Career limitations with AP pharmaceutical job

[coroner]

Hey everyone, on the lookout for jobs and I was forwarded a posting from a pharmaceutical company looking for an anatomic pathologist to work in R&D. Haven't really followed up with the recruiter regarding salary, benefits, etc. as I kinda have a ballpark of what others have mentioned.

What I was wondering is that if someone were to take a position in this field of industry R&D as an anatomic pathologist, would that later limit their employability in other clinical settings? e.g. Say you work here for a couple of years, and then want to move on to a hospital/private practice setting. Will the lack of looking at frozens, cyto, heme, and non-drug related side-effect surgicals hurt your marketability from an employer's perspective? I figure even though you'd be pushing glass, it's in a non-clinical setting which could pigeon-hole your career if you wanted to change venues later on. Does anyone know these R&D types or can speak on behalf for those who hire your everyday general community pathologists?

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[mlw03]

I think your fears are legit. No matter what you're doing, if you're not looking at cases on a regular basis, you're losing those skills. Yes, you'd eventually get them back, but it might be tough. If you want to be a diagnostic community-based pathologist, then I think one should look for those types of jobs coming right from residency.

Hey everyone, on the lookout for jobs and I was forwarded a posting from a pharmaceutical company looking for an anatomic pathologist to work in R&D. Haven't really followed up with the recruiter regarding salary, benefits, etc. as I kinda have a ballpark of what others have mentioned.

What I was wondering is that if someone were to take a position in this field of industry R&D as an anatomic pathologist, would that later limit their employability in other clinical settings? e.g. Say you work here for a couple of years, and then want to move on to a hospital/private practice setting. Will the lack of looking at frozens, cyto, heme, and non-drug related side-effect surgicals hurt your marketability from an employer's perspective? I figure even though you'd be pushing glass, it's in a non-clinical setting which could pigeon-hole your career if you wanted to change venues later on. Does anyone know these R&D types or can speak on behalf for those who hire your everyday general community pathologists?

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Hey everyone, on the lookout for jobs and I was forwarded a posting from a pharmaceutical company looking for an anatomic pathologist to work in R&D. Haven't really followed up with the recruiter regarding salary, benefits, etc. as I kinda have a ballpark of what others have mentioned.

What I was wondering is that if someone were to take a position in this field of industry R&D as an anatomic pathologist, would that later limit their employability in other clinical settings? e.g. Say you work here for a couple of years, and then want to move on to a hospital/private practice setting. Will the lack of looking at frozens, cyto, heme, and non-drug related side-effect surgicals hurt your marketability from an employer's perspective? I figure even though you'd be pushing glass, it's in a non-clinical setting which could pigeon-hole your career if you wanted to change venues later on. Does anyone know these R&D types or can speak on behalf for those who hire your everyday general community pathologists?

Even in community settings you can lose skills. The drug company R and D pathologists I know love the job. You can always try to get some locum work while you work in R and D.

 

[sirenomelia]

Even in community settings you can lose skills. The drug company R and D pathologists I know love the job. You can always try to get some locum work while you work in R and D.[/QUOTE]

This. I know quite a few people who do only this for a living (PT locums) and are very happy.

 

[coroner]

Thanks for everyone weighting in. Gotta consider all options at this point.