New Job People

[LADoc00]

How are the new jobs/residencies etc working out? Im now a straight clock puncher, ohh the private world is so different. One thing I will say is true real world pathology is so absurdly different than pathology residency/fellowship training its truly laughable. Maybe MAYBE 2 hours of my day is involved in signing out cases I was trained to read. The remaining 5 or so are spent dealing with equipment vendors, employee issues, budget concerns, committee meetings, BS'ing with clinicians, tumor boards, QA/QC crap (oh my gawd this is huge) and the like. And when I do actually get a challenging surg path case, it's sent out for consult 2nd opinion so what is my motivation to spend 2 hours reading about the differential? There is none. The number of oddball crap Ive been thrown that I sure as hell never saw in residency is staggering: semen analysis (?!) cases, coroner's office dropping off mysterious white powders for ID (?! for heaven's sake I would think they had their OWN lab for that crap), completely running out blood products with a trauma center full of MVAs, employees with contagious workman's comp issues etc.

The wierd thing is real world pathology has no ladder left to climb, you get in and once you are at the partner level, its just stasis until you die or retire. The days just start blending into one big mish mash.

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[bananaface]

I'm moving thursday. Then I go away "forever".

 

[LADoc00]

I'm moving thursday. Then I go away "forever".

 

[bananaface]

STFU. I really am moving. Search my post history.

 

[LADoc00]

STFU. I really am moving. Search my post history.

Congrats then. Are you movin on up the eastside to a delux apartment in the sky?

 

[quant]

He s backkkkkkkkkkk.........

The wierd thing is real world pathology has no ladder left to climb, you get in and once you are at the partner level, its just stasis until you die or retire. The days just start blending into one big mish mash.

which is why research is soooo much better....it prevents the grey cells from undergoing stasis and atrophying.....

Im really in a masochistic mood today.....

 

[roygbasch]

How are the new jobs/residencies etc working out? Im now a straight clock puncher, ohh the private world is so different. One thing I will say is true real world pathology is so absurdly different than pathology residency/fellowship training its truly laughable. Maybe MAYBE 2 hours of my day is involved in signing out cases I was trained to read. The remaining 5 or so are spent dealing with equipment vendors, employee issues, budget concerns, committee meetings, BS'ing with clinicians, tumor boards, QA/QC crap (oh my gawd this is huge) and the like. And when I do actually get a challenging surg path case, it's sent out for consult 2nd opinion so what is my motivation to spend 2 hours reading about the differential? There is none. The number of oddball crap Ive been thrown that I sure as hell never saw in residency is staggering: semen analysis (?!) cases, coroner's office dropping off mysterious white powders for ID (?! for heaven's sake I would think they had their OWN lab for that crap), completely running out blood products with a trauma center full of MVAs, employees with contagious workman's comp issues etc.

The wierd thing is real world pathology has no ladder left to climb, you get in and once you are at the partner level, its just stasis until you die or retire. The days just start blending into one big mish mash.

Seriously, is this really true? Is there really that much BS to real world path?
A day full of meetings and administrative crap? Is this typical for academic and private, community hospital type jobs? Someone tell me he's exaggerating here, maybe screwing with our heads a bit? This is important to me, as I'm contemplating a second residency in the future. I sure as hell don't want to leave hospitalist practice, as dreary and chronically yet predictably miserable as that is, to go through 4 more years of training, moonlighting all the while to pay the bills, and then have even more crapola waiting at the end. This is totally destroying my visions of quiet contemplative days as a physician-scientist grossing and looking at slides, making interesting diagnoses, and then serenely going home in plenty of time for dinner with the satisfaction of having done some solid, useful work that requires using my brain once again. QA/QC? That sounds baaaaad.....

 

[quant]

Seriously, is this really true? Is there really that much BS to real world path?
A day full of meetings and administrative crap? Is this typical for academic and private, community hospital type jobs? Someone tell me he's exaggerating here, maybe screwing with our heads a bit? This is important to me, as I'm contemplating a second residency in the future. I sure as hell don't want to leave hospitalist practice, as dreary and chronically yet predictably miserable as that is, to go through 4 more years of training, moonlighting all the while to pay the bills, and then have even more crapola waiting at the end. This is totally destroying my visions of quiet contemplative days as a physician-scientist grossing and looking at slides, making interesting diagnoses, and then serenely going home in plenty of time for dinner with the satisfaction of having done some solid, useful work that requires using my brain once again. QA/QC? That sounds baaaaad.....

I think for ANY white collar job and i mean ANY.......what LaDOC said holds true.......as you go up in hierarchy, it only will get worse.....in your mid forties, it becomes so much of administrative stuff that you no longer are using your brain to do anything which is pure and intellectual, but merely are going through your time and life by rote....

I guess it s a natural sequence of events....

 

[Pingu]

Someone tell me he's exaggerating here, maybe screwing with our heads a bit?

LaDoc? Screw with people's heads? NEVER!

 

[LADoc00]

Seriously, is this really true? Is there really that much BS to real world path?
A day full of meetings and administrative crap? Is this typical for academic and private, community hospital type jobs? Someone tell me he's exaggerating here, maybe screwing with our heads a bit? This is important to me, as I'm contemplating a second residency in the future. I sure as hell don't want to leave hospitalist practice, as dreary and chronically yet predictably miserable as that is, to go through 4 more years of training, moonlighting all the while to pay the bills, and then have even more crapola waiting at the end. This is totally destroying my visions of quiet contemplative days as a physician-scientist grossing and looking at slides, making interesting diagnoses, and then serenely going home in plenty of time for dinner with the satisfaction of having done some solid, useful work that requires using my brain once again. QA/QC? That sounds baaaaad.....

I exaggerate not, for medicare billing cert, I have to precisely record my time doing specific tasks (thankfully we only have to log 5 days/mo), todays numbers look like this:
QA/QC issues..................2 hours
Personnel management.....1 hour
Adminstrative, general......2 hours
Peripheral blood review.....1 hour
Procedural pathology........2 hours
Interesting surgical cases..84 seconds

 

[deschutes]

The wierd thing is real world pathology has no ladder left to climb, you get in and once you are at the partner level, its just stasis until you die or retire. The days just start blending into one big mish mash.

But always with an eye on the cish-cash. Wasn't that the reason you joined private practice?

 

[beary]

Im now a straight clock puncher, ohh the private world is so different. One thing I will say is true real world pathology is so absurdly different than pathology residency/fellowship training its truly laughable. Maybe MAYBE 2 hours of my day is involved in signing out cases I was trained to read.

The faculty at my institution spend several hours a day doing signout (I know this because I am sitting there with them all that time). Maybe academics is better after all?

 

[quant]

The faculty at my institution spend several hours a day doing signout (I know this because I am sitting there with them all that time). Maybe academics is better after all?

maybe?......MAYBE??????????.......MAYBEEEEEEEEEEEEE????????????????????????

Im just doing this to rile LaDOC.....

No ambiguity.....no retreat...no surrender!!!

 

[Gut Shot]

How are the new jobs/residencies etc working out?

So far so good.

 

[yaah]

Personnel management.....1 hour

We sit in on the micro lab meetings as part of our rotation. The first 45 minutes is always about personnel. S hates K because K wouldn't help her with her stack of blood plates. Everybody hates R because he's a *******. T and B are seeing each other outside of work and it's impacting their job. A wants to be promoted but we can't because he's a *******. Highlight of my day.

 

[stormjen]

The first couple weeks of residency have been great. I got assigned to start off on surg path, and the hours have been long (today I worked for 12 hours, and I'm on surg path call until tomorrow morning). But I'm actually glad that I got thrown right in, as I've learned a ton, and I can now hammer out frozens (14 today!). I'm soo glad I went into path and not something clinical. *pats self on back*

 

[b&ierstiefel]

That's what I expected of private practice pathology. But the up sides to that is that work hours are regular, very reasonable, and you make a sh*tload more cash than the academicians.

Academics is the pwn! Let the flaming begin!

Me and geddy still talk about some of your posts back in the day. For example, "Thank you mom. Thank you baby Jesus for leaving daddy..." or some **** like that. Still cracks my **** up.

Welcome back, pimp!

 

[bananaface]

Congrats then. Are you movin on up the eastside to a delux apartment in the sky?

I'm moving on up to the Westside. *throws gang sign*

Get this.... We have a hospital pharmacy administrator in the pharmacy forums who posts all day long from work. He makes more than you do, works 40 hours Mon-Fri, has been out of school 10 years, and plans on retiring in another 2.

Materialism sucks, since there will always be someone for you to envy.

 

[LADoc00]

That's what I expected of private practice pathology. But the up sides to that is that work hours are regular, very reasonable, and you make a sh*tload more cash than the academicians.

Academics is the pwn! Let the flaming begin!

Me and geddy still talk about some of your posts back in the day. For example, "Thank you mom. Thank you baby Jesus for leaving daddy..." or some **** like that. Still cracks my **** up.

Welcome back, pimp!

I didnt decide to set out on my current private practice path on a whim after a weekend binge of ganja, I gave it hard thought for years...The golden age of academics is over, but likewise the golden age of all medicine is in the past. Private practice is rather interesting in the sense I do tons of stuff academics will never do but still I get bored quick. My b-school application is in the works.

....(goes back to reading the Kaplan GMAT book at work)....

And in my defense, Im hardly materialistic, if I was I would sure as hell not be in medicine. My little brother makes nearly as much as I do in finance with just a bachelor's (and he's 10 years younger). Life is short and my goal is maximize the most productive years of my working lifespan.

 

[Pingu]

I'm moving on up to the Westside. *throws gang sign*

*Breaks out a gat and a tech nine*

Fool, you be tripping...I'm straight eastside...you dissin my homies the jeffersons by moving westside....although I lack the deluxe apartment in the sky and instead have a relatively large house on a little over an acre.

 

[bananaface]

And in my defense, Im hardly materialistic, if I was I would sure as hell not be in medicine. My little brother makes nearly as much as I do in finance with just a bachelor's (and he's 10 years younger). Life is short and my goal is maximize the most productive years of my working lifespan.

I'm just picking on you, dork. It's my way of saying that you worry too much.

 

[bananaface]

*Breaks out a gat and a tech nine*

Fool, you be tripping...I'm straight eastside...you dissin my homies the jeffersons by moving westside....although I lack the deluxe apartment in the sky and instead have a relatively large house on a little over an acre.

But, Mr. Jefferson is the one who set me up in this apartment...

 

[Pingu]

But, Mr. Jefferson is the one who set me up in this apartment

Oh No! Poor Wheezy....George has gone the way of the player and set his lady up on the westside.

 

[LADoc00]

Oh No! Poor Wheezy....George has gone the way of the player and set his lady up on the westside.

Is it only when I appear that the threads go ******ed or has it been like this the past few months as well??

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Is it only when I appear that the threads go ******ed or has it been like this the past few months as well??

It's not you...and some folk's ******ed **** is more bearable than others. But people do miss your caustic, hold back nothing, flavor of posts. There's too much rah rah cheerleading that goes on in these forums. Kinda makes things ******ed. I wish I had the balls you did...I tend to sugarcoat because I don't wanna piss too many people off or create much commotion (deep inside, I'm a prick). The only way people get a sense of my true opinions is when we're throwing back a few cold ones

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I didnt decide to set out on my current private practice path on a whim after a weekend binge of ganja, I gave it hard thought for years...The golden age of academics is over, but likewise the golden age of all medicine is in the past. Private practice is rather interesting in the sense I do tons of stuff academics will never do but still I get bored quick. My b-school application is in the works.

I respectfully disagree to an extent. I also don't think it's the golden age for private practice pathology either. And your work life sounds boring...if I was in your shoes, I'd kill myself.

 

[yaah]

There's too much rah rah cheerleading that goes on in these forums.

Cheerlead this.

 

[deschutes]

There's too much rah rah cheerleading that goes on in these forums.

Kiddo, where do you hang out? Come sit with us and we'll get you doomy and gloomy easy. No beer. No WiFi. No condo. Boo hoo!

And if that fails, I recommend the General forum - not least of all the "Is anyone as lost as I am??? thread.

*Pardon my forever using internship as a whipping boy: misery like most things in life is relative

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Kiddo, where do you hang out?

Excessive encouragement lacking tempered realism.

 

[deschutes]

Excessive encouragement lacking tempered realism.

You looking at me? I already disclaimed my recent-previous posts.

Henceforth I will always be cynical - just like the true French.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

You looking at me? I already disclaimed my recent-previous posts.

Henceforth I will always be cynical - just like the true French.

I was not looking at you. One doesn't have to be cynical either.

 

[bananaface]

It's not you...and some folk's ******ed **** is more bearable than others. But people do miss your caustic, hold back nothing, flavor of posts. There's too much rah rah cheerleading that goes on in these forums. Kinda makes things ******ed. I wish I had the balls you did...I tend to sugarcoat because I don't wanna piss too many people off or create much commotion (deep inside, I'm a prick). The only way people get a sense of my true opinions is when we're throwing back a few cold ones

Whoever said that you are mean when you drink is seriously messing with your head.

 

[bananaface]

I respectfully disagree to an extent. I also don't think it's the golden age for private practice pathology either. And your work life sounds boring...if I was in your shoes, I'd kill myself.

Maybe you should drink.

 

[Pingu]

Is it only when I appear that the threads go ******ed or has it been like this the past few months as well??

I think my overall level of inane and insane posting has to do with being on a micro rotation. Clinical pathology will cause people to lose it slightly, but you probably wouldn't know about that, would you?

Oh, wait a minute...that's your job now, isn't it?

 

[deschutes]

I think my overall level of inane and insane posting has to do with being on a micro rotation. Clinical pathology will cause people to lose it slightly,

Do the words "Step 3" strike fear into your heart (or have you battled the fiend already?)

I have this grand scheme whereby I will have studied for and taken Step 3, bought a yummy car, put the finishing touches to my manuscript (it's still at draft-draft stage) and learnt to speak French like the French by the time my 9 months of CP are over.

Not to mention probably forgotten the reason I wanted to do Path in the first place.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Do the words "Step 3" strike fear into your heart (or have you battled the fiend already?)

I am pretending that Step 3 doesn't exist. Our residency program is quite front-loaded so I'll worry about it next year when things ease up a bit.

 

[Pingu]

Do the words "Step 3" strike fear into your heart (or have you battled the fiend already?)

No, I'm waiting...in Texas we have to wait 6 months or something...I'll put it off for a while, I'm not all that worried because the score don't mean too much....not like step 1 and 2.

I'm one of the weird freaks who actually likes CP. I mean, where else but CP can you discover that they HUNT hamsters in russia (thus leading to tularemia) and that serratia was possibly responsible for certain religious miracles and then get permission to grow serratia to see if you can duplicate it! And dried rattlesnake meat causing salmonella arizona diarrhea! I mean, call me a nerd, but this is actually interesting to me. Pathology is not all about cold glass, oil, and scopes! Plus, I may be a geek, but I am an extremely well accessorized geek.

I have this grand scheme whereby I will have studied for and taken Step 3, bought a yummy car, put the finishing touches to my manuscript (it's still at draft-draft stage) and learnt to speak French like the French by the time my 9 months of CP are over.

Yummy car-check, although I have my sights set on the Lexus LFA in 07 or 08.
French- tres useful for shopping Paree (and just being pretentious) My French is very limited, but my espanol is bueno, hindered only by a horrible accent.
Manuscript-don't have one of those...maybe I'll start a blog or something, like there aren't enough blogs about shopaholic pathologists.

 

[deschutes]

No, I'm waiting...in Texas we have to wait 6 months or something...

Hasn't it reached you yet? You can get around that! See the FAQs

I'm one of the weird freaks who actually likes CP. I mean, where else but CP can you discover that they HUNT hamsters in russia (thus leading to tularemia) and that serratia was possibly responsible for certain religious miracles and then get permission to grow serratia to see if you can duplicate it! And dried rattlesnake meat causing salmonella arizona diarrhea! I mean, call me a nerd, but this is actually interesting to me. Pathology is not all about cold glass, oil, and scopes! Plus, I may be a geek, but I am an extremely well accessorized geek.

See, for some reason that strikes me as being AP-type stuff... I learnt how to spell "coccidioidomycosis" on surg path. In my own mind, anything morphological (e.g. organisms) and cool historical facts belong in the realm of AP. Insubstantial things like clin chem and (dare I say it) molecular diagnostics are designated CP.

It's a completely arbitrary designation - but heck, if someone can decide that something as cytological as hemepath should be categorized as CP, then I can make these judgements too!

Yummy car-check, although I have my sights set on the Lexus LFA in 07 or 08.

Very sweet

I want a Toyota Matrix that will last forever. I really don't want to get more grey hairs from buying yet another steel and glass concoction in the not-too-distant future. As for eyecandy, I'm content to watch it and the pretty people zip by and rent a convertible while on vacation!

Kinda like with pets.

 

[EUA]

Manuscript-don't have one of those...maybe I'll start a blog or something, like there aren't enough blogs about shopaholic pathologists.

Hmmm. Shopaholic pathologists. that makes 2. blog away. my most recent obscene purchases involved a pair of Chanel sunglasses, followed by Chanel regular glasses frames, the latter with rhinestone CCs on the temples........ slurp.

I can see all the boys rolling their eyes now.

 

[Pingu]

Hmmm. Shopaholic pathologists. that makes 2. blog away. my most recent obscene purchases involved a pair of Chanel sunglasses, followed by Chanel regular glasses frames, the latter with rhinestone CCs on the temples........ slurp.

The thing about chanel sunglasses is that they always look good. So they are worth the buy. My latest and worst splurge ever was a python jimmy choo hobo bag. I had to have it. There have to be more shopaholic pathologists out there though...our job is such that we have time for grooming and being pretty.

 

[Mrbojangles]

I have this grand scheme whereby I will have studied for and taken Step 3, bought a yummy car, put the finishing touches to my manuscript (it's still at draft-draft stage) and learnt to speak French like the French by the time my 9 months of CP are over.

And catch up on your sleep for AP too!

 

[deschutes]

And catch up on your sleep for AP too!

Heh. I'm still catching up on my sleep from clerkship

Saturday morning... phone rings.
deschutes: (sleepily) ...ello?
Perky voice: Hi there! My name is Jim and I'm with the Minneapolis Star Tribune. We'd like to offer you the Sunday StarTrib delivered to your door for 99 cents!
deschutes: Thanks, but I'm not interested.
Slightly-less-perky voice: Oh... can I ask why? It's got coupons, the Life section with book and movie reviews, and -
deschutes: Because it's friggin' 9 o'clock on a Saturday morning, that's why!

~
I didn't really say that.

I don't know what local custom is, but after finding that 99.5% the calls to my newly-established landline on weekends come from telemarketers, I now hang up at "..My name is..".

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I don't know what local custom is, but after finding that 99.5% the calls to my newly-established landline on weekends come from telemarketers, I now hang up at "..My name is..".

The solution to your problems is to register your phone number on the Do Not Call registry.

www.donotcall.gov

It takes a while but soon you should notice that the # of telemarketer calls goes way down.

Another option is to screen your phone calls with caller ID.

Also, if the phone service is only via cell phone, you should receive virtually no spam calls. I think this is because it is illegal for telemarketers to call cell phone numbers.

 

[deschutes]

Also, if the phone service is only via cell phone, you should receive virtually no spam calls.

Thanks for the link! Yeah, cell only is what I am working towards. One slow step at a time. Up to this point I had gone with the third option, which was to unplug the phone if I wanted to sleep in.

I keep meaning to sit down and compare cellphone plans since everyone seems to favour their own network be it Cingular or US Cellular or Sprint or Verizon... Is there really all that much difference between the different networks?

Sorry to have to post these sorts of settling-in questions here, but it does seem like most of the Americans I know (with a few notable exceptions) are pathologists/-to-be's

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Thanks for the link! Yeah, cell only is what I am working towards. One slow step at a time. Up to this point I had gone with the third option, which was to unplug the phone if I wanted to sleep in.

I keep meaning to sit down and compare cellphone plans since everyone seems to favour their own network be it Cingular or US Cellular or Sprint or Verizon... Is there really all that much difference between the different networks?

Sorry to have to post these sorts of settling-in questions here, but it does seem like most of the Americans I know (with a few notable exceptions) are pathologists/-to-be's

If you have broadband at home, I would also look into Vonage if you want cheap land-line service.

Each cell phone service has its pluses and minuses. Just pick one based on which gives the best coverage in your area. I use Sprint PCS but I'm not a big proponent about them. I heard good things about Cingular...plus, they give you a lot of anytime minutes for a decent price and the whole roll-over minutes deal which can collectively come in handy if you're a real talker on the phone.

 

[yaah]

I hear they are celling cell phones at 7-11 now. Maybe that's where I'll go for my new cell phone.

 

[bananaface]

I hear they are celling cell phones at 7-11 now. Maybe that's where I'll go for my new cell phone.

Celling them, hm? Kool.

 

[deschutes]

If you have broadband at home, I would also look into Vonage if you want cheap land-line service.

I am actually planning to ditch the landline the moment I get a cell (have heard good things about Verizon, though only slightly more so than Cingular).

Not planning to subscribe to cable TV. Not planning to get a TV, period. If I get a TV, I have to haul it home. And then find something to put it on. And then when I move... gawd.

I just really really really need a laptop (with DVD player). And broadband/cable Internet. And a Bose.

Car is arriving August 28! Whoopee!!

 

[deschutes]

Celling them, hm? Kool.

A slip of the finger is in no way the fault of the mind, I suppose

 

[beary]

Not planning to get a TV, period.

Wow. I am impressed. I think I would die without a TV.