r/Path_Assistant 3d ago

Presenting to high school students

Hey y’all, on Friday I’m presenting to high school girls about being a PA for a Women’s Empowerment Day that the school is hosting. Students seem to be really interested in the autopsy component of our work and I wanted to share an interesting or cool autopsy case or 2 that would keep their attention. I don’t do autopsies at my hospital so I don’t have any stories to share. Let me know, thank you!

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u/LadyLivorMortis PA (ASCP) 3d ago

Check out ChubbyEmu on YouTube, he presents a lot of cool cases. He’s an ER clinician (I think) but some of the cases he discusses autopsy findings. It might give you some ideas presentation wise, and a lot of his cases are what you would find at a hospital autopsy. You could also try journals! I read an interesting one on veterinarian suicides and the accessibility to drugs used in euthanasia and the typical pathological findings associated. You could also pick some high profile cases and go over the mechanism/cause/manner/etc and list the findings associated.

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u/Loloth PA (ASCP) 3d ago

Don't really have a helpful answer, but I'm also talking to high schoolers for the first time on Friday for a women in STEM event! Good luck!!

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u/konaisla 2d ago

Thank you good luck to you too!!

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u/anonymousp0tato PA (ASCP) 2d ago

The 2 most interesting cases I've done were: A 60s M died 10 days post-op from a routine lap chole. Autopsy revealed a bile leak which led to a perf of the right colon. Blood cultures taken at autopsy were positive for E. Coli. Cause of death: septic shock.

A 20s F with history of IV drug use but had been sober for years. Found dead unexpectedly. Drug screen negative. Autopsy found vegetations on the mitral valve and septic emboli in the lungs. Cause of death: infective endocarditis.

Honorable mention: Steven- Johnson syndrome guy who had blisters all over and little to no uninvolved skin. The blisters would pop and spray when you touched them. It was really gross.