Health problems associated with pathology training/career

[the_fool]

Hello. I'm a medical student and I have had great interest in pathology training since I took brief elective courses during my clinical years. I would really like to apply to the training program.

However, I have some concern about health problems associated with path training and also career.

1.Short term effect: motion sickness from viewing slides either with staff or alone - this issue haunted me some times in the past during the course I mentioned. In some days, it's comfortable. But in others, I got nauseous hours but it should improve in just one night sleep. One hypothesis has been made that I'm not going to make it along the training, but I don't think that everyone can stay bold and withstand that pace of handful slides without any sense of light-headedness, so I'm not sure. In my recent memory, it's not frequent that I got motion sickness from cars, airplanes, ferries or even speedboats. Also, some colleagues outside pathology remind me that the dizziness-like symptom could be a result of myofascial pain syndrome from prolonged poor position with the microscope.

2.Long term effect: such as carcinogenic effect asscoiated with biochemical/immunological stains or fixatives.

So could anybody share some experiences about these issues please?

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[icpshootyz]

The motion-sickness goes away as you learn when and how to focus, especially if you're the one driving your own scope. It's worst when someone else is driving because you can't figure out what to focus on as the slide moves. I don't know of anyone that wasn't able to get past it and be fine. As for long-term effects, I don't know of any official study implicating higher cancer rates or other serious illnesses in pathologists. The only thing I'd worry about a little is formalin, as you will breathe in vapors and be exposed to a fair amount at least during residency. But stains are essentially performed by histotechs with minimal exposure if you do cytology or frozen sections; not enough to cause any harm. As an attending now I basically never get exposed to any toxic chemicals or fixatives, our PAs handle 99% of the grossing/frozens/etc. But each job is different.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Formaldehyde is definitely a carcinogen. Increases risk of nasal ca and lymphomas. You may rarely be exposed or you might on a daily basis.

Worry more about DVT and pulmonary embolism. I have seen paths die from those and others get bad damage. Only going to get worse as you are under pressure to push more glass.

 

[ForPath]

Back and neck pain.

 

[malchik]

abdominal obesity from sitting on your ass all day

 

[dermpathdoc]

Hello. I'm a medical student and I have had great interest in pathology training since I took brief elective courses during my clinical years. I would really like to apply to the training program.

However, I have some concern about health problems associated with path training and also career.

1.Short term effect: motion sickness from viewing slides either with staff or alone - this issue haunted me some times in the past during the course I mentioned. In some days, it's comfortable. But in others, I got nauseous hours but it should improve in just one night sleep. One hypothesis has been made that I'm not going to make it along the training, but I don't think that everyone can stay bold and withstand that pace of handful slides without any sense of light-headedness, so I'm not sure. In my recent memory, it's not frequent that I got motion sickness from cars, airplanes, ferries or even speedboats. Also, some colleagues outside pathology remind me that the dizziness-like symptom could be a result of myofascial pain syndrome from prolonged poor position with the microscope.

2.Long term effect: such as carcinogenic effect asscoiated with biochemical/immunological stains or fixatives.

So could anybody share some experiences about these issues please?

When I was a resident soMe of the attendings smoked during grossing, can you believe the formaldehyde in the cigarettes and the other carcinogens outweighed the formaldehyde exposure in the lab itself? Those attendings did not die of cancer but of heart attacks from the sedentary lifestyle.
Yeah this dates me.....

 

[the_fool]

Thank you everyone for your generous comments.

Since I'm male Asian, DVT and PE is not a problem for me. Though I admit that metabolic syndrome from that sedentary lifestyle have no mercy for any ethnicity.
BTW, is pathology soooo that sedentary? It's not a point for me that the reason I'd like to enter pathology ground is about sedentary lifestyle. It's about a manageable time schedule in your days, in term of lifestyle. Yeah, but that's just only one facet of a whole gem. A solid diagnostic approach and diminished communication ***with the patient***including countless emotional counseling hours make pathology best suits for me among all the other fields in medicine.

A topic of chemicals has been raised, and I would like to know if inhaling formaldehyde vapor will cause dizziness or not. Is that preventable?
Also the mechanical neck and back pain. Pathologists don't go for exercise or fitness centers?

 

[deleted314957]

Thank you everyone for your generous comments.

Since I'm male Asian, DVT and PE is not a problem for me. Though I admit that metabolic syndrome from that sedentary lifestyle have no mercy for any ethnicity.
BTW, is pathology soooo that sedentary? It's not a point for me that the reason I'd like to enter pathology ground is about sedentary lifestyle. It's about a manageable time schedule in your days, in term of lifestyle. Yeah, but that's just only one facet of a whole gem. A solid diagnostic approach and diminished communication ***with the patient***including countless emotional counseling hours make pathology best suits for me among all the other fields in medicine.

A topic of chemicals has been raised, and I would like to know if inhaling formaldehyde vapor will cause dizziness or not. Is that preventable?
Also the mechanical neck and back pain. Pathologists don't go for exercise or fitness centers?

No. we prefer to live our lives as slugs with admins sprinkling salt on our unprotected slimy bodies-----------PLEASE, read how ridiculous how your last paragraph sounds. Go elsewhere.

 

[mlw03]

I will give you the benefit of not being a troll. Diagnostic path can be pretty sedentary... that's what a YMCA membership and a morning/evening working is for. Forensic path (my area) is a bit more physically demanding, but there are plenty of out of shape FPs too. After a day doing 4 or more autopsies, yes, I have a bit of back pain. Massage is nice for that.

 

[yaah]

Pathology can be very sedentary. It depends on your practice style and requirements. If you have to push through slides all day, you will be sedentary unless you get a standing desk. If you have a mix of duties you may get up and move around a lot. I tend to take breaks every so often and get up, usually there is some reason like paperwork or levels, or slides, or talking to someone, or something in another part of the lab. If you build it into your day it's easier to do it. If you just sit there like a lump all day that is what you will get used to.

Another risk to pathologists is chronic pain - mostly in the neck from poor posture but can be hand/wrist in some people. I am not sure about eyes and cataracts and such. But I will not be getting laser eye surgery after hearing a few problems. Not worth it to me.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I'll just comment on the microscope motion sickness issue.

I get motion sick terrible, cars, planes, and definitely the microscope at first.

However, even for me, it did mostly go away eventually.

Things I did to help:
I closed my eyes when someone else is driving the scope until they find what they're looking for.

there were a couple days starting out where I took Dramamine when I got home because I felt so horrible.

Made sure my glasses Rx was current and spent time making sure to set the scope up properly.

After a few weeks it started to bother me less. Then they got new microscopes for us, with much smoother scanning and I didn't have any more issues. It was a pretty dramatic improvement.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Get a ergonomic head for your scope (approx 2000 dollars) and a stand up desk and many problems will go away. Take DVT/embolism seriously. You can be extremely active outside work and still nearly die. I was in my mid 30s (in age) and agonizingly close to US olympic trials times for marathon when I damn near bit the dust. Now I am a miserable, middle aged Warfarin taker with bad anxiety.

 

[coroner]

Then they got new microscopes for us, with much smoother scanning and I didn't have any more issues.

Are you talking about multihead or individual/single-headed scopes? How do you get smoother scanning if you're driving manually?

Take DVT/embolism seriously. You can be extremely active outside work and still nearly die. I was in my mid 30s (in age) and agonizingly close to US olympic trials times for marathon when I damn near bit the dust.

Yes, a person can be extremely active and still bite the dust or come close as in your case because they could just be one of the unlucky ones. But, a lot of this is genetic. Just like an out-of shape slob who eats fast food everyday can have a perfect serum lipid profile compared to a vegan. If someone has predisposed or genetic factors that makes them thrombophilic, that puts them at a much higher risk of getting DVT/PE than sitting on their ass all day. But I agree that you certainly don't want to increase that risk by having a non-active lifestyle.

Now I am a miserable, middle aged Warfarin taker with bad anxiety.

Yeah, but the silver lining is you get to interact with the cute young phlebotomists at the coumadin clinic...

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

I do like interacting with those young phlebs. They make an broken down, miserable human being like myself feel young again. Many seem to have a lot of drama in their lives and the voyeur in me loves listening.

You have to be careful having an active lifestyle. Do things in moderation I have learned. I was a timebomb due to genetics and the sporadic use of anti-inflammatories. I've often wondered if I wasn't the victim of a "rebound effect". I had pretty much weened myself off of ibuprofen prior to the episode.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Are you talking about multihead or individual/single-headed scopes? How do you get smoother scanning if you're driving manually?

In this case I'm talking single headed. If you have a really old crappy scope the knobs don't turn smoothly making for jerky scanning no matter how smoothly you try to go. New scopes made all the difference.

 

[Pathologee]

Mercury poisoning from too much caviar.

 

[Euchromatin]

In this case I'm talking single headed. If you have a really old crappy scope the knobs don't turn smoothly making for jerky scanning no matter how smoothly you try to go. New scopes made all the difference.

Knobs? Put on your big boy/big girl pants, take off the training wheels (slide holder) and drive the slide with your fingertips like a grown-up.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

Webb- arixtra? Will make your life a lot better (unless you REALLY love those phlebotomists) and you won't risk becoming comatose if you fall off a ladder.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

I need more than a new anti-coag drug to make my life a lot better. No thanks. The only time I dont use Warfarin is when I inject Lovenox in the days preceeding cycling competitions. Warfarin is cheap and works. Injectables are pretty damn expensive and I don't have an ounce of fat on me (for an injection site). I've had a fair number of accidents while on Warfarin and have been fine each time.

Your lab is judged by the phlebotomists and support staff more than anyone else. Always remember that. It's a shame the jobs dont pay squat and there is such high turnover, but what do you expect in the lab industry's race to the bottom?

Patients could care less who is pushing their glass. So everyone should love their phlebs.