CC3 considering a path residency... appreciate any insight

[jsegalBSD]

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i did a pathology year out fellowship at the university of rochester and immensely enjoyed the program. the program gives med students the opportunity to work as a PGY1 path resident with call responsibilities for autopsy and surg path. now that i have completed one-half of my third year, i am strongly considering path for residency. i am especially eager to return to the west coast. any advice that you may have on picking or securing a good residency would be really appreciated, thanks.

 

[mlw03]

far too vague a question. be more specific as to what you mean by "securing a good residency".

 

[oldfatman]

far too vague a question. be more specific as to what you mean by "securing a good residency".

Don't do it. You'll be at the bottom of the medical staff hierarchy for the rest of your life.

 

[yaah]

A good residency is one where you can excel, learn your stuff, and acquire the skills necessary to allow you to succeed in your future practice. Your career goals will modify this - if you are a researcher or if you are set on private practice or if you are flexible or aren't sure. So you have to pick a program that appeals to you both personally and professionally. Other than that it's a matter of making your application as strong as it can be - do well on your board exams, get good references (which should be easier given you have a lot of experience already), try to get publications, etc.

 

[oldfatman]

A good residency is one where you can excel, learn your stuff, and acquire the skills necessary to allow you to succeed in your future practice. Your career goals will modify this - if you are a researcher or if you are set on private practice or if you are flexible or aren't sure. So you have to pick a program that appeals to you both personally and professionally. Other than that it's a matter of making your application as strong as it can be - do well on your board exams, get good references (which should be easier given you have a lot of experience already), try to get publications, etc.

This is the standard answer you would get from a book or a residency program director. If you love path, and you can't imagine doing anything else for the rest of your life then join us. But please be aware that the surgeons run any hospital because leading a surgical team requires a very aggressive dominant frame of mind. This translates well into committee leadership. In contrast, pathology trains you, hopefully only in the first few years, into being a passive grossing mule. It takes a long time to unlearn this passivity.

 

[yaah]

This is the standard answer you would get from a book or a residency program director. If you love path, and you can't imagine doing anything else for the rest of your life then join us. But please be aware that the surgeons run any hospital because leading a surgical team requires a very aggressive dominant frame of mind. This translates well into committee leadership. In contrast, pathology trains you, hopefully only in the first few years, into being a passive grossing mule. It takes a long time to unlearn this passivity.

Huh? This doens't really make sense. I wasn't trained to be passive. Passivity is not learned in residency training. What do you say about passive surgeons? There are plenty of them too - did they learn that in training? Leadership is not really a skill that most residency training programs (not matter what specialty) focus on although most do have some training.

 

[lipomas]

If you're doing a PSF you have probably as much insight as anyone on this forum as to what makes for a good residency for you.

 

[lipomas]

This is the standard answer you would get from a book or a residency program director. If you love path, and you can't imagine doing anything else for the rest of your life then join us. But please be aware that the surgeons run any hospital because leading a surgical team requires a very aggressive dominant frame of mind. This translates well into committee leadership. In contrast, pathology trains you, hopefully only in the first few years, into being a passive grossing mule. It takes a long time to unlearn this passivity.

WTF is this all about? Other than the chief of surgery surgeons don't have major leadership at my hospitals. They are mostly anesthesiologists or some branch of IM and (OMG CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS TRUE!) pathologists.

Do you base a lot of your life on the proliferation of and adherence to meaningless stereotypes? I don't really see how that leads to a happy and successful life. What, every surgeon you see do you start grunting like an alpha male to try to establish your dominance? Does that work?