AP only and later add CP?

[js223]

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I am MS3 and have been considering pathology research tracks, given I have a couple of pubs and enjoy research. Yet, I am a bit uncertain about doing AP or CP only. How likely is it to add CP training during your residency if you start with AP only and later decide you want CP too? How about start with CP only and later add AP?

Do bigger programs allow this? An examples of this being done? Or do you have to decide before you apply. I think I like both so far, but a tough choice so early on...

 

[Dral]

I can't answer your specific question, but I can give you some insight. One thing to consider is that you are finished with your education one year earlier with a single track, but keep in mind that job markets can be competitive and that extra year of training of combined tracks gives you marketability.

 

[caffeinegirl]

I am MS3 and have been considering pathology research tracks, given I have a couple of pubs and enjoy research. Yet, I am a bit uncertain about doing AP or CP only. How likely is it to add CP training during your residency if you start with AP only and later decide you want CP too? How about start with CP only and later add AP?

Do bigger programs allow this? An examples of this being done? Or do you have to decide before you apply. I think I like both so far, but a tough choice so early on...

Bigger programs, such as the one that I'm at, are flexible in allowing switches from AP and CP. However, most of the switches that occur are that of people starting off AP and CP, and dropping one or the other. I think it does depend on the scheduling of the program. We usually switch b/w AP and CP rotations about every four months after your first year, whereas other programs have one year blocks of AP and CP. My advice would be to start AP/CP, and after taking some rotations in both fields, you can decide which one to drop...but that's just my opinion.

 

[HbyHA]

I am also at a large program. we have lots of examples of people switching back and forth. one person started out AP only and finished up CP only last year. i'm not sure when he decided to switch and if he ended up having to do an extra year to complete CP b/c he had done so much AP already. another person started CP only, completed that, then decided to do AP as well. it took him 5 years to finish up.

We usually have 1-2 CP only and 1-2 AP only or AP/NP that start out in a given class, the rest are usually AP/CP. What ends up happening most time is the AP/CP drops the AP part and become CP only during their first year. in that case, we just ask that you finish up the rest of the year that you were scheduled to do so we aren't scrambling to cover rotations. We do have a few examples of people dropping CP to become AP only, and depending on their timing, they may have to do a fourth year. one person in this case got a Derm path fellowship, so he prob won't need CP anyway.

We have a mix n' match type approach to schedule, with the goal of 6 months of each, but in some cases we have to schedule people for 9 months of CP their first year (which is what I did, no big deal). you can imagine that if you make this decision early on, you can probably finish up the "-only" in three years, but you may lose a fair bit of elective time.

I agree with caffeingirl, you should probably do AP/CP and decide after taking a few months of each. Of course, this may be difficult if you are at a program where people do one for a year straight. I think they usually start w/ a year of AP, so you could probably finish the CP requirements during year 2 and 3 if you switched, i think. Also keep in mind that what you think you like and may end up doing could change after you get into residency and that having AP/CP makes you more flexible rather then likely being tied to an academic center as many of the "-only"'s can be.

 

[malchik]

My experience and suggestion would echo c-girl above. As far as marketability, it depends on the market you're talking about. For the private practice market, AP/CP is best. For the academic market, it might even be an advantage to have just one. It would allow you to focus on your specialty, progress faster, and look more academically serious when you apply for competitive fellowships and jobs that prefer academic types.

 

[js223]

Thank you all for the comments and replies!

I understand for the private practice market, AP/CP is best, and for the academic market, it probably is advantageous to have just one. It also seems that your application for research track would be taken more seriously if you apply to CP or AP only.

However, research is not without struggle, and much success for getting a faculty job depends on how well you do in your postdoc research. This would have something to do with luck too. I am very interested in faculty positions and having a lab, so I would be very happy doing CP only + resaerch. This makes the training period shorter. However, what if projects don't work as expected? Will I be able to add AP to add marketability for private practice?

How likely is it nowadays to land a CP faculty position in top institutions? Since so many PhDs can run labs, does it mean CP only faculty jobs for CP trained pathologists are few? How about AP only?