Advice,please.

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DebDynamite

DebDynamite

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Dear Pathologists,
I'm an MS-3 considering Path. When I tell my classmates this, they all seem shocked- all of them except my best friend that is. This is because I come accross as a warm and extroverted person. I think they peg me for Family or Peds of ObGyn. While it is true that I am warm and extroverted, I see no reason why this should conflict with becoming a Pathologist! Yet, they tell me that I will be "miserable" in a lab all day, staring at slides, etc....

So, my best friend who knows me well studied Path with me last year and knows my personality well enough to know that this is how I feel: I love order, precision, visual clues, third order thoughts, decent hours, and making definitive statements. I don't think I can change the world- or the people in it for that matter, with my erudite advice in a 10-20 min clinical encounter. I had my first microscope, a fisher price, at age 6. Then at age 8 I got a "real" one and polished & used it often ( I am not kidding). But it is true that I am somewhat extroverted.

Would I feel cut off from humanity as a Pathologist? Do any of you? Serious responses, please. I'm on a long call in Peds and am leaving this board now, but I really would like to know if any of you feel okay with Path and also consider yourself somewhat extroverted. Technically I'm "introverted" on the Meyers Briggs- an INFJ- but I like to chat it up quite a bit.

Thanks for your time.
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DebDynamite said:
Dear Pathologists,
I'm an MS-3 considering Path. When I tell my classmates this, they all seem shocked- all of them except my best friend that is. This is because I come accross as a warm and extroverted person. I think they peg me for Family or Peds of ObGyn. While it is true that I am warm and extroverted, I see no reason why this should conflict with becoming a Pathologist! Yet, they tell me that I will be "miserable" in a lab all day, staring at slides, etc....

So, my best friend who knows me well studied Path with me last year and knows my personality well enough to know that this is how I feel: I love order, precision, visual clues, third order thoughts, decent hours, and making definitive statements. I don't think I can change the world- or the people in it for that matter, with my erudite advice in a 10-20 min clinical encounter. I had my first microscope, a fisher price, at age 6. Then at age 8 I got a "real" one and polished & used it often ( I am not kidding). But it is true that I am somewhat extroverted.

Would I feel cut off from humanity as a Pathologist? Do any of you? Serious responses, please. I'm on a long call in Peds and am leaving this board now, but I really would like to know if any of you feel okay with Path and also consider yourself somewhat extroverted. Technically I'm "introverted" on the Meyers Briggs- an INFJ- but I like to chat it up quite a bit.

Thanks for your time.
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Im very cut off from society....but not lonely! I always have a few friends to chat with: Old Capt. Morgan, Johnny Walker and Jim Bean can add a suprising amount of banter in the lab. Most post-residency pathologists keep a small "Friends" cabinet full of interesting characters including a new fav of mine, Mr. Belvedere from Poland. In addition to them, you got chatty Kathys like Towelie or Hankie.

Seriously tho, pathology is essentially a small office/business setting. Think something like the Office Space or better yet the TV show The Office.
 
Well, I'm not a chatty Kathy, and if there would be time in my life for more South Park, that would be even better. But I do like to have human interaction throughout the day. I'm just noticing that as the clinical days go by, I really don't have a lot of interest in following patients outcomes, because I don't feel personally responsible for their lifestyle choices, which are creating the majority of their diseases. I don't have the hubris to think that my words are going to get them to suddenly change either. So, Path sounds nice to me for these reasons also, getting to make the Diagnosis without directly managing the disease.
 
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Cut off from society? Not remotely. Half the time I think primary care types badmouth pathology because they don't understand it or know what it is we do. The other half I think they may be jealous.

There are innumerable threads in this forum on this topic - shouldn't take long to find a few of them. Your personality sounds like it fits path very well. Communication skills and interpersonal interaction are very important in path, just as in any other branch of medicine. Just because you use them in different ways doesn't mean you don't use them.

My advice: Don't take advice from people who know nothing about pathology (i.e. people telling you you will be sitting in a lab all day with a blank look on your face) about it. Find out what the field is like for yourself.
 
yaah said:
My advice: Don't take advice from people who know nothing about pathology (i.e. people telling you you will be sitting in a lab all day with a blank look on your face) about it. Find out what the field is like for yourself.
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Thank you. I will.
 
DebDynamite said:
Thank you. I will.
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And listen to Towelie, his knowledge especially in terms of Surgical Pathology is immense:
A buen entendedor pocas palabras bastan.
 
DebDynamite said:
Well, I'm not a chatty Kathy, and if there would be time in my life for more South Park, that would be even better. But I do like to have human interaction throughout the day. I'm just noticing that as the clinical days go by, I really don't have a lot of interest in following patients outcomes, because I don't feel personally responsible for their lifestyle choices, which are creating the majority of their diseases. I don't have the hubris to think that my words are going to get them to suddenly change either. So, Path sounds nice to me for these reasons also, getting to make the Diagnosis without directly managing the disease.
Click to expand...

I gotta tell you...I don't miss managing patients' diseases...NOT ONE BIT.

And I'd rather chat with other doctors (i.e., colleagues) than with patients.

The diagnosis is the fun part of medicine. Of course, receiving gratitude from patients is nice too...but in the wards...patients tend to be cranky and have serious cases of SITV.
 
LADoc00 said:
A buen entendedor pocas palabras bastan.
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Precisely.
And the message that I am getting from these forums is that there is a lot about Path that just might work for me.

What I have to be careful about is getting my LOR's lined up. My school is known for cranking out FP's and I have even heard of some faculty suddenly acting constipated in the past when students ask for letters outside of primary care. I do not want to be in that predicament if I choose Path. Luckily we also have a residency program here- so I am going to start there, and line up a month of Path for next spring. We shall see.
 
I get this so much. i even had one attending tell me that she wouldn't write a LOR for me to go into Pathology, radiology or psych becuase I was great with patients. An honestly even though it takes all types to make the world go round I have never met a pathologist i didn't like. They seem open and friendly and everywhere in life you will have to relate to people if not patients so people skills will do you well no matter where you go and what you do. Also, pathologists usually get better sleep and my personality is MUCH better when I get sleep too so that's anothe rreason why this field is a winner.
 
sapience8x said:
I get this so much. i even had one attending tell me that she wouldn't write a LOR for me to go into Pathology, radiology or psych becuase I was great with patients. An honestly even though it takes all types to make the world go round I have never met a pathologist i didn't like. They seem open and friendly and everywhere in life you will have to relate to people if not patients so people skills will do you well no matter where you go and what you do. Also, pathologists usually get better sleep and my personality is MUCH better when I get sleep too so that's anothe rreason why this field is a winner.
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That is completely lame. It really is crappy when you have people truly "known" in their fields and you can't ask them for letters for something else because they are sure that you belong with them. I am waaaay over the flattery of that BS- seriously WTF? I just think it is wrong, wrong. So, one thing I have learned is to say "I really don't know what I want to be when I grow up." This way it's a tad harder for them to give you as much of a hard time. Yet I'm also thankful that they tell us up front they won't do it. At least we don't end up with mediocre letters written with resentment.

I think it's interesting that you list these 3 fields, because they are all "in the running" for me. But Psych not as much because I spent about 5 years doing (more or less) lay Psych in domestic violence shelters and halfway houses. I was already burnt out on it when med school started.
 
DebDynamite said:
Would I feel cut off from humanity as a Pathologist? Do any of you? Serious responses, please. I'm on a long call in Peds and am leaving this board now, but I really would like to know if any of you feel okay with Path and also consider yourself somewhat extroverted. Technically I'm "introverted" on the Meyers Briggs- an INFJ- but I like to chat it up quite a bit.

Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...

I happened to be an INTJ (Mastermind Rational) and I don't quite fit into path either because as it says about INTJs: http://www.keirsey.com/personality/ntij.html

"It is in their abilities that Masterminds differ from the other Rationals, while in most of their attitudes they are just like the others. However there is one attitude that sets them apart from other Rationals: they tend to be much more self-confident than the rest, having, for obscure reasons, developed a very strong will."


It is good to be extroverted in path as you can kind of rush the show easily.
 
Hey DebDynamite....

I went through similar comments, starting all the way back from first year of med school. I came to school to enter pathology (ultimately forensics). The whole time, people kept telling me that I was good with patients. Well, it got to me. I think because people kept giving me that compliment (and I'm sure they were just being nice and not trying to influence my decision), I started to feel like I should like primary care medicine. As a result, I ended up entering a family practice residency. If anyone has seen my other random posts on the site, you would know that I have been miserable, pretty much regretting my decision since I submitted my rank list last year. On friday, I resubmitted my application to the match and applied to Path.

So anyway, follow your heart. Don't worry about what other people think. No matter what you go into, you're going to have to deal with people, whether it's patients, docs, nurses, techs, etc. You'll never be lonely, and being a personable person will be a plus.
 
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DebDynamite said:
Precisely.
What I have to be careful about is getting my LOR's lined up. My school is known for cranking out FP's and I have even heard of some faculty suddenly acting constipated in the past when students ask for letters outside of primary care. I do not want to be in that predicament if I choose Path. Luckily we also have a residency program here- so I am going to start there, and line up a month of Path for next spring. We shall see.
Click to expand...

I went to a med school EXACTLY like that. Several people got skrewt on letters from the (bitter) primary care folks. I would avoid them if you can.:mad:

The surgeons and the path folks will probably be great. If you MUST get one from the primary care, maybe peds or an IM specialist who is not bitter. If they seem the least bit luke warm about writing it, abort abort abort and find someone else.

The primary care thing is prob a huge part of why they are telling you that you have a "GREAT PERSONALITY" and therefore should be one of them. God forbid you're cute- there are plenty of cute pathologists- but that is not the stereotype the bitter primary care folks like to portray.

I, as an ENFJ (and MILF), got this crap on every rotation, and it was so confusing. I was MISERABLE on IM and FP and OB and Surgery and Psych(scared, mostly) and every f*ing eval implied I was born to do it. I abhor night call, crazy patients, standing for 18 hours straight..... and I am a power nerd at heart. (hello, captain of both the cheerleading team AND math team.... it can be done!)

I could kick myself in the A$$ for not looking into path, but I was too busy doing stupid primary care required KRAP rotations. And at my skool they made it really really hard to look at non-prim care fields. So now I am just looking for a nice crack ho to keep my baby for a few hours every week while I go hang out at path conferences with my friends. Ahhhh, I digress.........

Look around for the happy people in the hospital...... pathologists, radiologists, gas, some peds folks..... they are happy for a reason.
 
yaah said:
Cut off from society? Not remotely. Half the time I think primary care types badmouth pathology because they don't understand it or know what it is we do. The other half I think they may be jealous.

QUOTE]

Very very true, I think!
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ironmaiden said:
I, as an ENFJ (and MILF), got this crap on every rotation, and it was so confusing. .
Click to expand...

Hold it, did you just self-describe yourself as a MILF? Im gonna need pic verification on that. Post it (or pm me).

Also what the hell is a ENFJ?

Thirdly, you cant just have a cool screen name like "IronMaiden" anymore than I just call myself Metallica....you need to prove you are worthy of it.
Quick quiz:
1.) What is name of the Maiden mascot?
2.) Who formed IM, where and in what year?
3.) What maiden song title is the name of a current film?
 
DebDynamite said:
I really don't have a lot of interest in following patients outcomes, because I don't feel personally responsible for their lifestyle choices, which are creating the majority of their diseases. I don't have the hubris to think that my words are going to get them to suddenly change either.
Click to expand...

This is the best refutation for internal medicine as a profession that I've ever heard!

:laugh:
 
Hey LADoc00,

I have some answers for your quiz:

1. The Mascot's name is Eddie.
2. The band was founded by Steve Harris (had to look that one up).
3. Current movie out with same title as a Maiden song; The Wickerman. Was their song based on the original wickerman movie? I'm not sure. The song is from 2000, the movie from 1973
 
PunkRockDoc said:
Hey LADoc00,

I have some answers for your quiz:

1. The Mascot's name is Eddie.
2. The band was founded by Steve Harris (had to look that one up).
3. Current movie out with same title as a Maiden song; The Wickerman. Was their song based on the original wickerman movie? I'm not sure. The song is from 2000, the movie from 1973
Click to expand...

That quiz wasnt for you! Damnit. [1975, East London for the rest of #2]. And technically, yes the original The Wickerman predated the song, but I was referring to the remake.
 
PunkRockDoc said:
Hey LADoc00,

I have some answers for your quiz:

1. The Mascot's name is Eddie.
2. The band was founded by Steve Harris (had to look that one up).
3. Current movie out with same title as a Maiden song; The Wickerman. Was their song based on the original wickerman movie? I'm not sure. The song is from 2000, the movie from 1973
Click to expand...


Steve Harris was the reason I picked up Bass.

His daughter is starting a solo vocal career (and isn't bad on the eyes, either...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Harris
 
LADoc00 said:
Hold it, did you just self-describe yourself as a MILF? Im gonna need pic verification on that. Post it (or pm me).

Also what the hell is a ENFJ?

Thirdly, you cant just have a cool screen name like "IronMaiden" anymore than I just call myself Metallica....you need to prove you are worthy of it.
Quick quiz:
1.) What is name of the Maiden mascot?
2.) Who formed IM, where and in what year?
3.) What maiden song title is the name of a current film?
Click to expand...

Sorry, can't send the pic, husband won't let me.... Trust me, if I were a fugglie or out of shape, he'd be like, "Why don't you post your pic on the internet" or "I'm just going to be on call for, like, the next 6 months... don't try to find me, ok?" I did have someone write it on an eval... unfortunately, it didn't make the per record once I explained to the eval lady what it meant.

Can't believe someone took MY test!!! Everyone knows Eddie. I certainly couldn't keep up with the 200 or so band members IM hasthrough over the years, but #2 was easy. Clueless on the last one, so I would have gotten a 67.

I was actually referring to the device, not the band, though, because I think that is what medicine is like.... some days. Schandmantel just isn't as cool a name, I'm afraid.
 
Well, I still don't have much to say. Except that there is a thread in EM, "Path's lead is shrinking"- so I thought I would contribute over here (they seem to be gaining in the overall # of posts).

I'm quite appreciative of the posts here. They are supportive and pretty inspiring, especially the ones in this thread from Ironmaiden & PunkRockDoc. I have two appointments with Pathologists coming up- one in cytopath and the other is our chair. I am becoming more and more curious as the clinical days go by. I think my classmates that seem to be "into" this clinical medicine thing are faking it, or absolutely nuts. Well, that's all.
 
They made that thread when there were more posts in this forum and they got irritated over it because apparently it meant pathology was a better specialty (it no longer is though, so they can rest again). That thread keeps going for some reason though, guess it's like a chat thread now.
 
yaah said:
They made that thread when there were more posts in this forum and they got irritated over it because apparently it meant pathology was a better specialty (it no longer is though, so they can rest again). That thread keeps going for some reason though, guess it's like a chat thread now.
Click to expand...

good for them. they get a cookie.
 
Well, I met with a she-pathologist yesterday afternoon for 2 hours. I left feeling so deeply grateful that I almost cried driving home. She went over a few of the cases she has been working on (one of her colleagues even came in and they consulted for a while), gave me some advice about residency issues, treated me so very humanely and discussed my upcoming path elective. She was nice, smart, interesting and gracious. And it was the best two hours of third year YET. Sweet.
 
ironmaiden said:
Sorry, can't send the pic, husband won't let me.... Trust me, if I were a fugglie or out of shape, he'd be like, "Why don't you post your pic on the internet" or "I'm just going to be on call for, like, the next 6 months... don't try to find me, ok?" .
Click to expand...

Thats okay, send us a link to your myspace profile then.:laugh:
 
DebDynamite said:
Well, I met with a she-pathologist yesterday afternoon for 2 hours. I left feeling so deeply grateful that I almost cried driving home. She went over a few of the cases she has been working on (one of her colleagues even came in and they consulted for a while), gave me some advice about residency issues, treated me so very humanely and discussed my upcoming path elective. She was nice, smart, interesting and gracious. And it was the best two hours of third year YET. Sweet.
Click to expand...

I stopped following this thread for a bit and just read this... DD, I always feel the same way when I go to the Path lab. While on surgery I remember heading downstairs and sitting in on a noon lecture on endometrial stromal sarcoma. I was so happy I almost started crying. It was just so refreshing to escape the floors into a calm, relaxed environment with intelligent conversation on an interesting (to me) topic, and with physicians who don't treat you like dog doody on the bottom of their shoe. Everything just seems to click when I'm in the lab. I feel like I understand the language and that I belong.

You're very lucky that you get to do a path elective in the spring :thumbup: I have to wait until the beginning of MS4 :thumbdown: I'm glad that you had such an excellent time with the she-doc. Will your elective be all surgical path or a mix of surgical and clinical?

-P.
 
PuGanDoo said:
You're very lucky that you get to do a path elective in the spring :thumbup: I have to wait until the beginning of MS4 :thumbdown: I'm glad that you had such an excellent time with the she-doc. Will your elective be all surgical path or a mix of surgical and clinical?

-P.
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PGD, I am going to take advice of the dept Chair and enroll in whatever he tells me to- but I suspect it will be 1/2 AP & 1/2 CP. Right now I am drowning in a sea of lochia, and it is as if I cannot see the Path light at the end of the tunnel.:scared:
 
DebDynamite said:
PGD, I am going to take advice of the dept Chair and enroll in whatever he tells me to- but I suspect it will be 1/2 AP & 1/2 CP. Right now I am drowning in a sea of lochia, and it is as if I cannot see the Path light at the end of the tunnel.:scared:
Click to expand...

I started my 5 shifts of nightfloat this evening. My university hospital is noted for being very slow on OB/GYN. No lochia here. Since 8pm signout I've been parked in the lounge reading and trying to rest (and attempting not to jinx anything). Actually, the chief told the ob resident and me that our goal was to not admit anyone. We were assigned the roles of official OB bouncers, I guess. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't come in here to have your baby dressed like THAT."

I, too, need to plan out my Path elective. I like both surgical and clinical, but am slightly more drawn to clinical. I really enjoy heme and it is classified as clinical where I'm at. My advisor is director of heme and molecular diagnostics and I'm considering doing an independent study with him, maybe some research...

-P.
 
PuGanDoo said:
I started my 5 shifts of nightfloat this evening. My university hospital is noted for being very slow on OB/GYN.

-P.
Click to expand...

This is yet another example of why clinical medicine sucketh. You are a third year doing night float.

Today I learned in OBGYN that if one chooses this specialty, they must continue to pay malpractice insurance for 19 years after the last baby they deliver. This is because the parents have the right to sue for 18 years and the child an additional year after that.
 
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