new path interest

[augmel]

hello to all,
i am a second year who is unexpectedly becoming very interested in pathology. i also really enjoy taking care of patients. does anyone know of people combining pathology with direct patient-care fields? i know about derm path but that isn't too interesting to me. double boarding seems ominous but i'd consider it if i knew of other people who have found a way.

i got more questions too. what are the merits of a psf and can you really get residency credit, even though residencies just got shortened? also, any opinions on/ knowledge of OHSU's or colorado's path residencies? i'm at uw and i know our program is great, but you gotta have backups.

thanks

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[Mindy]

Hello!

The PSF opened my mind to the possibility of pathology as a career choice... in short, it rocks.

(If you run a search, I've talked about it a lot in the past.)

However, the pathology board of chairs (or whatever it is) just decided to NOT count the PSF toward education...

The experience is still fantastic.

Mindy

 

[blueintheface]

By the way, I checked the ABPATH.org web site to get some official confirmation on the PSF credit issue and there is a memo:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13 September 2002

TO: Pathology Program Directors
Pathology Chairs
FROM: William H. Hartmann, M.D.
RE: Qualification Requirements

At the recent ABP Board of Trustees meeting, the following changes in requirements for qualification for primary certification were made:

For residents entering pathology training programs on or after 1 July 2003, the ABP will accept up to six months of research, which must be done during the 4-year pathology training program and have the approval of the program director.

For residents entering pathology training programs on or after 1 July 2003, the Ph.D. degree will not be accepted as credit.

Credit for post-pathology course fellowships will not be granted to medical students entering such programs on or after 1 July 2003.

All residents who are currently in training or who will enter training programs prior to 1 July 2003 will be permitted to satisfy the qualification requirements in existence at the beginning of their training.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you are as neurotic as I am you might have noticed that its not entirely clear whether this new policy applies to students entering residencies on July 1, 2003 or students entering PSFs on July 1, 2003. I would guess the former, which is disappointing, but at least that means we won't be graduating in the "crunch" year when two classes will enter the job/fellowship market simultaneously.

 

[Mindy]

thanks blue.

I'm glad someone has the actually documents, rather than my word of mouth (although credible source) info. I am pretty sure the PSF news is meant for those applying for residency this year (i.e. us!) Anyway, I don't really care. I was considering not taking the credit anyway.

Mindy

 

[augmel]

thanks for the info. it's too bad they aren't giving credit. kind of makes it hard to justify moving my family to another city for a year. oh well.

i guess no one is really conflicted about the patient care thing, but someone must know something about the oregon and colorado programs. anyone?

 

[augmel]

GP? do you know anything on these issues?

 

[ironchef]

.

 

[GreatPumpkin]

Not much to add. Heme path, blood bank and cytology get the most patient contact in path. Our heme path docs do approx. 70 bone marrow biopsies a month. Well maybe I should say us residents do that many, with them watching hehe. Weird situation here the heme onc folks don't do many, we do them all. This is not how it is normally done.

Some of the patients that get apheresis proceedures are critically ill. Acute leuk, sickle cell crisis and TTP patients are routinely seen in our transfusion center.

We do have a pathologist in the community that works with an internal med doc and sees patients in his clinic twice a week. And, works as a typical pathologist the other days. Probably a pretty unique situation though.

Don't know anything about PSFs.

 

[augmel]

thanks folks. cyto and heme both sound interesting. can gi docs do gi path fellowships and read their own biopsies? i know that some medical heme docs read their own aspirates and smears.

gp, what does the pathologist do when he is working in the medicine clinic? that is obviously very unique, whatever it is, but sounds great to me.

 

[GreatPumpkin]

I have never heard of a GI doc reading thier own biopsies. One of the problems with that is some folks feel that sort of thing is a tad unethical, where you create billing for yourself by taking biopsies. Though some derm path folks do this, so I don't see why GI couldn't do it to.

The path doc that works in the internal med clinic sees patients just like an internist. He likes to keep his clinical skills sharp and the internal med guy likes to have the extra help. There is nothing stopping a pathologist from doing such things. All that is required is to have your state med certificate.