Are you a CAP member? Has it been worthy of your support?

[turtle1966]

I have received the annual renewal notice from CAP which made me think of its worth. I have concluded that I have no real option. It is sad.

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[Over9000]

I did not join CAP. The revenue they generate from membership is minuscule compared to their accreditation earnings. As such, membership does not seem to hold sway or have influence on representation. I say save your money.

 

[Path or bust]

Its a worthless, weak organization, with poor representation of Pathologist's needs. It is only looking after its own survival and profits. There are still some good people in the CAP, but for the most part has been overrun by bureaucrats.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Save your money. They are making a killing off of PT.

 

[deleted314957]

Save your money. They are making a killing off of PT.

Useless

 

[Pathwrath]

Membership brings discounts on conferences, etc. but that is pretty meager returns on the dollar. I think CAP is slick at steadily advancing the party line that we need even more hyperspecialized and "certified" pathologists, ideally all working in tertiary or quaternary centers, so academic pathologists might feel membership is a good deal. Certainly the megalabs' interests are well represented. But community pathologists have no business throwing money at that organization.

 

[turtle1966]

Save your money. They are making a killing off of PT.

Do you know you have to be a CAP member in order to have your lab CAP accredited? Even if it was not a requirement, would CAP make your lab credentialing more difficult as a retribution?

 

[Over9000]

Do you know you have to be a CAP member in order to have your lab CAP accredited? Even if it was not a requirement, would CAP make your lab credentialing more difficult as a retribution?

I'd say find a new accreditation body to rubber stamp your lab.

 

[LoaLoa]

At the risk of getting tarred and feathered, I think the CAP is worth joining. Despite it's significant PT revenues, CAP governance is largely membership-driven. If you don't like what the CAP is doing, instead of quitting, work on changing the hearts and minds of your fellow pathologist members. If enough like-minded pathologists are members, the organization can be "transformed" into whatever we'd like it to be.

If you do nothing else (or hate it so much that you can't stomach paying membership dues), I'd at least consider a donation to PathPAC. That money is earmarked specifically for political action on behalf of pathologists, and is not spent on the meeting or on perks for executives, etc.

It's not perfect, but it's what we've got.

 

[Over9000]

At the risk of getting tarred and feathered, I think the CAP is worth joining. Despite it's significant PT revenues, CAP governance is largely membership-driven. If you don't like what the CAP is doing, instead of quitting, work on changing the hearts and minds of your fellow pathologist members. If enough like-minded pathologists are members, the organization can be "transformed" into whatever we'd like it to be.

If you do nothing else (or hate it so much that you can't stomach paying membership dues), I'd at least consider a donation to PathPAC. That money is earmarked specifically for political action on behalf of pathologists, and is not spent on the meeting or on perks for executives, etc.

It's not perfect, but it's what we've got.

Could you share some links regarding PathPAC? I would like to see what they're about. If they are fighting on our behalf, then I would have no issues providing them with some financial assistance.

CAP serves itself, not us. Whether we are members or not is irrelevant to that organization, since it makes 40x the amount made on membership dues via proficiency testing. How can we influence an organization that has competing financial interests?

 

[LoaLoa]

Could you share some links regarding PathPAC? I would like to see what they're about. If they are fighting on our behalf, then I would have no issues providing them with some financial assistance.

CAP serves itself, not us. Whether we are members or not is irrelevant to that organization, since it makes 40x the amount made on membership dues via proficiency testing. How can we influence an organization that has competing financial interests?

The online presence of PathPAC is weak. The CAP's website is an embarrassment (though they are working on a new version). I do know lots of people who are involved in PathPAC, and, I can assure you that the PathPAC includes many practical, smart, business-minded individuals who have their heads screwed on correctly. They are fighting the good fight against opponents with a much bigger war chest. I did find the following:

• One
• Two

Regarding your other comments: The CAP is a non-profit organization that is ultimately controlled by the Board of Governors, who are elected by the membership. See here for the constitution and bylaws. I have heard it stated--not to imply that I agree--that the Board of Governors is peopled by ineffectual, ribbon-wearing syncophants with their heads up either their own asses or the asses of CAP staff. But, if that is the case, it is the membership's own fault since we elected them. It doesn't have to be that way.

Sorry to rant, but our profession needs those among us who care about the future and who are smart and who can communicate to step to the fore and provide leadership. It does not need any more emo kids, complainers, lickspittles, toddlers, shrinking violets, whiners, defeatists, or candy asses who limit their contributions to bitching on the internet.

 

[path24]

I am a member because I have a job...accreditation/inspections. Happy I am member I guess...since I am lucky enough to be employed. Of course they are pushing the oversupply increasing my chances of not being employed. Great situation.

I wouldn't donate a penny. All money goes to becoming financial independent. The sooner the better. You can't trust this field.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

I am a member because I have a job...accreditation/inspections. Happy I am member I guess...since I am lucky enough to be employed. Of course they are pushing the oversupply increasing my chances of not being employed. Great situation.

I wouldn't donate a penny. All money goes to becoming financial independent. The sooner the better. You can't trust this field.

Smart move. Take that money and put it towards becoming financial independent. The field is in horrible shape and it hasnt hit bottom yet in my opinion. A lot of what we do is waste and the public is starting to see it thanks to Wall Street Journal and others. We need to see what the REAL market is and adjust recidency spots accordingly.
Anyone notice Canada has said to stop doing PSA tests? Goodbye unnecessary prostate biopsies in Canada?

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/1...ncer-with-psa-test-canadian-task-force-urges/

 

[Pathwrath]

Sorry to rant, but our profession needs those among us who care about the future and who are smart and who can communicate to step to the fore and provide leadership. It does not need any more emo kids, complainers, lickspittles, toddlers, shrinking violets, whiners, defeatists, or candy asses who limit their contributions to bitching on the internet.

Wait, don't hold back--tell us how you really feel! LOL

Speaking for myself, I did the PathPAC advocacy, the lobbying in Congress, the representative lab tours. Did it all.
I'm not "stepping to the fore" anymore. My time and finite energy are now better spent looking after my business and maximizing my income in the face of relentlessly terrible pathology leadership. Terrible for me, that is. I have no illusion that my belief that there is a serious actionable problem with our specialty is widely held among CAP members, and I'm not going to waste any time trying to convince them otherwise.

Surely you've waded through enough boring threads on this site to realize that it is an uphill battle trying to convince our knee-jerk pathology contrarians that the sky is blue, let alone that we are in big trouble. i remember arguing pointlessly here with a recent fellow with his first great job who thought I was full of ****. It wasn't until he had been in practice awhile that he finally came around. I remember thinking, Great, one down, five thousand to go. Who has time for that nonsense? I don't.

You write that our profession needs people "who care about the future", but that is not quite right. Pathology needs people with high expectations--professional and financial--and the will to achieve them. Caring about the future automatically follows. What I see is a field dominated by people who are content (grateful?) they have a job. A job as limited in scope and responsibility as possible, with maximum time off. And they'll gladly trade their income and their dignity for the privilege. And CAP is happy to oblige them. No amount of my motivational speaking at CAP is going to alter that reality.

 

[LoaLoa]

Wait, don't hold back--tell us how you really feel! LOL

Speaking for myself, I did the PathPAC advocacy, the lobbying in Congress, the representative lab tours. Did it all.
I'm not "stepping to the fore" anymore. My time and finite energy are now better spent looking after my business and maximizing my income in the face of relentlessly terrible pathology leadership. Terrible for me, that is. I have no illusion that my belief that there is a serious actionable problem with our specialty is widely held among CAP members, and I'm not going to waste any time trying to convince them otherwise.

Surely you've waded through enough boring threads on this site to realize that it is an uphill battle trying to convince our knee-jerk pathology contrarians that the sky is blue, let alone that we are in big trouble. i remember arguing pointlessly here with a recent fellow with his first great job who thought I was full of ****. It wasn't until he had been in practice awhile that he finally came around. I remember thinking, Great, one down, five thousand to go. Who has time for that nonsense? I don't.

You write that our profession needs people "who care about the future", but that is not quite right. Pathology needs people with high expectations--professional and financial--and the will to achieve them. Caring about the future automatically follows. What I see is a field dominated by people who are content (grateful?) they have a job. A job as limited in scope and responsibility as possible, with maximum time off. And they'll gladly trade their income and their dignity for the privilege. And CAP is happy to oblige them. No amount of my motivational speaking at CAP is going to alter that reality.

Sadly, I can't really argue with anything you said. A lot of the time I have spent in "organized pathology" activities has been low-yield. It is just frustrating. It's a train wreck happening in slow motion, and the cars in the back still haven't caught on that we're in trouble.

 

[Pathwrath]

Sadly, I can't really argue with anything you said. A lot of the time I have spent in "organized pathology" activities has been low-yield. It is just frustrating. It's a train wreck happening in slow motion, and the cars in the back still haven't caught on that we're in trouble.

The field is in unstoppable transition, and once that transmogrification is complete and those with longer professional memory are all gone, I actually think it will be less frustrating. Less frustrating because there will be nothing better to compare it to. Pathology is being downgraded to glorified commoditized specialty tech work. Less money and autonomy in exchange for a more limited range of duties and working hours. I think the Millennials with recreational lifestyles are going to lap it up. And that's fine, only don't kid yourself CAP, the megalabs, and the academics are doing this for anyone's benefit other than themselves.

 

[LoaLoa]

The field is in unstoppable transition, and once that transmogrification is complete and those with longer professional memory are all gone, I actually think it will be less frustrating. Less frustrating because there will be nothing better to compare it to. Pathology is being downgraded to glorified commoditized specialty tech work. Less money and autonomy in exchange for a more limited range of duties and working hours. I think the Millennials with recreational lifestyles are going to lap it up. And that's fine, only don't kid yourself CAP, the megalabs, and the academics are doing this for anyone's benefit other than themselves.

Yes. I am just in mourning for the dying days when those with an entrepreneurial spirit were welcome in medicine. Youngsters who have never known it any other way probably don't see why it's such a big deal.