Dont really like Cytology...

[KeratinPearls]

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So I enjoy surgpath a lot but I am not all that in love with cytopathology. Do practices want you to sign out cyto as well? I am hoping to do a surgpath fellowship + a subspec fellowship after that. I wouldnt feel comfortable signing out cyto with only two months of it.

If I can just focus on surgpath, that would be my ideal job.

 

[Enkidu]

So I enjoy surgpath a lot but I am not all that in love with cytopathology. Do practices want you to sign out cyto as well? I am hoping to do a surgpath fellowship + a subspec fellowship after that. I wouldnt feel comfortable signing out cyto with only two months of it.

If I can just focus on surgpath, that would be my ideal job.

Do you find cytopathology difficult, or just boring?

I've sat through some cytopathology cases and I thought that the pathologist didn't do a good job of describing why they signed them out the way they did. I'm sure it's scientific, but it seemed a lot like they were going on instinct.

 

[KeratinPearls]

Do you find cytopathology difficult, or just boring?

I've sat through some cytopathology cases and I thought that the pathologist didn't do a good job of describing why they signed them out the way they did. I'm sure it's scientific, but it seemed a lot like they were going on instinct.

Boring.

 

[sirenomelia]

Most private practice groups will expect you to do cytology. They usually have one or more cyto boarded people you can share things to help you wordsmith the ambiguous things. Academic situations are more likely to separate out the cyto. Anyway there's a crapload of it on the boards so you'll have to learn it.

 

[deleted314957]

if you can't do it all (ap, cp, hp, cyto) you will not make it in most pp groups unless it is a BIG operation

 

[green mantis]

I was similar to you in residency. I thought cytology was difficult & boring. I look at FNAs (not done by me) & fluids at my job. I'm just glad I don't have to look at Paps. It's been so long since I've looked at one that I'm not sure I'd be comfortable making a diagnosis unless it were really obvious.


----- Antony

 

[mlw03]

if you can't do it all (ap, cp, hp, cyto) you will not make it in most pp groups unless it is a BIG operation

And do you believe that a standard four year AP/CP residency + 1 year fellowship in one of those subspecialty areas prepares one to do this? I do not.

 

[pathstudent]

And do you believe that a standard four year AP/CP residency + 1 year fellowship in one of those subspecialty areas prepares one to do this? I do not.

You prepare you.

 

[mlw03]

You prepare you.

I disagree. I am responsible for overseeing my own preparation, but the ABP is responsible for ensuring a minimum level of experience for board eligibility. I do not think 4 years of residency is enough, unless one's mode of practice to sign out only the common stuff, and send any zebra to the university subspecialist. To bring it back to the original topic, 2-3 months of cytology during residency is not enough, in my opinion, to sign it out. Obviously people do it, but my opinion is what it is.

 

[2121115]

That is why you have a group to rely on for difficult cases. But one should be able to sign out most of cyto/heme/etc cases after 3 months. Time in training is more precious than people think.

 

[pathstudent]

I disagree. I am responsible for overseeing my own preparation, but the ABP is responsible for ensuring a minimum level of experience for board eligibility. I do not think 4 years of residency is enough, unless one's mode of practice to sign out only the common stuff, and send any zebra to the university subspecialist. To bring it back to the original topic, 2-3 months of cytology during residency is not enough, in my opinion, to sign it out. Obviously people do it, but my opinion is what it is.

If believe four years of being passively fed pathology isn't enough, you need to go out and hunt and kill for yourself. Read more, work harder. Doing residency twice is not an option.

Fortunately your opinion doesn't matter. The ABP is responsible for assuring competency and they say it is enough.

And almost no one sits and signs out stuff by themselves. Everyone has senior faculty or senior partners to run stuff by. So yes you are rough around the edges when you finish, but you will mature in practice.

 

[mlw03]

Wow... lots of anger, people. Settle down. I know my opinion on this topic doesn't matter, but this is a discussion forum so I offer it. No need to be so indignant.

It's not about reading more or working harder. There is no substitute for time and experience, period. There's also the blunt reality that residency does not allow the the kind of autonomy that occurs in practice. Attendings simply don't allow residents to truly treat a case as if entirely their own.

Agree that most pathologists in the community are not truly solo, but such practices do exist in rural parts of the country. Hopefully those jobs are not being filled by people right out of training.

 

[KeratinPearls]

Wow... lots of anger, people. Settle down. I know my opinion on this topic doesn't matter, but this is a discussion forum so I offer it. No need to be so indignant.

It's not about reading more or working harder. There is no substitute for time and experience, period. There's also the blunt reality that residency does not allow the the kind of autonomy that occurs in practice. Attendings simply don't allow residents to truly treat a case as if entirely their own.

Agree that most pathologists in the community are not truly solo, but such practices do exist in rural parts of the country. Hopefully those jobs are not being filled by people right out of training.

I would have to agree with mlw03. 2 months in cytology during residency doesnt really prepare you for independent signout. I think residents should however spend more time in cytology if they can before the end of residency. I feel generally more comfortable with surgpath since I'v spent many months in it. I guess you first of all need to spend more time in cyto whether it be with electives or going into cytology whenever you have free time.

An attending told me you dont really need a fellowship for cytology, and that you can just learn it on the job.