Objective:

To recount the history of pathologists' assistant training in Portugal, including its cessation and the current efforts to reinstate it.

Approach:

• Training Overview: Describes the training path for pathology technicians in Portugal, including a mandatory four-year bachelor's degree followed by a one-year postgraduate course in Macroscopy in Anatomic Pathology.
• Legal Recognition: Discusses the lack of formal legal recognition for the role of pathologists' assistants, which affects their career progression and salary.
• Training Sustainability: Explains the challenges faced in sustaining the Macroscopy in Anatomic Pathology course, including reliance on institutional support and the impact of workforce shortages.
• Community Action: Details the collaborative efforts among pathologists and specialized technicians to reopen the training course and improve its structure.

Key Findings:

• Pathologists' assistants in Portugal are highly trained but lack formal legal recognition, impacting their career progression.
• The Macroscopy in Anatomic Pathology course faced sustainability issues, leading to workforce shortages and reliance on in-house training.
• The reopening of the training course involved collaboration among experienced professionals and pathologists, marking a shift in the course's teaching structure.

Interpretation:

The pathologists' assistant workforce in Portugal has been successfully revitalized through community efforts, addressing previous gaps in training and legal recognition.

Limitations:

• The course's sustainability relies on institutional support, which may face future challenges.
• The lack of legal recognition of the role affects career progression and salary differentiation.

Conclusion:

The revival of the training course is a step towards addressing the challenges faced by pathologists' assistants in Portugal.