Pathology

Is anyone's SO a pathologist or going into the field? Care to tell me about it? Its been on the top of DH's short list for a few months now. PM me if you want, unless other people would find it interesting. It doesn't seem to be a popular speciality on the boards, I haven't seen much about it.

Thanks

[Vishenka69]

On of DH's friends is in her second year of pathology residency. I don't know that much about specialty but I do know that while the hours are great (during the residency and afterward), the job market can be tough, as each hospital has a specific number of slots that don't have a tendency to increase. She did mention that it's mostly looking through the microscope 9-4pm and that she does get bored often. She has an art background and it helps her a lot because she has to identify very subtle changes in cells. Did your DH do a pathology rotation or elective? What were his thoughts?

DH hasn't done a rotation in path yet, his school only offers it in the fourth year. He does have it on his schedule for next year though, and he's been in good contact with the path deptartment. He did shadow a pathologist the summer before he started school, but he said he didn't know nearly enough about medicine to make it worth his while.
I think that while the lifestyle is a major plus for him, he also really likes the constant learning that goes along with it, and the fact that you are dealing with every organ/system in the body. He just likes to know. He's one of those who, during the 14th hour of straight studying for the boards, is having fun. ::
I didn't know about the job market though, thanks. I'll mention it to DH.

Shella, I also don't know much about it, as my DW is Peds, but one of my best friends from high school is a pathologist finishing a one year fellowship in Derm.
He had good job leads, all in the Eastern US, where he wants to live. He has never wanted to be a doctor that really had to deal with patients face to face though. He is however going to be making a good amount of money and it appeared that he had a choice of lifestyles- working 4-days and having a "real" life vs. being owned by the group and making bank.
I am not sure if this is helpful, but is what I know from a disconnected view.

Matt, I didn't even think about that -- dermpath. There might be some pathology fellowships that would alleviate some of the job market issues. I'll double check with DH, but I think there is a need for derm pathologists. There is a preference for someone who did a derm residency and then did a one year dermpath fellowship but not a lot of people do that and so more go path residency, dermpath fellowship. (But I will check). Also, I think that the salary for a dermpath is pretty good.

Dermpath salary (most paths for that matter, except forensics) is pretty good w/a great lifestyle. Dermpath, though, is extremely competitive. Sub-specialty really does impact the job market. My dh is looking now for Transfusion Medicine jobs (only path that deals w/actual breathing patients on occasion) and the market is tough. There are cytopath jobs ALL OVER THE BLEEPING PLACE!

Frustrated - me? Naw ......

it was a thought

DH was going to do path up till the last minute and changed his mind. He had great letters of rec, even went to St. Louis to do a 4 week rotation there to get a letter of rec from another hospital.

At the end it came down to this:
-he didn't feel there were good job prospects (we want to live in the mountain states
-the BIG deciding factor for him was the atopsies (sp?). He didn't want to do them his whole life. Even though he was told it would be 10-20% of the time, he didn't want it to think about life and death that often. That's what he said anyways.

You have to do autopsy during residency, but most pathologists don't have to do them on a regular basis unless they're the only pathologist at a tiny hospital.

The morticians at dh's hospital do a large part of the procedure -- most of the really awful stuff, anyway.

Either way, dh will never have to do another one.

DH hoping to match in path

My DH had the hardest time deciding what specialty he wanted to go into. He thought about everything from surgery to psych, but path seemed to have everything he liked (interesting stuff to learn, more laid-back lifestyle, etc.), and less of the stuff he didn't (type A personalities, no sleep). I'm excited that he's picked a specialty with decent hours--you know, I married him because I like him a lot, and it sucks when I never get to see him!

We're waiting impatiently for Match Day now....

crossing fingers for match for you!

I hope you get what you want - I'm sure he'll match well. Let us know where you're going!

this is hard!

this wait is making me more nervous than it is making him. deciding what specialty he wanted to interview for and then what programs he wanted to apply to were the hard parts for him, and now i think he feels comfortable with his options, and he is more relaxed than he has been in a while.

meanwhile, i am going nuts waiting for Thursday!!!

i will certainly let you know where we end up. thanks for the crossed fingers!