A letter of intent is one of the most important components of a Pathologists’ Assistant (PA) application. Academic performance shows that you can succeed in a rigorous program, but the letter of intent helps an admissions committee understand who you are, how you think, and whether you truly understand the profession you’re applying to.
There is no single “ideal” background for PA programs. Applicants come from science degrees, healthcare, research, trades, and many other paths. What separates strong applications from weaker ones is how clearly and convincingly an applicant can articulate their motivations, readiness, and understanding of the role.
Below is a practical framework you can use to structure your letter of intent.
1. Begin With Context: Who You Are and Why You’re Applying Now
Your opening paragraph should orient the reader. Keep it clear and grounded.
You should briefly answer:
- Your academic or professional background
- Where you are currently
- Why you are applying to a PA program at this stage
This does not need to be dramatic. Admissions committees read many letters and value clarity over flair.
Avoid generic openings like:
- “I have always wanted to help people”
- “I am passionate about healthcare”
Instead, aim for specificity. The goal is to establish credibility and direction early.
2. Show That You Truly Understand What a Pathologists’ Assistant Is
One of the most common reasons applications fail is not poor grades, but a poor understanding of the profession.
You should be able to explain what a Pathologists’ Assistant does in your own words, without relying on program websites or job descriptions.
Key concepts to demonstrate:
- Where the PA fits in the chain between surgery and final diagnosis
- The PA’s role in gross examination of specimens
- Collaboration with pathologists and surgeons
- The distinction between gross examination and microscopic diagnosis
- The fact that PAs are not patient-facing, but directly impact patient care
Admissions committees want evidence that you’ve invested time into learning what the job involves. This helps them identify applicants who are genuinely interested in the work, and not just getting a Master’s degree or the idea of pathology as a stepping stone to another career.
If you cannot clearly explain what a PA does and why that work matters, your application is unlikely to progress.
Autopsy is a small component of PA training and practice.
While many applicants discover the PA role through forensic pathology, most PA work occurs in surgical pathology. Applicants interested only in autopsy are often better suited to technical roles at a medical examiner or coroner office. These places are likely to offer on-the-job training for this role without the time and financial commitment of a PA master’s program.
A letter of intent that focuses solely on autopsy is likely to be discarded as this clearly indicates that applicant doesn’t fully understand the scope of a PA’s job and what the training program will focus on.
3. Explain Why This Role Fits You (Not Just Why You Like Healthcare)
Many applicants enjoy science or healthcare broadly. Your letter of intent should explain why the PA role specifically makes sense for you.
Strong letters connect personal traits and interests to the realities of the profession, such as:
- Enjoyment of hands-on, technical work
- Interest in understanding how disease works
- Comfort working behind the scenes
- Preference for team-based, professional environments
- Alignment with the structure and lifestyle of the role
- Ability to mentor and support students or residents
Avoid framing PA as:
- A fallback option
- A stepping stone
- A vague alternative to another career
Admissions committees are looking for applicants who understand the profession and are choosing it intentionally.
4. Demonstrate Professional Maturity, Reliability, and Coachability
PA programs are professional training programs, not just academic ones.
Especially in programs where a significant portion of training occurs in working laboratories, admissions committees are assessing whether applicants can:
- Show up consistently and on time
- Function well in a team
- Accept feedback and coaching
- Communicate professionally
- Conduct themselves appropriately in clinical environments
Rather than describing yourself as “mature” or “hard-working,” show these qualities through experience.
Examples might include:
- Shift-based or demanding work schedules
- High-responsibility roles
- Leadership or supervisory positions
- Work in clinical, research, or operational environments
- Experiences requiring accountability and professionalism
Everyone claims to be [insert desirable quality here]. Successful applicants demonstrate it effectively.
5. Use Experiences to Show Readiness for an Intensive Program
Admissions committees are always asking a silent question:
“Can this person handle a full-time, intensive, graduate-level PA program?”
Your letter should help answer that question through concrete examples.
When describing past experiences, explicitly connect them to:
- Time management
- Learning under pressure
- Endurance and consistency
- Professional communication
- Adaptability
If you have previously succeeded in demanding environments, your letter should make it clear that you understand the rigor of PA training and have evidence that you can handle it.
6. Shadowing Is an Asset – But Not the Only Way to Learn the Role
Some applicants worry that a lack of formal shadowing experience will weaken their application.
While shadowing can be helpful, it is not always required. What matters more is whether you can demonstrate that you have actively sought to understand the profession.
This can include:
- Laboratory or research experience
- Prior clinical roles
- Attending virtual pathology rounds
- Speaking with PAs or pathologists
- Independent research into workflow and responsibilities
- Shameless plug – read articles on this site or visited my youtube channel
If you lack traditional shadowing, explain what you have done to understand the role and how that learning shaped your decision to apply.
Admissions committees are less concerned with how you learned about the profession and more concerned with whether you did.
7. Show Initiative and Personal Agency
Strong applications often reveal a sense of personal agency: the ability to recognize a problem and take steps to address it.
This might look like:
- Taking initiative in a work or volunteer role
- Improving a process
- Teaching or mentoring others
- Creating a solution rather than just identifying an issue
This quality signals maturity, leadership potential, and engagement – all traits that translate well to PA training and professional practice.
8. Be Honest, Specific, and Interview-Ready
Anything you include in your letter of intent may come up during an interview.
Choose experiences that are:
- True
- Specific
- Comfortable for you to discuss in detail
Unique experiences can help you stand out, but only if you can confidently explain what you learned from them and how they apply to PA training.
A sincere, well-reasoned letter that is unique to you will always outperform a polished but generic one.
Final Thoughts
There is no template that guarantees admission to a PA program.
What admissions committees consistently value is an applicant who:
- Understands what a Pathologists’ Assistant does
- Can clearly explain why they want to become one
- Demonstrates maturity, professionalism, and readiness
- Uses real experiences to support their claims
- Communicates clearly and thoughtfully
Your background does not need to look like anyone else’s. In fact, what often makes an application stand out is how well an applicant can connect their unique experiences to the realities of the profession.
If you can do that honestly and clearly, your letter of intent is already doing its job.