Pathologist burnout: rare but severe when present

[Over9000]

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This is an interesting medscape article/survey.

http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/lifestyle/2013/pathology

It mentions that, although pathologists have the lowest number of burned-out physicians of all specialties surveyed, its burned-out practitioners have the second-highest severity of burnout, exceeded only by obstetrics.

Why do you suppose this is?

 

[coroner]

"It's better to burn out, than to fade away"

-Neil Young & Kurt Cobain

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Many are tired of the lack of job security and the difficulties of staying in business. You also have to deal with a lack of respect from other specialists . You get tired of being used to make some urologist's, OBGYN's boat payments after a while. I can see why the one's that are burned out plan on leaving medicine.

 

[Over9000]

Do you know of any pathologists who have left the field to do another residency in something else?

 

[coroner]

As one would figure, most people switch fields during residency, not after. And, pathology is a "go-to" field vs "get-out" i.e. more people try and become pathologists because they are dissatisfied with their specialty than the other way around. This is based on my observations over the years and meeting various people coming from different walks of life.

I don't know anybody post-residency who went back into training to practice in a different field of medicine. The opportunity cost would be too great for most people. Although I did know of someone who did dermpath and then practiced as a clinical dermatologist who read their own slides. This isn't a huge stretch but still unusual as the overwhelming majority of path-trained dermpaths only do slides without seeing patients.

 

[scienceguy19]

Many are tired of the lack of job security and the difficulties of staying in business. You also have to deal with a lack of respect from other specialists . You get tired of being used to make some urologist's, OBGYN's boat payments after a while. I can see why the one's that are burned out plan on leaving medicine.

yeah it's annoying ... some clinicians act as if they're doing a favor for pathologists by sending us specimens... as if we owe it to them

 

[Autopsy101]

I know 3 pathologists who graduated from residency, could not find a job in their chosen geographic area, and retrained in primary care fields. I also know one pathologist who practiced for awhile, then chose to retrain in surgery with a specialization in breast.