Pathologists’ Assistant program achieves accreditation!
The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) has approved a five-year accreditation for the MHSc in Laboratory Medicine: Pathologists’ Assistant (PA) field in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology.
Created in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and accepting its first students in September 2020, the program has revolutionized the training of PAs in Canada. The key purpose of this professional graduate program is to provide academic graduate-level education to prepare well-trained students for practice in the Pathologists’ Assistant (PA) or Clinical Embryology (CE) disciplines in clinical laboratory medicine.
Accreditation from the NAACLS assures that the standards and processes of the program are “consistent with quality improvement, and accountability expectations that Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has established” and that the program follows a Code of Good Practice.
The full accreditation status will allow our students and graduates to sit for The Canadian Certification Council of Pathologists' Assistants (CCCPA) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP(PA)) qualification examinations in order to practice anywhere in North America and beyond.
PA Field Director, Dr. Fang-I Lu commented, “It is a testament to the quality of our curriculum and dedication of our faculty members and students that the program has been granted five-year full accreditation status by NAACLS, the longest accreditation period given to a new PA program”.
Program Director, Dr. Avrum Gotlieb added, “The NAACLS accreditation acknowledges the excellent educational accomplishments of our faculty in planning and delivering a scholarly professional graduate program that prepares our students for a fulfilling career as innovative leaders in the Pathologists’ Assistant Field.”
“This has been an amazing accomplishment on such a short timeline and not to mention during COVID. The fact we have so many applications for this program is a further testament to its quality. The hard work and dedication of so many is what makes this program thrive. From the faculty creating and managing the program, the vast group of experts who teach and share their experiences with the students, to the students themselves who have been so engaged with the development of the program and tirelessly given us constant feedback. I am very proud of everyone involved and am looking forward to honouring our first graduating classes at our upcoming Annual Celebration of Excellence,” said Department Chair, Dr. Rita Kandel.
This initiative showcases the following pillars of the LMP strategic plan: Dynamic Collaboration (pillar 2) and Agile Education (pillar 5).
Read more about the team involved in the program in:
Pathologists' Assistant Bootcamp: a collaborative effort across Toronto hospitals
Pathologists’ Assistant student becomes first published author in the program
