Academic Pathologist?

[MarketDoc]

What does an academic Pathologist do? Im totally lost in what they do. It confuses me alot. Anyone have an idea on what they do? How much they get paid? Hours they work??

Anyone with answers post away!

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[mlw03]

extremely variable, depending in part on how you want to define "academic pathologist." can range from someone doing full time basic-science type research in a lab to someone who basically does the same thing as a private practice pathologist and also hold an adjunct professorship with the local med school.

 

[gschl1234]

Most institutions have 2 tracts. One is more service oriented where the pathologist is responsible for teaching, conferences and service related obligations (signing out, running lab etc...) but do some translational research on the side. Research tract allows the pathologist to spend most or all his/her time on their research with minimal time spent on service work. I had heard that pay at my med school starts at 90-100K, which is probably substantially less than in private practice. Compared to private practice "academic pathologists" likely work longer hours. There is a lot of teaching done during signouts that wouldn't have to be done in private practice + there's keeping up with research, writing papers, grants etc....

 

[yaah]

The "longer hours" thing is very variable. These days many private practice people are working longer hours than academics. It depends on your situation.

Academics make less than private practice but that difference can vary a lot. The benefits of being in academics are also not fully realized in private practice (like malpractice, benefits like college tuitions, travel, research time, etc, although some private places have good benefits also).

Some academics do all 3 things (teaching, diagnostics, research) but others only do two or rarely one if they excel at one. Full and rapid promotion probably requires substantial research component or demonstrated excellence in diagnostics by national reputation.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Absolutely yaah! private practice and academics have a different set of issues and challenges which yaah touched upon. academics may be easier in some regards...youre not signing out every week youre on service, academic institutions have a more robust antimalpractice suit mechanism, and you are not always having to convince your clinicians to send you specimens instead to other labs. i spoke to a friend during uscap who is in private sector and he really harped on that last point and said that that gives him less peace of mind.

 

[yaah]

I also heard from a recent graduate of our program in private practice who is working until 9-10pm every day and getting incredibly burned out. But then again I also talked to a current private person who used to be in academics and was basically forced out by an arrogant, vindictive chairman. I guess there is the potential for burnout anywhere, which makes it hard to know if a job is really a good one.

My plan continues to be academics unless I find a really good private job which is appropriate for me and what I want to do (not going to get into that here as it isn't relevant).

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Im with you on academics too but again, im still adamant about not doing cp. plus you can jump to private practice after the bulk of your academic contributions anyway...seems that some academic folks ride into the sunset that way.

 

[HRantz]

What academic pathologists do is pretty variable, as others have said. People so far are talking about the different proportions of service work, research and teaching that academic pathologists do, but it can also be broken down by subspecialty area. Some academic pathologists run the blood bank exclusively. They don't touch anatomic pathology, never see another autopsy again, and have no surgical pathology responsibilities. Some only sign out autopsies--a good way for a research-type to get in a little service work now and then. A fair percentage of academic pathologists are surgical pathologists, +/- cytology, +/- autopsy. Some do only renal pathology, or only hematopathology. What you end up doing is based on your strengths and the structure of the institution where you are working. On top of the service work is a variable amount of research, teaching and administrative responsibilities.

 

[KeratinPearls]

I also heard from a recent graduate of our program in private practice who is working until 9-10pm every day and getting incredibly burned out. But then again I also talked to a current private person who used to be in academics and was basically forced out by an arrogant, vindictive chairman. I guess there is the potential for burnout anywhere, which makes it hard to know if a job is really a good one.

My plan continues to be academics unless I find a really good private job which is appropriate for me and what I want to do (not going to get into that here as it isn't relevant).

I sure hope he's making 500K+. If not, please pass along my sympathies.