Cytopath in demand?

[KeratinPearls]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I've heard that cytopathology is in demand. Is this true? From the presentation last week, the guy stated that cytopath was like top 5 in regards to most in demand fellowships with particular demand in Women's health. I am thinking by this he means pap smears.

From reading SDN seems like cytopath wasn't really in demand but now I am hearing the converse to be true.

 

[mlw03]

Plenty of folks do cyto that plan on private practice careers. I've known to do just that, and some that have done cyto + something else. It's just such a common fellowship - maybe second most common after general surg path. If you do just a cyto fellowship, you'd probably want to have had strong residency training since I doubt there are many jobs that mean just doing only cyto.

 

[pathstudent]

I've heard that cytopathology is in demand. Is this true? From the presentation last week, the guy stated that cytopath was like top 5 in regards to most in demand fellowships with particular demand in Women's health. I am thinking by this he means pap smears.

From reading SDN seems like cytopath wasn't really in demand but now I am hearing the converse to be true.

There aren't that many ABP boarded fellowships, so to be in the top 5 doesn't necessarily mean that much.

 

[KCShaw]

I think it's not that cytopath isn't in demand in the market, it's just not as sexy as it used to be. No idea where the "in demand" data would actually come from, either -- demanded by residents, hiring practices, assumptions based on need since there are so many paps..who knows really. Any path can do cytopath without a fellowship, and a lot do. It's just hard to market yourself to a cytopath heavy practice as comfortable with cytopath straight out of residency. A lot of residents seem to do cytopath for similar reasons they do surg path -- general marketability and improving personal confidence, although I'm sure some do it just because they really, really like it.

 

[2121115]

In reality, no fellowship is "in demand" in the sense that you are talking about. Here is what is "in demand" for a new grad:

1- speak English without an accent (unless it is an American regional accent, like Tim McGraw if in the south or Joe Pesci if in NY/NJ - you get the idea) 🙂

2- board certified in AP/CP

3- good "cultural fit" with the group (see #1 for an example of this)

4- lack of arrogance and a willingness to work hard to add value to the group

5- know enough about pathology to not screw something up too bad.

Notice that no where on the list is anything to do with making all star diagnoses or what fellowship you did. With that said, you probably do need a fellowship of some sort. Just pick one you like that is not not in demand (i.e. not medical renal or something like that).

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Endoscopic ultrasound FNA has really taken off in recent years. We have 5 of those scheduled today at my institution and 5 more tomorrow. Very time consuming. Nothing wrong with doing a cyto fellowship.

 

[pathstudent]

Endoscopic ultrasound FNA has really taken off in recent years. We have 5 of those scheduled today at my institution and 5 more tomorrow. Very time consuming. Nothing wrong with doing a cyto fellowship.

Except you can get stuck being the adequacy guy spending a couple hours a day sitting in the endoscopy suite while the gastros and pulmonologists muck around and work piles up on your desk. Ha!

 

[2121115]

Except you can get stuck being the adequacy guy spending a couple hours a day sitting in the endoscopy suite while the gastros and pulmonologists muck around and work piles up on your desk. Ha!

Yep, for pathologists this is a huge time sink. If you are doing EUS in your practice, you need a tech that can go do it.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Except you can get stuck being the adequacy guy spending a couple hours a day sitting in the endoscopy suite while the gastros and pulmonologists muck around and work piles up on your desk. Ha!

That can be a problem if you have are busy and your partners are vacationing. It's not uncommon for the pulmonologists to sample a bunch of lymph nodes Station 7, 4R and L, 10R and L etc. One procedure can drag on for close to an hour. I really dont know how well the reimbursement is but I am sure it is low considering the amount of work.

One thing I have learned after going on all these endoscopic FNAs is that PET scans are a joke. They are leading to more procedures than preventing. A positive result means virtually nothing. Get ready to see A LOT of PET positive granulomas when you are out working. I guess we should be thankful. Maybe I shouldnt keep worrying about technology afterall.

 

[pathstudent]

Yep, for pathologists this is a huge time sink. If you are doing EUS in your practice, you need a tech that can go do it.

We resisted going for months and finally got them to make the slides in the rooom and run them down to the lab to be stained and reviewed for adequacy. The gastroenterologists complained to the administration but we told the administration that it was ironic that these guys wanted our help with the work that doesn't reimburse pathology much at all but didn't want us to do their pathology for their non-governement payor office biopsies. Administrators got them to agree to our plan. They griped about it taking a couple minutes to walk the slide over but I was like "hey what's more valuable a few minutes of your time or an hour of mine",

I don't mind doing it when it is treated like a frozen section.

 

[NuckingFuts]

In reality, no fellowship is "in demand" in the sense that you are talking about. Here is what is "in demand" for a new grad:

1- speak English without an accent (unless it is an American regional accent, like Tim McGraw if in the south or Joe Pesci if in NY/NJ - you get the idea) 🙂

That is so fu@&ing prejudice, yet very true.

 

[2121115]

That is so fu@&ing prejudice, yet very true.

Not saying it should be that way, but it is what it is.