Do grads of these institutions (or other top 5) have the same difficulty in finding jobs as has been described ad nauseum on this forum? I like path but am concerned about job prospects. Respond here or PM me please and thanks.
They would fare better at the beginning, however, after awhile, the initial shine will wear off and be overwhelmed by the market macro forces. We have been suffering, for decades, from a totally incompetent leadership, oversupply, "ancillary to appendageal" field transformation (I speak of bundled payments), etc.
Abstracting market stress, lifestyle in pathology is good, however, if you are a top candidate in Pathology, you could be top at other fields, and life at the top in any specialty should be good, and absolutely much less emotionally stressful than in Pathology.
The phenomenon of MS being attracted to Pathology is, in some instances, akin to a starving artist innately driven to Arts, and, in others, the inability (of outsiders, i.e., MSs) to fathom how bad Pathology has become.
In choosing Medicine, many of us must have repressed their natural desire to choose some other more fun and easier life careers, and have rather opted for Medicine because we could and because we looked forward to its rewards. By choosing Pathology, you will be reversing your noble and fortunate selection, except that, the rewards and fun will be skimpy.
Yeah, I have known many excellent pathologists who were professionally happy in spite of their tribulations. In my opinion, they were happy mostly by their good nature, idealism and by learned repression of their past dreams and by ignoring what they could have become.
Read other posters many of whom appear to be from Top programs. Judge for yourself whether doing 1-3 post-residency fellowships just to get any job is OK. Judge whether a CEO, 10 years from now, will view you as someone deserving of higher pay just because you are from a Top program. Does it sound right to you that , as someone recently posted, within 5-6 years post residency, one guy had 3 jobs?
I do not personally enjoy critiquing my own specialty, however, I can not stand idly by seeing an MS making a lifelong choice that is very likely to be a grave error. Remember, likely, you are a "jewel" of your family. Do not throw yourself at the mercy of PDs and Chairmen (I absolutely disdain most of them, feel they are pigs) singing their siren songs to lure helpless and hapless MS to their serfdom.
I have spoken in honesty, from my 30 years in the field, and not out of malice or professional difficulties.
