Compensation for remote molecular pathology work

[bauber]

I'm exploring doing some remote molpath signout part time (NGS)...The person I spoke to said they were looking for several molecular boarded people so they definitely have a need. What should I ask for? Is there a known market rate for this? Salary or per case fee? I've been seeing remote jobs pop up here and there in the last 6 months.

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[gbwillner]

This depends on so many factors. Panel size? What variant types are detected? Are you providing an interpretation of the findings? Are you reviewing other medical records?

I wouldn't touch anything without reviewing the validation- the last thing you want to do is put your name on something that is garbage, and these tests are far from routine or simple to set up.

 

[bauber]

Don't have a ton of details yet but they are a pretty well respected molecular reference lab with a national presence so I don't suspect they have garbage fundamentals or test performance, but good to know. I also have a former co-resident who works there I can ask.

The panels range in size from 30-300ish genes. Point mutations, indels, small rearrangements. They do offer NGS based gene fusion panels as well. Don't think I'll get to review outside records and from what I understand they have variant analysts that do a lot of the upfront legwork but I will be tweaking and signing off on the interpretation.

 

[deleted314957]

I'm exploring doing some remote molpath signout part time (NGS)...The person I spoke to said they were looking for several molecular boarded people so they definitely have a need. What should I ask for? Is there a known market rate for this? Salary or per case fee? I've been seeing remote jobs pop up here and there in the last 6 months.

I have no idea what the consolation, sorry, compensation is for something like that but as with anything, you get what you negotiate. Start high and go from there.

 

[LADoc00]

I'm exploring doing some remote molpath signout part time (NGS)...The person I spoke to said they were looking for several molecular boarded people so they definitely have a need. What should I ask for? Is there a known market rate for this? Salary or per case fee? I've been seeing remote jobs pop up here and there in the last 6 months.

Personally why not just build your own NGS lab...I think the start up costs are all the way down to 250K now. Or work for a company for 6 months, copy their business model and just open up shop locally.

You guys gotta think more Silicon Valley, dont be the ho, be the pimp.

 

[gbwillner]

Personally why not just build your own NGS lab..

I like the cut of 'yer jib. I did this.

.I think the start up costs are all the way down to 250K now.

You are off by a factor of 10, unless you already have everything you need except a sequencer, and you plan on doing crap tests no one wants. You are gonna drop $300K just on sequencing validation samples. Almost all NGS tests are LDTs and require extensive validations, unless you get that one FDA-cleared one from PGDx. Then your per test cost is so high because you probably have to give 2/3 of your revenue to PGDx.

Or work for a company for 6 months, copy their business model and just open up shop locally

You are looking at 1-3 years for development, needing to set up the lab but also have sales and marketing, and need a way to deliver services to clients at little to no cost to the patient. How do you compete with FMI or national labs that give their tests away or pay ordering clinicians for "research studies"? Running 1 sample costs almost the same as running 30, except running 1 sample, even if paid full price, results in a $5K loss. How do you deal with low volume? Many payors are still not reimbursing. It takes balls of steel to pull this off.

 

[deleted314957]

I like the cut of 'yer jib. I did this.

You are off by a factor of 10, unless you already have everything you need except a sequencer, and you plan on doing crap tests no one wants. You are gonna drop $300K just on sequencing validation samples. Almost all NGS tests are LDTs and require extensive validations, unless you get that one FDA-cleared one from PGDx. Then your per test cost is so high because you probably have to give 2/3 of your revenue to PGDx.

You are looking at 1-3 years for development, needing to set up the lab but also have sales and marketing, and need a way to deliver services to clients at little to no cost to the patient. How do you compete with FMI or national labs that give their tests away or pay ordering clinicians for "research studies"? Running 1 sample costs almost the same as running 30, except running 1 sample, even if paid full price, results in a $5K loss. How do you deal with low volume? Many payors are still not reimbursing. It takes balls of steel to pull this off.

Good for you gb!
You are a go getter.

 

[LADoc00]

I literally just got a Lighthouse quote and a competitor quote for NGS start up (Im doing so many other things atm Im swamped beyond imagining) and both were well below 500K for everything including validation...

 

[gbwillner]

I literally just got a Lighthouse quote and a competitor quote for NGS start up (Im doing so many other things atm Im swamped beyond imagining) and both were well below 500K for everything including validation...

A- is it a crap thermo fisher panel?
B- "validation"? Is it enough to convince any knowledgeable party that the test meets AMP/CAP and NY state guidelines? Do you know what you are actually buying? What good is a test and validation if payers refuse to pay for it?