- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- knowledge of chemistry including the safe use and disposal of chemicals
- knowledge of biology
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- the ability to work well with your hands
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to work on your own
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
You:
- maymake sure instruments are clean, sterile and ready for use
- receive bodies into the mortuary
- place the deceased into cold storage units
- keep accurate records
- track property and samples of the deceased
During a post-mortem, you could:
- take tissue samples
- weigh organs as they’re removed from a body
- take samples for lab analysis
- record the findings of a post-mortem exam
- help to reconstruct and clean the body ready for storage or release to an undertaker
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work at a mortuary.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
With experience and relevant qualifications, you could train other health professionals and move into more advanced technical work or management.
You can find out more about becoming an anatomical pathology technician from Health Careers and the Association of Anatomical Pathology Technology.
