Canadian PA Organizations

There are two main PA organizations in Canada:

The PA Section of the Canadian Association of Pathologists (PA Section of CAP-ACP) is the national membership association for Canadian PAs, with a strong focus in continuing education and professional advocacy.

The Canadian Certification Council of Pathologists Assistants – Conseil Canadien de la Certification des Assistants en Pathologie (CCCPA-CCCAP) is the national certification organization for Pathologists’ Assistants.

Please find the official organization definitions below:

I. Pathologists’ Assistant Section of the Canadian Association of Pathologists-Association Canadienne des Pathologistes (PA Section of the CAP-ACP)

The premier national Pathologists’ Assistant professional association in Canada, and a subsection of the Canadian Association of Pathologists. The PA Section is committed to advocating for its membership on a national and international level, and is responsible for creating opportunities for continuing education, disseminating information to its members, related national bodies, and the general public. The PA Section is dedicated to fostering an ever growing community of PAs in Canada.

II. Canadian Certification Council of Pathologists’ Assistants – Conseil Canadien de la Certification des Assistants en Pathologie (CCCPA-CCCAP)

The certifying body for Pathologists’ Assistants (PAs) in Canada.

Currently, PAs are not a government regulated position in Canada, however, the position of PA is defined as a person employed to perform gross dissection and description of small/simple and large surgical specimens including complex cases (L4E level 6, or MIS Complexity 5, or equivalent) and/or can perform complete autopsies (forensic and/or clinical [perinatal and/or pediatric and/or adult]). While PAs are not yet regulated, certification has been established by and through the CCCPA-CCCAP. A certification body establishes criteria for competency, in which certified members demonstrate their competency by passing a board issued certification exam. Competency is maintained through the continuing education program of the CCCPA-CCCAP, which requires certified PAs to obtain and provide proof of 60 continuing education credits within a 3-year recertification cycle.

Those eligible for CCCPA-CCCAP PA certification post January 2025 is limited to those who have graduated from a NAACLS-accredited Master’s PA Program within the past 5-years. The CCCPA-CCCAP conforms to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17024 General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certifications of Persons.