Elasticity in pathology workforce

[Med Director New England]

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Anyone ever consider the pent up FTEs we have contained in academic depts. Literally hundreds maybe thousands of academic paths signing out 6000 RVUs in 34 service weeks / yr. imagine if they started actually working even 10% more. The oversupply we talk about would be even more obvious.

 

[caffeinegirl]

What is an FTE in pathology anyway? There is such a range in responsibilities and payment for those responsibilities that it's tough to even quantify and standardize the workforce. I know of PP positions with 2-3 hours of reading slides is equivalent to sitting around doing 3 radiology FNA assessments a day (and each considered an FTE).

 

[Med Director New England]

What is an FTE in pathology anyway? There is such a range in responsibilities and payment for those responsibilities that it's tough to even quantify and standardize the workforce. I know of PP positions with 2-3 hours of reading slides is equivalent to sitting around doing 3 radiology FNA assessments a day (and each considered an FTE).

Good points

IMO FTE In path is ~ 6500-7000 rvus / yr + a little admin or lab directorship.

If no admin 8000+ rvus
If heavy admin responsibility maybe 5000

In general FTE should be about 42 weeks of full time work / yr. I know what you mean about the difficulty of defining FTE but you gotta start somewhere. Also know the rvu is flawed, not all 305s are equal, etc.

My point is really that if all academic depts ramped up their sign out the difficulty of new grads getting jobs would be several fold worse. Large academic groups could easily swallow up smaller depts, absorb the work with each faculty barely noticing there increased work load. I wouldn’t want to be in a group of 3 or less within 50 miles of a academic center or entrepreneurial private lab right now