Ditching rads for path?

[wannaberad]

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So I wound up matching at a fairly mediocre (not bad, just mediocre) radiology residency, and given the rumblings about outsourcing I am not sure I will have a job in 5 years. I'm told by the department it's not too hard to get a very good path residency. I know the job market is tight in path, but I figure since your pedigree follows you around until retirement you might be better off with a top path residency than a mediocre radiology residency, especially as the current job situation may not be around forever.

I actually liked both fields about equally but wound up going with radiology because of the tight path job market. I may have made a mistake.

 

[CameronFrye]

So I wound up matching at a fairly mediocre (not bad, just mediocre) radiology residency, and given the rumblings about outsourcing I am not sure I will have a job in 5 years. I'm told by the department it's not too hard to get a very good path residency. I know the job market is tight in path, but I figure since your pedigree follows you around until retirement you might be better off with a top path residency than a mediocre radiology residency, especially as the current job situation may not be around forever.

I actually liked both fields about equally but wound up going with radiology because of the tight path job market. I may have made a mistake.

I wouldn't worry about the rads job market too much. Actually, in my opinion, if you truly like path and rads equally, you should probably go with rads.

 

[LADoc00]

So I wound up matching at a fairly mediocre (not bad, just mediocre) radiology residency, and given the rumblings about outsourcing I am not sure I will have a job in 5 years. I'm told by the department it's not too hard to get a very good path residency. I know the job market is tight in path, but I figure since your pedigree follows you around until retirement you might be better off with a top path residency than a mediocre radiology residency, especially as the current job situation may not be around forever.

I actually liked both fields about equally but wound up going with radiology because of the tight path job market. I may have made a mistake.

Here's a few facts, the CompHealth recruiter who admins pathology also admins radiology (or at least did for a short time last year). Being in charge of both, she had the ability to compare apples and apples and had access to all the offers...
In California, there were literally 20 (!!!) Rads positions for everyone 1 path. The average Rads offer was 300+, Path was 180. Gleam from that what you will.

 

[djmd]

I wouldn't worry about the rads job market too much. Actually, in my opinion, if you truly like path and rads equally, you should probably go with rads.

Yeah in the unlikely even that you like them both equally go with Rad.
You really shouldn't go into Path just because you can get into a better program and the job market might (debatable) be better... especially if you don't like path as much as you like Rads.

 

[mlw03]

The outsourcing thing is as real a possibility in path as it is in rad, but I doubt either will manifest because as US surgeon, nephrologist, gyn, etc isn't going to want to base their clinical decision on a doctor 8000 miles away. Also, for the purposes of lawsuits, basing your decision not to cut out more tissue on a pathologist reading a frozen section, and that pathologist not having passed US licensing exams sounds like a risky decision to me.

As to the original topic, rads are taking over medicine as there is a greater movement towards less invasive procedures. I have friends interested in rad and I don't worry for a second that they'll all be able to find gainful employment anywhere in the country.