recognized the opportunity given to them to attend a national conference and represented the program and WVU extremely well.”
The WVU Pathologists’ Assistant program is one of only fifteen programs in the nation accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). WVU’s program also has a 100% board certification pass rate and a 100% job placement rate.
To learn more about the Pathologists’ Assistant program at WVU, visit medicine.wvu.edu/pathologists-assistant-program/.