PATHOLOGISTS' ASSISTANT
County of Los AngelesAbout the role
Posting number: P5036B-R
Department: MEDICAL EXAMINER
Job classification: PATHOLOGISTS' ASSISTANT
Posting type: Open
Categories: Laboratory, Medical Examiner
Summary
The application filing period will begin on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT).
We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.
ABOUT THE MEDICAL EXAMINER:
The Department of Medical Examiner investigates and determines the circumstances, manner, and cause of all violent, sudden, or unusual deaths occurring within Los Angeles County.
In 2024, approximately 18,000 deaths were reported to the Department, and we investigated 11,452 of those cases. Each year, we conduct thousands of postmortem examinations, including full autopsies, partial autopsies, and external examinations. This level of activity, along with the complexity and sensitivity of the cases handled—including numerous high-profile investigations—makes the Department one of the largest and most technologically sophisticated medical examiner’s offices in the world. Our work is supported by advanced tools such as postmortem X-ray and CT imaging, which enhance our ability to determine cause and manner of death with accuracy and precision.
The County of Los Angeles offers an excellent benefits package that includes a Cafeteria Benefit Plan, Contributory Defined Benefit Retirement Plan, Deferred Compensation & Thrift Plans, and 13 paid Holidays. Click here to see a list of employee benefits.
WHAT YOU WILL DO!
As a Pathologists' Assistant, you will work under the supervision of a licensed pathologist to prepare and perform gross examinations and dissections of anatomic pathology specimens, as well as assist with human postmortem examinations.
Examples of duties
Prepares surgical specimen for pathology gross examination through a comprehensive macroscopic examination and evaluation of all surgical pathological specimens, including measuring, weighing, inking margins, dissecting, and sectioning tissues.
Obtains relevant clinical information, identifies necessary techniques or procedures, describes gross anatomic features of specimens, dissects surgical specimens, and prepares tissue for histological examination.
Obtains related clinical history (i.e., scans, x-rays, and laboratory data) to direct the processing of specimens. Obtains biological specimens for studies, such as flow cytometry, image analysis, immunohistochemistry, etc.
Assists the Pathologist with rendering the provisional gross anatomic diagnosis, through observations made in dissection.
Performs frozen sectioning and staining for intraoperative consultation.
Performs biomedical photography of specimens.
Performs postmortem examinations including external examinations, in situ organ inspections, evisceration, dissection and recording of applicable data.
Moves bodies from crypt to autopsy table and manipulates other large surgical specimens.
Updates and maintains laboratory databases and orders supplies for the grossing and frozen section rooms.
Fulfills administrative duties in the grossing room, including coordination of specimen type to grossing station, accessioning specimens, managing holding times for stored specimens after processing, and managing inventory.
Assists in troubleshooting workflow issues and recommends changes using process improvement techniques.
Acts as a preceptor and ass
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