Hours worked as a first year path resident

[initialize]

Hey guys, I'm applying for path residency as an IMG this year.

As an IMG I know beggars can't be choosers, but I was wondering what are some decent/good programs that don't/are less likely to have you working long hours as a first year and/or second year? I know specific services can have you working varying hours of course. For as much as I love pathology, I also love my hobbies and free time.

some path fellow at the hospital I go to mentioned when they interviewed at a hospital in Chicago, they noticed all the residents have a schedule from 9am to 5pm. But he said this isn't generally a good thing, because that's an indicator that the program doesn't see many cases. How true is this?

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[mike-sheree]

Compared to darned near ANY other field, pathology residency does NOT have long hours.

 

[KeratinPearls]

As has been mentioned before, pathology is full of beta types who want to go home at 2-3 pm. Talking with friends in academics, pathology junior residents are a lazy bunch.

They literally have to do 4 hours of actual work and still have a hard time doing the work or show willingness to learn.

Go talk to some surgery residents who have to wake up at 4 am and it’s like night and day between the two in terms of work ethic.

 

[initialize]

As has been mentioned before, pathology is full of beta types who want to go home at 2-3 pm. Talking with friends in academics, pathology junior residents are a lazy bunch.

They literally have to do 4 hours of actual work and still have a hard time doing the work or show willingness to learn.

Go talk to some surgery residents who have to wake up at 4 am and it’s like night and day between the two in terms of work ethic.

Haha. Sounds like path are the smart ones, then

 

[SunBakedTrash]

Instead of raw hours worked, you need to determine which program will make you a proficient pathologist with good connections rather than a scut monkey who needs 3 fellowships to sign out basic cases.

The faster you become proficient and the better reputation you have, the easier your life after training will be. Go to the place where people seem happy, residents get good fellowships/jobs, and the focus is on reviewing microscope slides yourself rather than just opening thousands of colons.

Going home at 3pm making 400k for 40 years is a lot more important than going home at 3pm making 55k for 4 years.

 

[KeratinPearls]

Instead of raw hours worked, you need to determine which program will make you a proficient pathologist with good connections rather than a scut monkey who needs 3 fellowships to sign out basic cases.

The faster you become proficient and the better reputation you have, the easier your life after training will be. Go to the place where people seem happy, residents get good fellowships/jobs, and the focus is on reviewing microscope slides yourself rather than just opening thousands of colons.

Going home at 3pm making 400k for 40 years is a lot more important than going home at 3pm making 55k for 4 years.

Where do people go home at 3 pm making 400K?

 

[SunBakedTrash]

Where do people go home at 3 pm making 400K?

Outside of large cities.

 

[Sawback3]

This field is full of soft babies, and it’s getting softer. Work hours in residency should be at least 11 hours a day on surge path. As mentioned earlier, this time is best spent previewing slides and generating (good) reports.

I’m starting to see rare 4th years (regionally) get jobs right out of residency. I’d be interested to see how they do. Usually there’s a local connection already in place.

 

[KeratinPearls]

This field is full of soft babies, and it’s getting softer. Work hours in residency should be at least 11 hours a day on surge path. As mentioned earlier, this time is best spent previewing slides and generating (good) reports.

I’m starting to see rare 4th years (regionally) get jobs right out of residency. I’d be interested to see how they do. Usually there’s a local connection already in place.

Some people can barely work 4 hours. How the hell would they be able to work 11 hours?

No joke. Pathology trainees are lazy as hell. I don’t know how these people make it in the real world.

They are the types to be exploited by alpha mba types or alpha pathologists who own the groups that will eventually pay them 240 coming out of training.

I’m hearing stories of people who leave work at 1-2 pm and it’s gotten to the point of getting fired.

 

[hurrycane]

I’m hearing stories of people who leave work at 1-2 pm and it’s gotten to the point of getting fired.

If people show up at 7 or 8 and focus on the cases, leaving at 2pm sounds reasonable to me, especially if they don’t get paid well.

On the topic, I was in a program that would be considered malignant these days. I broke the ACGME 80h per week regulation maybe once or twice in five years (fellowship included). That’s only while I was on surgpath grossing over the weekend. Pathology residents are certainly not overworked.

 

[Guest8]

Where do people go home at 3 pm making 400K?

If my histo department is fully staffed and gets me all my stains/levels in the early afternoon, there are many days I'm done by 4pm. And I make well north of $400K. Sometimes I hang around until 4:30 or so just so it doesn't look like I'm leaving too early.

 

[KeratinPearls]

If my histo department is fully staffed and gets me all my stains/levels in the early afternoon, there are many days I'm done by 4pm. And I make well north of $400K. Sometimes I hang around until 4:30 or so just so it doesn't look like I'm leaving too early.

Which part of the country are you at?

Large cities still paying 240K in this job market. Some academic centers have a hard time filling positions because of crap pay and since there are better options outside large cities.

 

[Iceman24]

A LOT of places still paying way less than 240K - East Coast academic hospitals...

 

[KeratinPearls]

If people show up at 7 or 8 and focus on the cases, leaving at 2pm sounds reasonable to me, especially if they don’t get paid well.

On the topic, I was in a program that would be considered malignant these days. I broke the ACGME 80h per week regulation maybe once or twice in five years (fellowship included). That’s only while I was on surgpath grossing over the weekend. Pathology residents are certainly not overworked.

Lol in this field you don’t get paid well and yo a$$ better stay at work until 5 pm.

 

[KeratinPearls]

A LOT of places still paying way less than 240K - East Coast academic hospitals...

Yes that’s what I’m hearing too and we are trying to recruit more US medical students to this rotten field. Make sure you get a job asap and enjoy the relatively higher salaries (away from larger cities) while you can before this job market goes back to crap.. LOL

Academic institutions use residents for cheap labor then low ball them as an attending when they graduate!

Your other alternative is to go private but then partners think you are worthless!

 

[MetroPath]

A LOT of places still paying way less than 240K - East Coast academic hospitals...

Shortage of pathologists And institutions still paying low. Imagine if there wasn’t a shortage?!?

 

[Guest8]

Which part of the country are you at?

Large cities still paying 240K in this job market. Some academic centers have a hard time filling positions because of crap pay and since there are better options outside large cities.

New England, metro Boston.

 

[shikimate]

Where do people go home at 3 pm making 400K?

Canada

 

[KeratinPearls]

Canada

But taxes take 50%.

 

[shikimate]

But taxes take 50%.

true, but blue states like NY and CA aren't much better either, and those are popular states for IMGs

 

[KeratinPearls]

true, but blue states like NY and CA aren't much better either, and those are popular states for IMGs

NY or CA are popular states for IMGs? Says who?

I’m sure some work there but the ones I know are in other states.

 

[KeratinPearls]

How is the job market there in Boston? In my area there are well paying jobs but very limited and getting one of these jobs is being at the right place at the right time or knowing someone in the group.

I’d consider you pretty lucky to land a job like that especially near a big city based on my own personal experience.

New England, metro Boston.

 

[Guest8]

Can't say I know the job market too well here as I've been in my practice for over a decade. But yes, I think this practice is unusual here and on the upper end of the market in the area. Many jobs are in either academia, employed hospital practices, or private groups with no partner track.