From training to practice: a quality assurance evaluation of graduates’ experiences in a Canadian pathologists’ assistant program

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BACKGROUND: Pathologists' assistants (PathAs) are allied health professionals who support surgical and anatomic pathology services through gross examination and dissection, intraoperative consultation, autopsy practice, and education. As the PathA profession in Canada continues to standardize and expand, university training programs must prepare graduates for high-stakes clinical practice while meeting evolving academic and professional expectations. Western University's Master of Clinical Science-Pathologists' Assistant program was the first Canadian program to receive accreditation from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). The program has continued to evolve since 2007 as successive cohorts have entered training and practice. Despite increasing workforce demand, few published studies have examined how PathA program components align with graduate expectations and entry-to-practice experiences. METHODS: This study examined how Western University's program supports trainees in developing as PathAs through its core curriculum of didactic courses, practical training through clinical rotations, and scholarly components. This mixed-methods evaluation used quality assurance data from the annual graduate student exit surveys and an alumni survey conducted as part of an internal program review. RESULTS: Descriptive quantitative analysis of Likert-scale items indicated high overall satisfaction and strong self-reported preparedness for entry to practice. Qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended responses, interpreted through the frameworks of communities of practice and professional identity formation, identified tensions between academic content and workplace applicability, site-to-site variability in supervision, and delays in timely, actionable feedback. CONCLUSION: Retrospectively, this single-program review offers a practical, context-specific framework for aligning PathA curricula with workplace realities, with cautious relevance for other Canadian programs as the profession continues to expand.

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