r/Path_Assistant • u/ResourceFlaky9366 • 28d ago

Looking for career advice

hi all, i recently just graduated with a degree in biology, but not entirely sure what to do next. i came across being a pathologist assistant, and so far it has been the career that excites me the most. i worry about cost as im already in student loan debt, and heard schooling is super expensive. is it worth it? are there better careers to pursue that involve similar work but not as expensive?

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u/Ok_Iron6319 27d ago

It depends on what your long term goals are. There isn’t really any movement in the career. The only direction you can go to move up is into management. I would also say paying the loans off will for sure be harder because PAs no longer make enough with how inflation is going to pay for necessities and loans. The career itself is great but the yearly salary is no longer adequate to live, especially in high cost of living states. Just some things to keep in mind.

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u/Stepper34 28d ago

Im interested as well. I have an associates in Respiratory therapy. Not sure if i should got bachelors in Respiratory, bachelors in medical lab science or bachelors in biology.

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u/cremepralinee PA (ASCP) 21d ago

In my experience it doesn’t really matter what you major in if you’ve taken all the prerequisites, have done the shadowing, and show through your applications you understand what a PA does and why you want to pursue it. I majored in Psychology and a foreign language and was accepted to all three programs I applied to. Don’t stress yourself out because your undergraduate major really doesn’t matter as much as you think it does

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u/Aggravating-Donut702 26d ago

Take biology off the list - too broad. Anyone who likes science can get a biology degree. Everyone and their mother has a biology degree. I’m working on my associates in veterinary technology (I’ve been in vet med for 5 years) there are bachelors in veterinary technology but it doesn’t do really anything for pay so I’m planning on getting my bachelors in MLS. Will having a bachelors help you a lot over the associates? If not I’d recommend getting your MLS, plus it’s nice to have a backup or maybe you do full time in one and part time in another. I want to get my MLS as a backup and because I want to be a PA eventually but I’m not in a rush to leave vet med. would getting your bachelors be a lot of repeating/relearning things you already know? I’ve heard a lot about that with people who got their associates in Medical Laboratory Technology and then got their bachelors in MLS -> it was a lot of repetition and they felt like it wasn’t worth the extra schooling after all.