A bit of advice

[LADoc00]

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Sitting by my 10 friggin trays of pap smears I still need to read, is the CAP "Practice Characteristics Survey Report" for 2004. I consider it one of the best sources of information about the real practice of pathology and it's presented in simple to read tabulated chart format. Innumerable ?s about the practice of pathology can be answered by reading this, seriously this is the best advice I can give someone planning a career.

The kicker is this is confidential and only given to F.C.A.P's to my knowledge, so you all would have to ask for it.

As an example, people often ask what are their options with CP only: Of all new hires in 2004, only 1% were CP only BEBC, only 18% were AP only. That is definitely no where near the real distribution of CP and AP only candidates (which is much higher than 1 and 18%) coming out of training.
And this little gem includes all the academic/medical school track surveys as well.

Lowest paying region of the country for pathology:NYC-Boston
Highest: Philly-ATL (as in NOT TX)

No1 monetary issue for pathologists: Not being reimbursed a professional component for CP.

etc etc....
ok back to work for me!!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Wow. Is that true? 18% of total trainees are AP only? That seems kinda high. With all the insecurity that goes around regarding the job market, it seems that more and more people are feeling forced to do AP/CP...even the MD/PhDs who want to do academics and will not be using the skill-sets in both AP and CP.

Or maybe 18% is what it is now. I would predict that this percentage will drop.

 

[beary]

With all the insecurity that goes around regarding the job market, it seems that more and more people are feeling forced to do AP/CP...even the MD/PhDs who want to do academics and will not be using the skill-sets in both AP and CP.

Yep - this is my situation exactly. I feel like I would probably be able to get an academic job with just one or the other, but that I will have more opportunities with both, so it's worth an extra year or two to me.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Yep - this is my situation exactly. I feel like I would probably be able to get an academic job with just one or the other, but that I will have more opportunities with both, so it's worth an extra year or two to me.

Yup. Credential inflation rears it's ugly head. Doing AP/CP in pathology is similar to why people are seeing MD/PhD as more of an attractive option over straight-PhD.

 

[quant]

Yup. Credential inflation rears it's ugly head. Doing AP/CP in pathology is similar to why people are seeing MD/PhD as more of an attractive option over straight-PhD.

you know my situation....guilty on both counts.....yep, that s right - AP....CP, everywhere.

 

[LADoc00]

Wow. Is that true? 18% of total trainees are AP only? That seems kinda high. With all the insecurity that goes around regarding the job market, it seems that more and more people are feeling forced to do AP/CP...even the MD/PhDs who want to do academics and will not be using the skill-sets in both AP and CP.

Or maybe 18% is what it is now. I would predict that this percentage will drop.

Dude reread my post I said 18% of all new HIRES are AP only, that includes all facets of pathology from biotech to academics to private prac. Only 1% of newly hired pathologists are CP only.

My point was that there are way way more than 1% of residents who are CP only, thus meaning many of these people are not hired. I dont know what the total % of residents who are AP or CP only simply because this number is in such flux.

 

[bananaface]

Not every new hire is going to be fresh out of school, so you can't just compare the new hire ratios to the training ratios and call it good. For all you know the AP/CP people just move around more.

 

[LADoc00]

Not every new hire is going to be fresh out of school, so you can't just compare the new hire ratios to the training ratios and call it good. For all you know the AP/CP people just move around more.

Totally agree and that is likely the case, but still it shows the overall demand for AP or CP only people is probably far less the number of these being trained. I dont have stats to back it up, but I would say AP or CP only people in general receive far less job offers than combined trainees.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Totally agree and that is likely the case, but still it shows the overall demand for AP or CP only people is probably far less the number of these being trained. I dont have stats to back it up, but I would say AP or CP only people in general receive far less job offers than combined trainees.

My bad for misreading your post. The discrepancy is intriguing but I still feel that the job opportunities for AP or CP only people are much more limited.