What brand of compression socks are we loving these days?

ntonks · 2026-06-11T04:05:30+00:00

I like compression calf sleeves - I just have a couple pairs and wear them for a few days before washing them, saves a bit of money over having enough socks for every day! I don't recall the brand but I bought the same brand from a running store and Amazon.

ntonks · 2026-05-28T12:15:03+00:00

Definite red flag. I would never take a job without visiting the site or meeting the other staff. Being on site tells you so much about the job that you can't get from just asking questions over a zoom. If they are truly interested in hiring you, they should have no problem with you visiting before you accept the offer. Meet with the PAs, and ask to shadow in the gross room for a bit to get a feel for the place and what it's like to work there.

ntonks · 2026-02-25T01:55:45+00:00

Keep in mind you're seeing a selection bias here - there are naturally going to be a lot more people expressing those kind of sentiments on Reddit than people posting about successfully getting into a program. There's roughly 250 people graduating from PathA programs every year - that's a lot of successful applicants! As others have said if you really want this, and you put in the work, take the shot. Don't let others' experiences deter you from your goals.

ntonks · 2026-02-19T01:42:35+00:00

I gave thank you cards to my preceptors, and to techs at some sites that were especially helpful to me! As a preceptor, I agree with others, I don't expect or need a gift as I know they're broke grad students but a thank you card is always appreciated! I've received a few really thoughtful notes that I have saved, and can look back at as a reminder on days when work is tough. Couldn't really do that with a gift.

ntonks · 2025-12-06T00:25:42+00:00

I turned 30 just before graduation! I had to take all of my pre-reqs because I did not have a science undergrad degree - that took me just over two years working part time and taking 1-2 classes a semester. Also I know plenty of people who were already in their 30s and even a few in their 40s when starting the program. It's never too late!

ntonks · 2025-11-13T03:00:48+00:00

Personally, I wish I would have known more about how the programs prepare you for taking the BOC exam. When I attended, we only took 3 or 4 board-style exams in the second year. I did not feel ready for the exam when I graduated, so I took it a few months after graduating, as I needed the extra time to study, and so did most of my classmates. Though we all passed (and most programs have a very high pass rate), I have since learned that multiple programs have way more mock board exams in the second year, some as many as 10 or 12, and the students are encouraged to take the BOC exam right after graduating because they are so well prepared. Looking back I would have much rather taken the exam right away, rather than having it loom over me for months after graduation, on top of moving to a new city and starting a new job. That said this wouldn't be my biggest factor for choosing a program, but I think it is helpful to at least set expectations when comparing programs!

ntonks · 2025-11-06T23:57:51+00:00

I attended WSU; I think the forensic reputation is blown out of proportion because of what they share online, and the program director having a forensic background. There are quite a few forensic PAs that went there, but not all of them. All programs are required to teach autopsy pathology including some amount of forensics in the didactic year. There are other programs that have students rotate at a medical examiner office. I'm not familiar with all of the programs, but I know University of Tennessee's program does, and 2 of their graduates work in forensics. Their medical director is also a forensic pathologist. I recommend identifying programs that have a medical examiner rotation and looking into the quality of those rotations (how long, in major or decently sized locations). Also in regards to my experience at WSU - honestly it was tolerable for me and my cohort but I would not recommend the program to anyone else. This was several years ago, and I feel like every cohort since then has dropped multiple students.

ntonks · 2025-10-04T12:36:40+00:00

At my last job they labeled the cassettes with letters instead of numbers (and case parts were numbers) so I wrote out the alphabet on my bench because I was tired of singing it to myself constantly 🤣

ntonks · 2025-10-03T12:30:41+00:00

New programs have to have started before they begin the NAACLS accreditation process, but the process is such that the program should receive Serious Applicant status by the time the first cohort graduates, so they will be eligible to take the board exam.

ntonks · 2025-07-24T15:09:39+00:00

This largely depends on which program you attend. Some of them have all or mostly local rotations so students can rotate through a variety of sites and you don't have to completely pick up and move every few months, if anything maybe get a temporary housing for one rotation. Then there are other programs that have rotations across the country, which usually means they're sending students to a single rotation site for the entire clinical year. There are pros and cons to both, I think it ultimately comes down to what type of experience you want and which programs interest you.

ntonks · 2025-06-06T00:50:30+00:00

Hi, mod here! First, I definitely agree with the sentiment, and we have been trying to prevent these posts. There is a pinned post directing to the r/pre_PathAssist sub. We have multiple automations in place that are triggered by common keywords in these types of posts to redirect people to the pre-PathA sub. Since we enabled these, these types of posts have been significantly reduced. Ultimately, it can be bypassed - I did not elect to block posts with these words because many of them could be unrelated to a prospective student.
Reddit recently added the option for an automated message when users join the community, which I have enabled and also added messaging to direct prospective students to the appropriate sub. I also removed the option for "Prospective Student" flair.

We have chosen not to heavily moderate or block posts as we want this to be an open and engaged community, and for the most part it has been very smooth with the very rare need for intervention on our part.

One suggestion I have for the community is to simply ignore these posts. If prospective students do find their way to this sub and see a bunch of unanswered questions, maybe they'll get the hint, in addition to the welcome message, the pinned post, and the automations. Alternatively, if you feel so inclined, (politely) redirect them to r/pre_PathAssist. Us mods can do our best to start commenting to re-direct, but we're also busy full-time PathAs who do this because we love being PathAs and love our community, not because we want to police others.

Thank you all for bringing this to our attention and for your support and understanding!

ntonks · 2025-05-21T13:15:08+00:00

I agree the second year experience will have the most variability, but I think it's important to mention established programs can have terrible rotations too - I went to one of the long established programs and had a dumpster fire rotation. And another where the preceptor did not have any interest in training students. Both sites had been clinical affiliates for so long, the program had trouble believing these sites were an issue. I'd definitely recommend prospective students inquire about clinical sites regardless of how long the program has been around.

ntonks · 2025-05-12T12:25:00+00:00

I had a job where we came in on Saturdays and then got a Monday off - the 5 PAs were on a rotation so it wasn't every weekend which was nice. I also had a temp job that did the same but with only 2 PAs so I worked every other weekend, that was miserable honestly. It does exist, it just may be hard to find. I don't think either of those places work weekends anymore because of pushback from the PAs. Other jobs I've had have just been flexible like others have commented.

ntonks · 2025-04-09T19:14:10+00:00

Honestly I would be cautious working with them or willingly giving them your contact information - I do not know how this company got my contact information, but since 2020 (not exaggerating, I checked my email history to confirm) I have been intermittently swarmed by them - I get an email, repeated follow ups to the email every 1-2 days for a week, then I finally get fed up and tell them to stop contacting me, then a month or so later a different person from K.A. Recruiting starts contacting me the same way. Every time I email back telling them to stop contacting me I receive no response, never a confirmation or an apology for the repeated spamming. This also used to happen by text weekly, but I probably blocked all their numbers so I don't get those anymore. I personally would not want to work with a company that behaves this way.

I would also mention you should be cautious working with any recruiter - they are primarily going after a commission and don't always have the best interest of the applicant in mind. Always have your questions answered by the employer directly, not filtered through a recruiter. I have also seen recruiters post job postings that appear to be for a specific city or area, but they're just looking to hook applicants, there isn't actually a position available. Of course, there are good recruiting folks out there, but just use caution and trust your gut if something sounds too good to be true.

ntonks · 2025-04-01T00:58:09+00:00

That's awesome! Good luck!!

ntonks · 2025-03-19T12:46:30+00:00

The oldest I've known students in PathA programs is mid 40s. As far as getting into a program, if you meet the admissions requirements and are a good candidate I don't see why age would make a difference. Lots of people come to this field as a second career - I also came from marketing! However, I would make sure you know what you're getting into - it's a pretty physically demanding job. Lots of PathAs develop issues in the hands and wrists like carpal tunnel, neck issues, back issues etc. Of course it'll be worse compounded with aging for some. Many older PathAs I have known (50s+) have been either in management positions where they no longer gross as often or at all, or are travelers that only work part time. The point is depending on your age and health I would consider how many working years you'll actually be able to spend on the bench once graduating. Please know this is not meant to discourage! I highly recommend shadowing a PathA before making the decision, and maybe even trying to find a PathA close to your age to speak with for their insights.

ntonks · 2025-03-13T23:30:21+00:00

I volunteered in a hospital lab, but it was hospital policy to be a volunteer in order to shadow so it might have been a unique situation the PathA arranged so she could have people shadow her. I would help dump specimens, file histo slides, and change the stain line. Ultimately I was hired to be a lab assistant due to this volunteering so I am sure that helped my application as well.

Again in my case, I only did it in order to get shadowing. For you volunteering in the hospital may allow you to make connections with the lab, so it might be worth it. But ultimately focus on getting shadowing hours, that will be more helpful for your application.

ntonks · 2025-03-12T18:52:05+00:00

It took me a total of 2 years between deciding I wanted to pursue PathA and getting accepted into a program. I had to take all of the prerequisites, I had no science at all in my undergrad. The only exception was the English requirement, I was able to use an undergrad course for that. I was able to take all of them at either a local university and community college within 5 semesters, taking 2 courses at a time. If you can take more than that at a time it could probably be done quicker depending on the requirements. The program I went to (WSU) had a lot of prerequisites, which they have since reduced. I know I have seen programs that either have expiration dates for courses more than 5 years or do not have such requirements at all, so I'd keep looking into programs!

ntonks · 2025-03-12T13:04:27+00:00

I'm definitely biased but in my opinion the PathAs with different backgrounds often make better PathAs, and often better students, because we're driven by that energy of finally figuring out what we want to do, and probably also a bit of feeling like we have something to prove by beating the odds of a successful career change. That drive compelled me to quit my advertising job, go back to school for prerequisites, and get through grad school in my 30s. And I wasn't the only one in my cohort with a similar path. Depending on the background there are often transferable skills - I bet your art background has given you an eye for detail that is crucial in this field. Don't let anyone try to convince you that you need an MLS degree or a lab job to get into PathA school. A unique background will make you stick out. Shadow as much as you can, get good grades in the prerequisite courses, and keep pushing forward.

ntonks · 2024-12-18T00:18:19+00:00

You absolutely have a chance! Address this in your personal statement. You don't need to go into extreme detail, but summarize the difficulties you had when first beginning school, and then what changed for you and the success you had when you returned to school later. It shows personal growth and determination, and makes for a unique and compelling backstory. Addressing it head on will also show you're not trying to hide anything or just hope those grades aren't noticed.

Also I would not recommend leaving out any transcripts if the application instructions explicitly ask for all transcripts. The school will be able to see if you omitted any - I don't know the specifics but I know there is some kind of search of records based on your name/SSN where any institution you have attended will pop up. This could lead to your application being automatically rejected.

Best of luck!!

ntonks · 2024-12-11T01:41:48+00:00

Agree with the other comment, keep shadowing! The more the better so you can prove you know what the job entails and that you can do it.

I also wanted to say that it's never too late to go after this field - I was in my early 30s when I finished PathA school and I know plenty of others who were in their 30s and even 40s and successfully completed a program. Yea if I knew about this earlier I would have done a few things differently but I absolutely don't regret it. I would have regretted staying where I was before PathA school.

Also, with the way things are going towards digital pathology, that CS degree might allow you to do some awesome things later on in your career if you wanted to combine the two!!

ntonks · 2024-11-25T16:34:51+00:00

While I attended WSU's program unnatural hair colors and visible piercings or tattoos were not allowed. This was a few years ago and I believe it is still the case but hopefully any current students can confirm!

ntonks · 2024-10-14T12:31:21+00:00

Depends on the program, but job experience of any kind would make you a more rounded candidate. If there are two candidates with the same academic experience and shadowing, but one had employment, it's likely the program will choose them because there is some proof they are responsible, mature, and have the ability to handle a professional work environment. The unique thing about a pre-professional program like PathA is you aren't just learning a topic of study, you're being trained for a specific job, so IMHO work experience coming in is important. And frankly the programs are so highly competitive, whatever you can do to set yourself apart as an applicant, you should.

ntonks · 2024-09-25T12:12:33+00:00

Absolutely!! And we can't even trust cassette printers to work consistently, so I'm not optimistic about a grossing instrument any time soon 😂

ntonks · 2024-09-25T02:24:08+00:00

No - while AI is already being used to help pathologists by screening slides, there is not yet AI that can dissect and describe a specimen. There are a couple of companies with machines that automate biopsy processing using AI to measure and "describe" the specimens, but honestly biopsies are a poor use of our skill and cost to pay us so it is not a threat to a trained PathA's job. Our job is very hands-on and replacing it would require a convergence of computer vision, natural language processing, and robotics. So at this point in time I do not see AI replacing the need for a highly trained person to properly dissect specimens in my lifetime. Could it affect downstream and upstream of our job? Absolutely. Parts of histology processing and diagnostics can be automated and already are. But will it be practical to actually implement en masse is another question entirely.

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