Life of a pathologist?

[DarkProtonics]

What's the life of a general pathologist? How many slides do they read in an average work day, and how much do they collect from each slide, $35/slide, 30 slides/day? How long does it take for the pathologist to read a slide, on average?

How would a myocardial biopsy that an interventional cardiologist took from the right ventricle to be examined for ARVD be prepared and interpreted?

Do surgical pathologists get paid more, since there's more work for them?

Would it be advantageous to start a group practice that includes a general internist, a general surgeon, a general pathologist, and a general diagnostic radiologist, b/c then you can save on costs?

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[Gyric]

The time to read a slide varies and is influenced by case complexity, amount of clinical information provided, and pathologist experience/skill.

How would a myocardial biopsy that an interventional cardiologist took from the right ventricle to be examined for ARVD be prepared and interpreted?

The same as if it had been taken from the left ventricle.

Do surgical pathologists get paid more, since there's more work for them?

More than some less than others

Would it be advantageous to start a group practice that includes a general internist, a general surgeon, a general pathologist, and a general diagnostic radiologist, b/c then you can save on costs?

Are you serious?

 

[DarkProtonics]

The time to read a slide varies and is influenced by case complexity, amount of clinical information provided, and pathologist experience/skill.



The same as if it had been taken from the left ventricle.



More than some less than others



Are you serious?

Some of your answers didn't answer anything.

 

[bananamed]

Some of your answers didn't answer anything.

Presumably because your questions didn't ask anything.

Stop tippytoeing and just ask what you came to ask.

"So...um...what's the money like? What's the lifestyle like?"

 

[btlwhulka]

...

 

[yaah]

My friend, you ask a whole lot of very strange and seemingly unrelated questions on these forums. I have no idea what you are doing with all of this information or why you want such specific answers, but you're going to have to realize pretty soon that many things in medicine are quite variable.

 

[DarkProtonics]

My friend, you ask a whole lot of very strange and seemingly unrelated questions on these forums. I have no idea what you are doing with all of this information or why you want such specific answers, but you're going to have to realize pretty soon that many things in medicine are quite variable.

I'd usually ask these questions to my RL physician friend, but he's on vacation now.

 

[LADoc00]

What's the life of a general pathologist? How many slides do they read in an average work day, and how much do they collect from each slide, $35/slide, 30 slides/day? How long does it take for the pathologist to read a slide, on average?

How would a myocardial biopsy that an interventional cardiologist took from the right ventricle to be examined for ARVD be prepared and interpreted?

Do surgical pathologists get paid more, since there's more work for them?

Would it be advantageous to start a group practice that includes a general internist, a general surgeon, a general pathologist, and a general diagnostic radiologist, b/c then you can save on costs?

You are heading towards Fail, turn back now.

 

[Unty]

What's the life of a general pathologist? How many slides do they read in an average work day, and how much do they collect from each slide, $35/slide, 30 slides/day? How long does it take for the pathologist to read a slide, on average?

How would a myocardial biopsy that an interventional cardiologist took from the right ventricle to be examined for ARVD be prepared and interpreted?

Do surgical pathologists get paid more, since there's more work for them?

Would it be advantageous to start a group practice that includes a general internist, a general surgeon, a general pathologist, and a general diagnostic radiologist, b/c then you can save on costs?

You're in the wrong forum bro. If you want the mad loot go into cosmetic plastic surgery or derm and market yourself as the baddest doc around.

 

[DarkProtonics]

You're in the wrong forum bro. If you want the mad loot go into cosmetic plastic surgery or derm and market yourself as the baddest doc around.

I never said I was interested in the money...I was just asking a question.

 

[maybepsych]

I am also curious as to how long it takes a pathologist to read slides and how many they usually do in a day. I do see how this would be hugely person/case dependent though.

Guess I will have to do an elective to find out.

 

[mcfaddens]

Guess I will have to do an elective to find out.

Best post by a medical student 2008!

 

[KeratinPearls]

I am also curious as to how long it takes a pathologist to read slides and how many they usually do in a day. I do see how this would be hugely person/case dependent though.

Guess I will have to do an elective to find out.

Really depends on the case. If you are only reading biopsies, you can probably read a slide in a few minutes. Some cases in less than 30 seconds. Also, depends on how good and efficient you are as well.

I've seen dermpaths read 120 cases a day. I'm sure some can crank out more.

I've also seen pathologists who were hooked up to Redbull IV infusion pumps while they read slides.

For me, I envision myself as the Dr. 90210 of pathology, pumpin' iron while reading slides.

 

[Arctic Char]

it also depends heavily on the tissue of interest. if you are looking at skin biopsies, as was mentioned, it can be much faster. if you are doing a brain autopsy case, one case may have anywhere from 4 - 15 slides, not to mention special stains that come in days later after you order them. so, short answer: it is as variable as the length of time required for different surgical procedures, so its not even really worth comparing.

 

[listeriaismfb]

Experience dictates how long it takes to look at a slide, and how long your days are. In a recent paper (Archives?) they studied what a medical student, resident, and attending pathologist looked at on the same slide. They compared the average time spent as well as which fields were examined. That study explained why as a medical student I stared at a normal GI biopsy for 20 minutes, and why as a resident some of the early days were 14 hours long. You have to walk before you can run.

Forget about the money, lifestyle and everything else.

Only do pathology if it is what you enjoy, I would urge people to stay away otherwise. If you come to this for the wrong reasons you will be a miserable tool, and probably not very good with the glass.

 

[maybepsych]

Thanks for the info.