Help me since my school won't?

[jdub12]

I'm finishing up first year and have an infectious disease research project lined up this summer along with step 1 studying. As of now I'm pretty set on path, although I'm still interested in ID and heme/onc. I've shadowed a community pathologist for a couple of days but would really like to see what the day-to-day life is like for an academic pathologist. Although potentially naive at this point, my desired career goal is clinical path combined with some public health policy, particularly ID.

My dilemma is that I emailed my program director at my school asking him for help in finding someone to shadow and speak with as far as mentoring and he basically told me to wait until 4th year to do an elective and that he didn't have any advice for me. Granted I'm at a lower tier MD school but still I figured he or someone working with him would allow me to hangout with them for a few hours and offer me some advice at the very least. So since my school "advisors" aren't any help, what should my plans be if I'm 90% set set on clinical pathology at a place such as Emory with the CDC or Vanderbilt/Duke/UNC? Focus on step 1 over classes? Shoot for AOA? Should I "cold-email" pathologists in my area to seek shadowing opportunities and advice? Basically I'm the only one that I know of in my class interested in pathology and with no mentorship, I'm stuck asking complete strangers for help.

Thanks in advance.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[jdub12]

Also I've been tossing around the idea of a post-sophomore fellowship, especially to get some additional research. Thoughts?

 

[jp123ok]

If you plan to do "CP only" you won't have any trouble matching; spots go unfilled every year at top programs.

Focus on doing well on the Step 1. Whether you end up applying to Path or some other field, doing well on the Step 1 will help you secure more residency interviews

Do a path elective as early as possible during your clinical training years and try to include a small research project.

 

[LADoc00]

lots of people used to do PSFs awhile back, dunno if that is still in vogue. I dont see a downside unless you have some mammoth loans on your back aside from that year is probably better spent doing a tail end fellowship in an actual discipline than spending a year tinkering on some weak project and shadowing some academic pathologists types who suffer from severe Asperberger's....

 

[icpshootyz]

I did a PSF, and while it certainly helped me get in a top-tier residency and very much prepared me for residency, I don't think you need to do one, and in the grand scheme of things it's a year earning peanuts instead of graduating one year earlier and earning a full attending salary. Skip it. As for getting some time shadowing, you might have the badger the path program director at your school. Sure, you'll be over-eager, but that's not something pathologists see that often so keep it up until you get some time in. Just tell him you want to spend a week in the dept this summer shadowing, it shouldn't disrupt anyone's lives that much that they can't take you in. And they'll certainly learn your name so going forward they'll recognize you as you get closer to applying for residency and will write a strong letter (hopefully).

 

[Ishie1013]

For what it's worth, most academic pathologists that I have encountered would be thrilled to have someone interested in what they're doing, perhaps even more so on the CP side. My former micro attending's eyes would light up if she detected the slightest interest and she'd teach for hours if she thought she could keep you there. I'm not sure if there's a formal set up or anything (though I've seen 1st and 2nd year medical students and even interested undergrads following around attendings with what seemed like minimal paperwork) so it may seem desperate, but you'll probably get a positive response by just emailing somewhere you're interested unless it's the absolute top of the field. I think the only place you run into excessive red tape is forensics.

PSF eh. I probably could have used one but if you have decent elective rotations at an academic program, you should be fine. If you have your heart set on a certain institution, it can help (or hinder!) your chances significantly. If you have any weaknesses in your later applications, it can be a way to distinguish yourself to climb the rank list. We had one that may not have scored an initial residency interview, but after a year with her, everyone desperately wanted her to stay on board. If you're a solid applicant and aren't set on one specific institution, you'll probably be fine. It's also a cost sink and an extra year of loan interest, so that's a huge factor to consider. It would not have been a financially feasible option for me.

Good luck!

 

[yaah]

I have no idea what PSFs are actually like now, but I suspect they're probably glorified observerships now. I did mine >10 yrs ago and I carried a pager at night like a resident (including coming in at 3am to cut a frozen for the attending to read), did solo autopsies and hundreds of frozens, grossed thousands of specimens, previewed every case, presented stuff at tumor boards, etc. I did it though because I thought I was going into oncology or some other IM specialty and thought it would be great to experience that part of things for a year. But found out I liked it and stuck with it.

I assume it helped me somewhat get my residency spot, but I really don't know, they told me I was a competitive candidate without it. I also had the privilege of going to a med school where tuition was <10k per year. If I had huge loans it probably would have been a bad idea to delay everything another year.

If you know you're going into pathology there probably isn't much point. There are other ways to make yourself competitive, and you will learn everything in training anyway. I started my residency with much more knowledge than the rest of my class but that probably wasn't as big of a benefit as it sounds like if you work hard and study anyway. Maybe it helped me learn more in the long run. I only did one fellowship.