path jobs

[arjones100]

I'm a rising 4th year med student interested in pathology. Some pathologists I know have told me not to go into path because the job market is so poor. Is this accurate? I dont want to go through residency and not be able to find a job. Does anyone know how bad it is? Is there any information available concerning graduates employment? Any help is greatly appreciated.

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[pathdawg]

If pathology is what you want to do, then go for it. We cannot predict what the job market will look like when you graduate from your residency/fellowship in 4-5 years. We can't even predict what the market will look like next year. Don't let anyone discourage you. If pathology interests you, then you should pursue it.
Good luck.

 

[Weil-Felix]

I do not believe that rumor is accurate. There have been rumors floating around for years that the pathology job market is terrible. There was even an email that was being circulated a couple of years ago by some person in Chicago telling medical students not to go into pathology because the job market was so bleak. My PD said that this was a disgruntled FMG who was having a difficult time finding a job himself due to visa or licensing issues, and was trying to make it sound like the sky was falling. I have been told by all of the attendings I have worked with to ignore these rumors, because they are not true.

Just about every field goes through cycles of "waxing and waning" of job opportunities. There may be fewer jobs for a couple of years, and a percieved "glut" of persons going into that specialty. Then medical school graduates stop going into it for a few years because they are concerned about the job market. Then a few more people will retire and suddenly there's a shortage.

I agree with Pathdawg. If you like it, you shouldn't let anyone tell you not to go into it.

 

[yaah]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=103233

As with the other question that was asked today, we have had discussions about this before. The other two posters make great points. You will ALWAYS be able to find someone in any field who thinks that there are not enough jobs, or the future prospects are dim. Just as you will generally be able to find someone who thinks the opposite.

The consensus, from what I have seen, is that there is no worry about any impending job crunch in pathology. Some say there are lots of academic types soon to retire - which I guess is true in a sense because on almost every interview I went on I met with someone who was retiring soon. But others go by the old axiom that "Old pathologists work until they die," so I am not sure about that. If you are a smart person and a hard worker, there will always be a job for you. Certain areas of the country like the northeast will always be tougher in terms of job market than the southeast, for example. Don't worry too much, and certainly don't let rumors dissuade you from entering a field which can provide such a wonderful career.

 

[joedogma]

I have also heard this "rumor." Weil-Felix is right, every specialty goes through cycles when it comes to job availability after residency but how can you judge what the market will be like 5 years from now? Is there ANY specialty that you can say for certain will be in dire need of physicians in five years? This criteria for choosing your field of training should be at the bottom of your list. No matter what field of you go into, you will always have concerns about job security. Fears like "will primary care be overrun by NP's and PA's" or "will all our films be out-sourced to India" shouldn't discourage you from doing what you want to do...lets just hope a lot of pathologists retire over the next five years