CP for the future dermatopathologist?

[CornellDerm]

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I am currently a PGY-4 AP/CP. I am fortunate enough to have already secured a dermpath fellowship for next year. My fourth year is very heavy on the CP rotations. I am confident that if I put in enough time this year, I should pass the CP boards.

That being said, I would rather polish up my AP skills this year and start studying dermatology since that seems more relevant to my future endeavors. Should I just bite the bullet, study my butt off for the CP boards, and worry about dermpath next year? Or should I spend this year doing derm projects and studying dermatology while preparing for the AP boards (and not take CP boards)?

In other words, am I wasting my time with CP or is it possible that I will still use CP as a private practice dermatopathologist.

Any educated opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[yaah]

I don't know, I wonder about this too. I would say if you know you are going into private practice, doing CP will give you more options. Unless, of course, you want to do only dermpath in which case it might be less important (as many dermpath only jobs don't care whether you are path or derm trained). I know people who have gotten private DP jobs (including jobs with some general surg path also) without any CP training. I guess theoretically it would be important, but not vital right now.

 

[dermpathdoc]

see my post in this forum "AP only and F*ck the CP? "
DP is changing..it used to be you could come froma rpgram and get a DP ony slot right out of training in an academic or big ref lab..those are dwindling..now the jobs are in labs seeking to expand in thier local area and they dont want just the AP DP people they want people who will do AP CP DP and carry the surg path load....better cover all your bases. Take it from an academic patholgist with DP cert who has been trying to find a job for the last 5 years outside the DP only area....while I am AP CP and also am asst med director..i will not do cyto path..which has been the death knell of most of job apps

I am currently a PGY-4 AP/CP. I am fortunate enough to have already secured a dermpath fellowship for next year. My fourth year is very heavy on the CP rotations. I am confident that if I put in enough time this year, I should pass the CP boards.

That being said, I would rather polish up my AP skills this year and start studying dermatology since that seems more relevant to my future endeavors. Should I just bite the bullet, study my butt off for the CP boards, and worry about dermpath next year? Or should I spend this year doing derm projects and studying dermatology while preparing for the AP boards (and not take CP boards)?

In other words, am I wasting my time with CP or is it possible that I will still use CP as a private practice dermatopathologist.

Any educated opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[LADoc00]

Lacking CP you are really shooting yourself in the foot. Example: my hospital requires the medical director be CP boarded, REQUIRES. Which means any dermpath I hired would not ever be medical director unless we got that changed.

You are limiting yourself to what I feel is a confined marketplace in doing only outpatient derm. You wont neccessarily be on a medical staff of a hospital and in direct toe-to-toe competition with the AP/CP group at a neighboring med center I dont think you will win..for a lot of reasons I wont elaborate.

Ask yourself what the hell you want to do. You want to work for someone or be your own boss?

I think the old models of outpatient pathology services are numbered. I also think eventually legislation will ban pod labs owned by MDs who self-refer. In addition, I think malprac carriers and insurance companies will stop paying dermatologists to read slides who arent also dermpath boarded.

Be careful painting yourself into a corner.

Basically, you are employable at the current time with just Ap/DP. Meaning someone somewhere will hire you. To me, that is MEANINGLESS. Your goals should include independance, self direction and pride in building something rather than just punch clocking for Ameripath.

If you want to punch clock for big academia, some Wall Street investor in Quest or an arrogant group of dermatologists, go for it. Just dont PM me, I dont have any other advice other than shoot yourself.

 

[Thaitanium]

Lacking CP you are really shooting yourself in the foot. Example: my hospital requires the medical director be CP boarded, REQUIRES. Which means any dermpath I hired would not ever be medical director unless we got that changed.

You are limiting yourself to what I feel is a confined marketplace in doing only outpatient derm. You wont neccessarily be on a medical staff of a hospital and in direct toe-to-toe competition with the AP/CP group at a neighboring med center I dont think you will win..for a lot of reasons I wont elaborate.

Ask yourself what the hell you want to do. You want to work for someone or be your own boss?

I want to be my own boss.

I also think eventually legislation will ban pod labs owned by MDs who self-refer.

In addition, I think malprac carriers and insurance companies will stop paying dermatologists to read slides who arent also dermpath boarded.

Be careful painting yourself into a corner.

Basically, you are employable at the current time with just Ap/DP. Meaning someone somewhere will hire you. To me, that is MEANINGLESS. Your goals should include independance, self direction and pride in building something rather than just punch clocking for Ameripath.

If you want to punch clock for big academia, some Wall Street investor in Quest or an arrogant group of dermatologists, go for it. Just dont PM me, I dont have any other advice other than shoot yourself.

I, too, would like to work for myself. I don't need to take shat from anyone. Being in academia is not going to do that. I like your way of life and thinking LADOC.

 

[yaah]

Just because you're in academia doesn't mean you're somebody's pet. Academic pathologists in general have a lot of independence and freedom (once tenured) to take their career in different directions. Obviously, there are lots of restrictions and pressures. But that's true anywhere. There is no magic road to freedom and $$$, it will be different for everyone.

 

[CornellDerm]

Thank you for all your comments. I appreciate the feedback very much.

It sounds like the general consensus is to take both the AP and CP boards. I am not passionately oppososed to CP (in fact I enjoy some aspects of it), but I didn't go to medical school or go into pathology to be a lab director. For me, independence (as you suggest is important and I agree) would be to do what I want--which is, dermatopathology and maybe some breat pathology on the side (that's my second favorite).

Nontheless, if I have to sign out a few coagulation tests, hemoglobin gels, or IFEs, etc., it won't be the end of the world.

I guess I should start reading Henry and put the derm books on hold.

Cheers!

P.S. -- LADOC: I may be wrong, but I sense that you have a dislike of dermatopathology? Why is this? I can say that there seems to be a lot of psychodrama in dermpath, even in my limited initiation into the field. Just curious.

 

[CornellDerm]

I spent the better part of my Saturday (today) supervising the new residents doing an autopsy and grossing surgical pathology.

As a 28 year-old living in NYC and making very little money, all I want for now is to complete my dermpath fellowship and get a decent job making a reasonable income. Tired of having loans hanging over my head and having no $$$.

Perhaps later on in life, I can focus on "becoming my own boss" but frankly speaking, I wouldn't mind working for Ameripath right now.

Thanks again.

 

[sohsie]

Thank you for all your comments. I appreciate the feedback very much.

It sounds like the general consensus is to take both the AP and CP boards. I am not passionately oppososed to CP (in fact I enjoy some aspects of it), but I didn't go to medical school or go into pathology to be a lab director. For me, independence (as you suggest is important and I agree) would be to do what I want--which is, dermatopathology and maybe some breat pathology on the side (that's my second favorite).

Nontheless, if I have to sign out a few coagulation tests, hemoglobin gels, or IFEs, etc., it won't be the end of the world.

I guess I should start reading Henry and put the derm books on hold.

Cheers!

P.S. -- LADOC: I may be wrong, but I sense that you have a dislike of dermatopathology? Why is this? I can say that there seems to be a lot of psychodrama in dermpath, even in my limited initiation into the field. Just curious.

I would put down Henry (try not to drop it on your foot) and pick up the much lighter and much more board focused Mais Quick Compendium. Just make sure to keep an eye out for the mistakes (there are many, but if you suplement your reading, you'll pick them up), although the rumor is that a corrected edition is coming soon.

 

[LADoc00]

P.S. -- LADOC: I may be wrong, but I sense that you have a dislike of dermatopathology? Why is this? I can say that there seems to be a lot of psychodrama in dermpath, even in my limited initiation into the field. Just curious.

Hmm, no idea where you got that. I like derm, very very worthwhile fellowship even if you put aside the $ considerations. Lots of inflammatory derm and melanocytic stuff needs boarded peeps not to mention immuno derm. Alot of it has to do with how poorly AP programs train in derm.

As for "being your own boss", that is personal preference, I do respect the fact that not everyone is cut out to be me or someone like me. What I try to attempt with hyperbole is demonstrating that are real intangible as well as tangible benefits to being self employed or employee-majority shareholder than being an employee, even if as an employee you are highly compensated.


As Ive said before many times, this is one man's advice. Take it for what it is worth. My experience is gathered from 10+ medical centers and universities Ive floated through, 25+ job interviews, a gig in a public hospital system, another in a small corporation and finally my own journey to financial independence.