About Forensic Pathology Assistant Certification

Forensic pathology assistants play an important role in the collection of physical evidence when a crime occurs. They may take fingernail scraping from a murder victim and perform other duties as directed by a pathologist, medical examiner or a coroner. 

Education

Anyone interested in the field of forensic pathology should start planning for the field during high school and college, and choose courses in science and in math; the basic requirement for this field. You can enter this field with an associate degree. However, most pathology assistant starts at the bachelor’s degree level or higher. Additionally, some employers prefer to employ students at the bachelors or graduate level. Of course, this depends entirely on your employer and their expectation.

Certification

Anyone who enters the field of forensic pathology has to pass the certification exam offered by the American Society for Clinical Pathologist (ASCP) to show that they are proficient in the field. In order to obtain certification, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree. Every certified candidate has to renew their license every three years and obtain 45 continuing medical education credits during the three-year period. In addition to the ASCP training, all pathologist assistants must pass the Clinical Laboratory Scientist certification test.

Duties

A forensic pathology assistant has a variety of duties. They may assist in postmortem examination, or they may gather and prepare specimen for testing. They also maybe called upon in court as an expert witness in crime case. Some employers also require their assistant to perform clerical duties such as ordering equipment, correspondence and other clerical duties.

Potential Earnings

Certified pathology assistant can expect salaries ranging from $65,000 to 90,000 annually, depending on their geographic location and education.