"Audition" rotation performance

[absolutdokta]

During our 3rd year we are required to do several core rotations (internal med, surgery, obgyn, peds, psych and a few others) with only a couple opportunities to do rotations of our choice. During 4th year the opportunities increase. So as 3rd year students we are exposed to tons of patients, we learn all about examining them, diagnosing them, treating them, etc. Come the end of 3rd year/beginning of 4th year when we do our audition rotations we are pretty good at it and are ready to impress the sites we are hoping to do residency at. What if you want to do something like pathology?? From the few pop quizzes the pathologist has thrown up during the weekly tumor board I feel like its gonna take more than a few rotations to be able to even confirm that the kidney biopsy I've been sent is indeed a kidney biopsy. How do I perform well in a pathology audition rotation with practically no pathology skills?

Even in 4th year our school limits the amount of time we can spend in any one specialty so it seems like for specialties with an almost entirely different set of skills its like youre starting from scratch when you graduate and move into residency.

The more time I spend rotating in hospitals and offices the more I'm leaning toward pathology, specifically forensic. Lest you think I'm just another delusional med student, its not something I thought would be cool after watching CSI or whatever other crime show is all the rave. I'm seriously about it and just hoping to be able to be at my best come those audition rotations. thanks

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[NuckingFuts]

During our 3rd year we are required to do several core rotations (internal med, surgery, obgyn, peds, psych and a few others) with only a couple opportunities to do rotations of our choice. During 4th year the opportunities increase. So as 3rd year students we are exposed to tons of patients, we learn all about examining them, diagnosing them, treating them, etc. Come the end of 3rd year/beginning of 4th year when we do our audition rotations we are pretty good at it and are ready to impress the sites we are hoping to do residency at. What if you want to do something like pathology?? From the few pop quizzes the pathologist has thrown up during the weekly tumor board I feel like its gonna take more than a few rotations to be able to even confirm that the kidney biopsy I've been sent is indeed a kidney biopsy. How do I perform well in a pathology audition rotation with practically no pathology skills?

Even in 4th year our school limits the amount of time we can spend in any one specialty so it seems like for specialties with an almost entirely different set of skills its like youre starting from scratch when you graduate and move into residency.

The more time I spend rotating in hospitals and offices the more I'm leaning toward pathology, specifically forensic. Lest you think I'm just another delusional med student, its not something I thought would be cool after watching CSI or whatever other crime show is all the rave. I'm seriously about it and just hoping to be able to be at my best come those audition rotations. thanks

There are many med students in your predicament. Pathology as a subject in med school, even at Harvard and Stanford, have been severely marginalized compared to what it was a few years ago. Subsequently, my department allows med students to sit in on sign-outs (we have numerous multiheaded scopes in my department) whenever they have an afternoon to spare- details are worked out on an individual basis.

 

[mlw03]

Like was said, this is common. And people know it, so the expectations are low for rotating med students. To perform "well" as a med student on path, you should know your gross anatomy, basic microscopic anatomy (know you're looking at liver, not kidney - being able to tell where in the GI tract you are is a bonus), and basic concepts such as TMN staging. If you're sure you want to do path, get the Molavi book and read through it, that's a great intro to surg path. For FP, DiMaio is a solid and readable first book.

If you have specific FP questions, feel free to PM me. I'm just out of training, and was in your shoes about 6 years ago.

 

[2121115]

Here is how you honor your pathology rotation.

1. Don't diss the profession of pathology while on the rotation in front of residents, fellows, or attendings.

2. Don't fall asleep at the scope.

3. Dress well, brush teeth, shower, and be presentable.

4. Ask a question from time to time.

5. Tell them you want to be a pathologist.

 

[deleted314957]

Here is how you honor your pathology rotation.

1. Don't diss the profession of pathology while on the rotation in front of residents, fellows, or attendings.

2. Don't fall asleep at the scope.

3. Dress well, brush teeth, shower, and be presentable.

4. Ask a question from time to time.

5. Tell them you want to be a pathologist.

Amen

 

[KeratinPearls]

Here is how you honor your pathology rotation.

1. Don't diss the profession of pathology while on the rotation in front of residents, fellows, or attendings.

2. Don't fall asleep at the scope.

3. Dress well, brush teeth, shower, and be presentable.

4. Ask a question from time to time.

5. Tell them you want to be a pathologist.

6. Don't be a weird ass

7. Help out residents when they need it.

8. Dont be an annoying ass.

9. You will have to give a presentation. This is your time to shine. Make sure you give a great presentation about the gross and microscopic findings of a case and the differentials in detail. Know your entity cold like you were a resident.

 

[mrp]

My main criteria for giving out honors to med students rotating on surg path are that they 1) show up 2) ask a question occasionally, and 3) look interested. It's that easy. I expect them to know basically nothing related to pathology.

 

[KCShaw]

This question comes up a lot, so search around for similar threads.

I agree with what folks have generally said -- relax because the expectations are low because everyone knows the real-world practice of pathology is generally very poorly taught in medical school, and literally showing up, showing interest, and not being a doofus (don't need to act like a gunner, don't need to totally brown-nose, but do be able to keep up a low key conversation at sign-out while not entirely losing focus of the job at hand, and from time to time do ask if there's anything you can do to help) will usually earn you props. Part of showing interest should include doing some reading about what you're seeing during the rotation and not making the same mistakes over and over. Most departments seem to ask students to do a short presentation at the end -- better is better, but don't have a cow about it either. Hopefully there will be a presentation or two from a resident during your rotation which you may be able to pattern yours after. Or, you may not have to do one at all (if they don't bring it up, perhaps offer to do one, if you're hungry for that sorta thing).

For comparison, while I was a resident I was occasionally asked about X, Y, or Z students who were supposed to be rotating with us, and I literally had never seen or heard of those students. I got the impression those people still passed, or perhaps they had enough passes and had already matched and didn't care, because it kept on happening. More commonly they would show up on day one, and never be seen again. Whether they were turning something in to the rotation supervisor at the end or helping someone over at the med school stack books I don't know, but they certainly weren't "rotating" in the department. But in some places certain rotations are accepted end-of-year slack-off no-show rotations, and pathology sometimes fits that bill. Don't waste the rotation, particularly if it's something you think you might want to do.

As for forensic path, it's a little bit of a niche within a niche. Most pathology departments have no attendings interested in forensic path or autopsy and many see it as an un/poorly paid messy time drain to be avoided, so don't be surprised if you mention it and get something from a slightly funny look all the way to outright disparagement. (Just keep in mind that you may get the last laugh, as although it doesn't compare to private practice pathology in terms of salary, I don't know anyone who has struggled in finding a job and if anything I suspect the field will continue to grow as more and more interested is placed upon it. Posted starting salaries for straight-out-of-fellowship FP's has increased pretty steadily since I started monitoring them in the early to mid 2000's.) You can always try to do a rotation specifically in a medical examiner's office, however doing well on a general AP pathology rotation will almost certainly help you more in getting into a decent residency, and a decent residency will help you get into a good FP fellowship (decent FP fellowships are not hard to land, but the very good ones are still somewhat competitive).

 

[absolutdokta]

This is all very good information, thank you for your responses,