Do you consider Pathologists and Radiologists "real" doctors?

[SoCalRULES!!!!!]

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Just curious to get your opinion. It seems like people in the community sometimes don't consider those fields as real doctors, but rads gets more cred than path.

What do you think?

 

[1Path]

Perhaps a good time to ask this question is after your doctor has removed a suspicious lump from your chest. 👎

 

[mellow yellow]

Just curious to get your opinion. It seems like people in the community sometimes don't consider those fields as real doctors, but rads gets more cred than path.

What do you think?

what a foolish, ignorant post. you must be a premed... i hope.....

 

[beanbean]

Why wouldn't they be considered "real" doctors?

 

[bigdan]

At the tumor board that I attend, the oncologists typically say "...and we can't do anything for treatment until the pathologists and radiologists let us know what's really wrong, and then we can stage it..." or something to that effect.

Rads and paths are the real deal - the guys (and gals) at our place are FANTASTIC doctors.

dc

 

[SoCalRULES!!!!!]

what a foolish, ignorant post. you must be a premed... i hope.....

I never gave my opinion.

 

[Mastashake]

I'm premed, so my views may be skewed...

I think they are definitely doctors, but they are in a different sense. Nowhere does it say you have to have the patient interaction these specialties don't. They are different (perhaps a little black sheepish), but they are VERY CRUCIAL to the wheel of medicine (about as close to the center as you can get).

Also, I know a doctor who is in interventional radiology, and even though he went to radiology school, he doesn't have the same job description as a "regular" radiologist. So don't let the title fool you 🙂

Mastashake

 

[Paws]

Also, I know a doctor who is in interventional radiology, and even though he went to radiology school, he doesn't have the same job description as a "regular" radiologist. So don't let the title fool you 🙂

Mastashake

What is radiology school? I thought interventional radiologists were doctors, are you describing an adjunct role that your friend has?

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm premed, so my views may be skewed...

I think they are definitely doctors, but they are in a different sense. Nowhere does it say you have to have the patient interaction these specialties don't. They are different (perhaps a little black sheepish), but they are VERY CRUCIAL to the wheel of medicine (about as close to the center as you can get).

Also, I know a doctor who is in interventional radiology, and even though he went to radiology school, he doesn't have the same job description as a "regular" radiologist. So don't let the title fool you 🙂

Mastashake

There is no such thing as "radiology school" FYI -- they go to med school like any other doctor. As the various specialties fight over turf, the radiologists have started managing to wrest a significant portion of what used to belong to surgeons and other specialties, and will continue to do so, because those specialties don't have access to the newer technology that lets you see what you are doing without cutting open the patient. It pays to have the right toys...

 

[Mastashake]

There is no such thing as "radiology school" FYI -- they go to med school like any other doctor. As the various specialties fight over turf, the radiologists have started managing to wrest a significant portion of what used to belong to surgeons and other specialties, and will continue to do so, because those specialties don't have access to the newer technology that lets you see what you are doing without cutting open the patient. It pays to have the right toys...

Perhaps you were looking for the word residency? I was typing fast, my mistake.

Mastashake

 

[TripleDegree]

I'm premed, so my views may be skewed...

I think they are definitely doctors, but they are in a different sense. Nowhere does it say you have to have the patient interaction these specialties don't. They are different (perhaps a little black sheepish), but they are VERY CRUCIAL to the wheel of medicine (about as close to the center as you can get).

Also, I know a doctor who is in interventional radiology, and even though he went to radiology school, he doesn't have the same job description as a "regular" radiologist. So don't let the title fool you 🙂

Mastashake

No offense, but your post is stupid (especially the last paragraph) - and this whole thread is inane. I request the mods to close.

 

[skypilot]

Pathologists and Radiologists are doctor's doctors. That is, they are the consultants that doctors go to when they can't answer the question themselves.

 

[kingcer0x]

No offense, but your post is stupid (especially the last paragraph) - and this whole thread is inane. I request the mods to close.

Yeah, I cant believe this thread made it this far. Has the OP ever set foot in a hospital? Or a medical school? Or watched a medical show on TV? Haha

 

[Law2Doc]

Yeah, I cant believe this thread made it this far. Has the OP ever set foot in a hospital? Or a medical school? Or watched a medical show on TV? Haha

Has there even been a pathologist or radiologist character in a medical TV program since maybe St Elsewhere (which had the former)?

 

[xanthines]

Quincy, the CSI's, Law & Order... I'm sure there must be more.

Never heard of St. Elsewhere.

-X

Has there even been a pathologist or radiologist character in a medical TV program since maybe St Elsewhere (which had the former)?

 

[1Path]

Has there even been a pathologist or radiologist character in a medical TV program since maybe St Elsewhere (which had the former)?

Ever heard of CSI??

 

[kingcer0x]

Scrubs has the albino radiologist who we never see, the head of radiology who makes an appearance in season 3 episode 1, and Doug, the ex-Im resident who switched to pathology.

Pathologists probably show up in those crime dramas.

 

[1Path]

Has there even been a pathologist or radiologist character in a medical TV program since maybe St Elsewhere (which had the former)?

Or is it that the only medical TV programs familar to former lawyers are shows like "nip/tuck"?

 

[Law2Doc]

Quincy, the CSI's, Law & Order... I'm sure there must be more.

Never heard of St. Elsewhere.

-X

Are they "pathologists" or "coroners/medical examiners"? Is there a difference? Besides, Quincy, M.E. hasn't been on TV anywhere I've lived for a lot longer than St Elsewhere...

Edit: I found an answer to my own question -- a coroner is an elected position and a medical examiner is a politically appointed position. In some parts of the US they needn't actually be physicians (are often former funeral directors), but in such case, must contract with physicians to do the autopsies. So to the extent you are seeing people doing autopsies on TV, they are pathologists...

 

[fun8stuff]

Has there even been a pathologist or radiologist character in a medical TV program since maybe St Elsewhere (which had the former)?

does anyone remember the chick radiologist who tries to get doogie howser's sperm so she can have a genius kid?

 

[SoCalRULES!!!!!]

Yeah, I cant believe this thread made it this far. Has the OP ever set foot in a hospital? Or a medical school? Or watched a medical show on TV? Haha

Yeah, on a recent Gray's Anatomy show when they needed an autopsy the surgical interns did it themselves.

 

[SoCalRULES!!!!!]

In medical school, we didn't pay any respect to the pathology instructors. Most of us never went to class and most of the students thought they were a bunch of goofballs. But we showed so much respect to attendings on the wards, listening intently to ever word, nodding our heads, wanting to impress them.

 

[Law2Doc]

Yeah, on a recent Gray's Anatomy show when they needed an autopsy the surgical interns did it themselves.

Yeah. They seem to read their own films too. Must be a very cost efficient hospital system in Seattle.

 

[aragonh]

There is no such thing as "radiology school" FYI -- they go to med school like any other doctor. As the various specialties fight over turf, the radiologists have started managing to wrest a significant portion of what used to belong to surgeons and other specialties, and will continue to do so, because those specialties don't have access to the newer technology that lets you see what you are doing without cutting open the patient. It pays to have the right toys...

Maybe somebody can tell me here. . .but I though I read somewhere that hospitals are outsourcing the radiology jobs. . .to India. They scan the x-ray slides in, send them over the internet, and the radiologists there do the same job for a fraction of the cost.

Advances in technology nowadays. . .

 

[DarksideAllstar]

But we showed so much respect to attendings on the wards, listening intently to ever word, nodding our heads, wanting to impress them.

You mean kissing ass so that you could get honors on the rotation and that rads residency? I deem you the official loser of SDN. All hail!

 

[idq1i]

Maybe somebody can tell me here. . .but I though I read somewhere that hospitals are outsourcing the radiology jobs. . .to India. They scan the x-ray slides in, send them over the internet, and the radiologists there do the same job for a fraction of the cost.

Advances in technology nowadays. . .

Only BC radiologists can read our films. Therefore, there is no need to worry about an oversupply of cheap radiologists abroad. How many US-trained radiologists are going to move to India so that they could work for much less $$$? Not many.

On top of everything, do you really care about who gets to read a film at 4am, as long as you don't have to?

 

[Law2Doc]

Maybe somebody can tell me here. . .but I though I read somewhere that hospitals are outsourcing the radiology jobs. . .to India. They scan the x-ray slides in, send them over the internet, and the radiologists there do the same job for a fraction of the cost.

Advances in technology nowadays. . .

It's happening, but so far only on a small scale. (I think it's called "Nighthawk" or something like that). It's particularly used for overnights, to limit the number of radiologists on-call, since it's daytime in India then. Generally the radiologists in India have to be US trained, and the US based staff radiologists still need to go over everything in the morning here (presumably for liability reasons) so the savings aren't so huge. But yes, it is probably part of the future landscape of that specialty.

 

[SoCalRULES!!!!!]

Yeah. They seem to read their own films too. Must be a very cost efficient hospital system in Seattle.

Everyone thinks they can read the films.

 

[TheFlash]

Just curious to get your opinion. It seems like people in the community sometimes don't consider those fields as real doctors, but rads gets more cred than path.

What do you think?

apparently you're not in medical school yet. pathologists and radiologists are fundamental in the diagnosis of disease. in fact, many IM specialists are fearful that radiology and radiation oncology will almost completely eliminate the need for physical exams as technology gets more advanced.

next time you're in surgery, watch how fast the colorectal surgeon sends the suspected invasive carcinoma to the pathologist for diagnosis. it'll make your head spin.

 

[xanthines]

You asked about characters, not main characters. CSI and L/O have pathologists on them.

In some places coroners are elected. In others they are appointed. I think in most cases, it just goes to whoever wants the job. They needn't be former funeral directors either. Although a little sketchy, some coroners are current directors/owners of funeral homes. In some places, there is no coroner system because of the ME's office. In others, both exist sometimes resulting in conflict.

I researched this a lot after reading about the credentials of my local coroner. He has none.

I've never seen Quincy. I'd only heard about it.

-X

Are they "pathologists" or "coroners/medical examiners"? Is there a difference? Besides, Quincy, M.E. hasn't been on TV anywhere I've lived for a lot longer than St Elsewhere...

Edit: I found an answer to my own question -- a coroner is an elected position and a medical examiner is a politically appointed position. In some parts of the US they needn't actually be physicians (are often former funeral directors), but in such case, must contract with physicians to do the autopsies. So to the extent you are seeing people doing autopsies on TV, they are pathologists...

 

[Paws]

In medical school, we didn't pay any respect to the pathology instructors. Most of us never went to class and most of the students thought they were a bunch of goofballs. But we showed so much respect to attendings on the wards, listening intently to ever word, nodding our heads, wanting to impress them.

Socal, you sound a little un-wordly and naive. Pathologists are the key to the magical kingdom, so to speak. If you went to class and got to know a few of the instructors, you might have realized that. They know just about everything about what can go wrong in the body. I love our path professors and I also love talking to them because I learn so much from them. Plus, many of them tend to be very nice people.

As for the wards, most attendings worth their white coats fortunately have excellent BS detectors and so your behavior might not have really impressed them at the end of the day. I think most attendings (and people) are pretty impressed by honesty, hard work and integrity though. Sincerity and humbleness can help, too.