mdpa

Milestones and Program Requirements

Master of Pathologists' Assistant

Required Courses

The Master of Pathologists' Assistant program is a two year continuous course-based masters program that will include both in class work along side practicum components.   

  • MDSC 620: Topics in Systems Physiology (3 units)
  • MDSC 703: Human Anatomy: Concepts, Exploration and Teaching (3 units)
  • MDSC 515: Cellular Mechanisms of Disease (3 units)
  • MDPA 744: Human Pathology (6 units)
  • MDPA 745: Human Histology (3 units)
  • MDPA 746: Integrated Pathologists’ Assistant Skills (3 units)
  • MDPA 640: Pediatric Pathology Practicum (3 units)
  • MDPA 630.1: Surgical Pathology Practicum 1 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 630.2: Surgical Pathology Practicum 2 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 630.3: Surgical Pathology Practicum 3 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 630.4 : Surgical Pathology Practicum 4 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 631.1: Autopsy Pathology Practicum 1 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 631.2: Autopsy Pathology Practicum 2 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 631.3: Autopsy Pathology Practicum 3 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 631.4: Autopsy Pathology Practicum 4 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 750.01: Pathologists’ Assistant Research Project 1 (3 units)
  • MDPA 750.02: Pathologists’ Assistant Research Project 2 (3 units)
  • MDPA 751: Introduction to Surgical Dissection and Autopsy Techniques (3 units)

Program Timeline

Year 1 - Fall Term

  • Orientation for Pathologists’ Assistants - Block week (no credit)
  • MDSC 620: Topics in Systems Physiology (3 units)
  • MDSC 703: Human Anatomy: Concepts, Exploration and Teaching (3 units)
  • MDPA 744A: Human Pathology (3 units)

Year 1 - Winter Term

  • MDPA 744B: Human Pathology (3 units)
  • MDSC 515: Cellular Mechanisms of Disease (3 units)
  • MDPA 745: Human Histology (3 units)
  • MDPA 751: Introduction to Surgical Dissection and Autopsy Techniques (3 units)
  • Online medical terminology course finished before start of 2nd year

Year 1 - Spring/Summer Terms

  • MDPA 630.01: Surgical Pathology Practicum 1 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 631.01: Autopsy Pathology Practicum 1 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 630.02: Surgical Pathology Practicum 2 (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 631.02: Autopsy Pathology Practicum 2 (1.5 units)

Year 2- Fall Term

  • MDPA 630.03: Surgical Pathology Practicum III (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 631.03: Autopsy Pathology Practicum III (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 750.01: Pathologists' Assistant Research Project I (3 units)

Year 2- Winter Term

  • MDPA 630.04: Surgical Pathology Practicum IV (1.5 units)
  • MDPA 631.04: Autopsy Pathology Practicum IV (1.5 units) 
  • MDPA 750.02: Pathologists' Assistant Research Project II (3 units)

Year 2- Spring/Summer Terms

  • MDPA 640: Pediatric Pathology Practicum (3 units)
  • MDPA 746 : Integrated Pathologists' Assistant Skills (3 units)

Starting Your Program? Please Complete These Forms

The forms below should be completed within the first month of your program. They will help you set the expectation for your program. Forms should be submitted to your program’s Graduate Program Administrator once complete. This can be done electronically.


Optional

Payment Plan Form 

Only students receiving a stipend or award should complete this form; supervisor or administrator signature not required. Email completed form to graduate@ucalgary.ca 

Research Integrity (RI) Day

A workshop on Responsible Conduct in Research, also known as Research Integrity Day, is a requirement which must be met in order for you to successfully complete your degree.  This workshop/day needs to be completed within your first year of study.

For all programs, except MDCH and MDNS, at least one Research-In-Progress or Work-In-Progress must be completed every year, including your first year. Journal Club presentations may also be required by your program. Contact your Graduate Program Administrator for this requirement and to report your presentation dates.


Topics discussed during this workshop are:

  • Issues to consider for graduate students and their supervisors - authorship, plagiarism, conflict of interest, role of the supervisor and committee, etc.
  • What is ethical and what is not?
  • Who regulates research and who oversees it?
  • Understanding your responsibilities and rights - where to go for help

Sessions

Sessions are held between September and April of each academic term.  Priority is given based on need and not first registered.

Registration for Sessions

Ethics, Animal Care and Bio-Hazardous Certification

Graduate student research for a thesis, dissertation or an independent research study that involves the use of human subjects, animals or bio-hazards must be reviewed and certified as acceptable by the appropriate University Research Ethics Board.


For research involving human subjects

For research involving human subjects the proposed research/study must be reviewed by either the Conjoined Faculties Research Ethics Board (CFREB) or the Conjoined Health Research Ethics Board (CHREB).  Applicants to ethics need to complete the Tri-Council CORE Tutorial.

For research/studies that involve animals

For research/studies that involve animals approval is obtained from the Animal Care Committee.

For research/studies that required bio-hazardous materials

For research/studies that required bio-hazardous materials, a Biosafety Permit is required and is conditional on registration and approval from the University of Calgary Biosafety Committee

Permits

*Copies of Ethics, Animal Care, or Biosafety Permits must be submitted to FGS as separate supporting documents to your thesis.  They are not included as appendices.

Environment, Health, and Safety

The University of Calgary considers health and safety to be a priority and is committed to providing a safe and healthy work and study environment for the entire university community including its laboratory environments.

Laboratory personnel including workers, students and visitors are exposed to potential hazards unique to laboratory settings and hazardous materials each and every day. In order to address the health, safety and environmental challenges specific to the laboratories, Environment, Health and Safety has developed programs, safety and procedure manuals, and laboratory-specific training courses free of charge for the university community.


Required Courses

WHMIS and Safety for Laboratories Training
Mandatory for university employees, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows working in a laboratory setting.

WHMIS (Non-Laboratory) Training
Mandatory for university employees and students working in a non-laboratory setting, with or near controlled products as defined by WHMIS legislation.

Radioactive Material Safety Training
Mandatory for university employees and students working with radioisotopes for research and/or teaching purposes.

Biosafety (Introduction) Training
Mandatory for university employees, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows working with biohazards (Risk Group 2 or greater) for research or teaching purposes. Biohazards are pathogenic microorganisms, potentially infectious materials, as well as microbial toxins.

Required Courses

Spill Response Training
Mandatory for university employees, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows working with hazardous materials.

Transportation of Dangerous Goods Certification
Mandatory training for university employees and students who handle, offer for transport, or transport dangerous goods as defined in the Transportation of Dangerous Goods regulations.

Laser Safety Training
Mandatory for university employees and students working with Class 3b and 4 Lasers in University of Calgary facilities or laboratories.

X-Ray Safety Training
Mandatory for university employees and students working with x-ray emitting devices in University of Calgary facilities or laboratories.

Links

MDPA Fees

Students in course-based programs pay course fees on a course-by-course basis.  The Master of Pathologists' Assistant program the total tuition is fifteen half-courses and four 1.5 unit courses plus general and the program fees. General and Tuition fees breakdown can be found on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.

Convocation/Graduation


Requirements

Students are clear to convocate once they have completed all of the Course and Practicum requirements as listed above and will be awarded a Master of Pathologists' Assistant graduate degree.  

Note:

Students should email the Graduate Program Administrator (mpath@ucalgary.ca) to confirm that they have completed all requirements and to request that the Notice of Completion of Course-based Degree Requirements be submitted to FGS.  

IT Support and Email


Student Email

It is strongly recommended that you obtain an email account through the University of Calgary to ensure you receive important information and notices via mailing lists within the Cumming School of Medicine. There is no charge to students for these accounts. 

IT Support

Note:

Please ensure your Graduate Program Administrator has your current email address whether it’s a ‘ucalgary’ account or not.