Dynacare/Labcorp

[scurred]

Does anyone have any opinion on Path programs where the faculty are part of a private practice like Dynacare?

Has anyone else experienced this on the interview trail. I've seen at 3 university programs where this was the case.

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[TMZ2007]

Yep, I've seen it at couple of "university" programs, both I would probably consider bottom tier (and unranked by me)... The big problem I had with it was that a good majority (>75%) of the surgical volume for these programs was in the affiliated private practice as opposed to the university setting, so the emphasis for the great majority of the training is "let's get these cases signed out", as opposed to "let's train these residents." OTOH, I think if there was 1-2 months of rotations (or that there were electives available), just to get a flavor for the private practice setting, that would be fine.

Edit: these were not national megalabs, but local 7-10 man private practices.

 

[pathstudent]

Yep, I've seen it at couple of "university" programs, both I would probably consider bottom tier (and unranked by me)... The big problem I had with it was that a good majority (>75%) of the surgical volume for these programs was in the affiliated private practice as opposed to the university setting, so the emphasis for the great majority of the training is "let's get these cases signed out", as opposed to "let's train these residents." OTOH, I think if there was 1-2 months of rotations (or that there were electives available), just to get a flavor for the private practice setting, that would be fine.

Edit: these were not national megalabs, but local 7-10 man private practices.

That being said I think it is safe to say that most academic programs now put on a big emphasis on the "let's sign out these cases ASAP" given that many of them are trying to compete with private practice groups and reference labs for outpatient cases. And, in general, medicine demands a more rapid instant response. The days are done when residents could spend a day thinking about the case. Now you got to get it written up and taken to sign-out immediately. Everything is about turn around time. Docs can get a CBC back in 15 minutes and a radiology read in 30 minutes. They won't tolerate 3 days for a path report. And pathology is a service industry. We serve the clinicians, so whatever they want, we do.

 

[scurred]

but there has to be more to it than that right...than just turn around time...

I mean, funding towards education itself is probably cut down some. Working us however they want also has to factor in.

 

[KeratinPearls]

That being said I think it is safe to say that most academic programs now put on a big emphasis on the "let's sign out these cases ASAP" given that many of them are trying to compete with private practice groups and reference labs for outpatient cases. And, in general, medicine demands a more rapid instant response. The days are done when residents could spend a day thinking about the case. Now you got to get it written up and taken to sign-out immediately. Everything is about turn around time. Docs can get a CBC back in 15 minutes and a radiology read in 30 minutes. They won't tolerate 3 days for a path report. And pathology is a service industry. We serve the clinicians, so whatever they want, we do.

I'm in my first year and there are attendings who will take your cases and sign them out themselves if you're busy with catching up with grossing. There are those who will sign them out and come to you and teach you the key points later. Attendings want to get their cases signed out asap, and as a first year it really takes a lot of time to go over the slides since you're trying to learn the material. You really don't have much time to sit around to study your cases for an extended amount of time. Anyone else in the same shoes?

 

[Pathwrath]

The trend across the board is more surgical cases in less time. That's why subspecialty signout is becoming the norm in acedemic centers.

On the positive side, the volume means you'll see many zebras. On the other hand, teaching can go out the window.

 

[LADoc00]

Does anyone have any opinion on Path programs where the faculty are part of a private practice like Dynacare?

Has anyone else experienced this on the interview trail. I've seen at 3 university programs where this was the case.

My opinion of them would be similiar to for profit "universities" mills.

I couldnt imagine learning from someone who is actually in a path mill.

 

[pathgrrl]

I'm in my first year and there are attendings who will take your cases and sign them out themselves if you're busy with catching up with grossing. There are those who will sign them out and come to you and teach you the key points later. Attendings want to get their cases signed out asap, and as a first year it really takes a lot of time to go over the slides since you're trying to learn the material. You really don't have much time to sit around to study your cases for an extended amount of time. Anyone else in the same shoes?

That blows; how can you learn if you don't sign the case out with the attending? That's like treating you as a PA/employee instead of a trainee. What if you were a medicine resident and the attending wrote orders on your patients while you were doing an admission? No way.
Here, we just sign out until the cases are finished (which might mean you start grossing late).