Pathology a good fit?

[Elias]

Hi fellow pathology fans!

I'm a Belgian med student currently in my 4th year (it takes 7 years to get an MD over here) and I'm eagerly exploring my post-graduation options.

Troughout small rotations here and there over the past 4 years, I've discovered that I might not like clinical medicine all that much: the stress, the constant decision-making, dealing with patient's misery and pain. That discovery has made me panic a little bit, to the extent that I'm starting to doubt if I should drop out of medicine to pursue a more creative study (eg architecture, graphic design). Right now, I'm trying to figure out if there's possibly a niche left for me that would make it worth carrying on. I'm thinking (and hoping) pathology might be that niche for me.

I've always liked the theoretical side of medicine more than the practical side and am top 20-25% of my class. When professors are explaining underlying causes and mechanisms of disease I always tend to pay more attention in comparison to seemingly pointless elaborations on this or that classification concerning the severity of this or that certain syndrome. Deducting a definitive diagnosis out of a long list of differential diagnoses is something I very much enjoy, and I've always liked and been good at basic sciences. I do like interacting with people, but I can perfectly spend hours on my own, as long as I can spend that time doing something interesting. Laid-back, easy-going, friendly (awkwardly funny!) personalities often match better with me than the overactive hypersocial kind (although I do have a few friends like that). I'm a creative person and would definitely consider basic research. I'm also very visually oriented (I followed evening courses of graphic design and love drawing - which isn't even remotely relevant lol).

At this point, I think basic research, pathology or (a lot less likely) a more "puzzling-minded" clinical specialty (eg IM, peds, neuro...) would be my top choices. The only thing I'm a little afraid of, is the thought that - no offence - pathology might start to bore me after a while. I know that I really like variation and constant new input, so I'm a little afraid I might start to dislike pathology as soon as I've finished residency and seen the majority of pathologies I'll be faced with on a day-to-day basis. I know that a lot of jobs require a certain amount of routine-work, but I'd like to have as little of that as possible. Loving my job is by far my #1 priority.

Do you guys, with all your experience in pathology and with the people doing it, think path might be a good fit for me? Thanks for reading,

Elias

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[Napoleon1801]

I'd recommend taking some time to rotate with a pathologist in some form or fashion. If you can get a month long rotation that would be ideal to see if it suits you. And yes, pathology can be utterly boring to some, but if you find yourself curious at the scope and wanting to learn more, it might be your game. Seven years is a long time to invest in a career, but you also have the right to change you mind. Do what makes you happy and you can't possibly go wrong. The bottom line is get some experience in the area you are considering spending the rest of your career. That's worth either taking some time off or negotiating some sort of deal with the admin of your school. Gather good recon before you make a decision.

Good luck!

 

[Elias]

Hey Napoleon 1801,

Thanks a lot for your response and advice! It's not always easy to find the right way to go in life, but I want action and decided to contact the head of our pathology department. I will rotate one day with 2 path residents in the beginning of december! Even if it's only one day, I think at this point in my education that's a good first step to take and I can definitely learn and get to know things a little. I'll let you guys know how it went. And if I (hopefully) like it, I'll definitely take more initiatives for other rotations! Looking forward to getting to know pathology and its people,

Elias

 

[2121115]

The only thing I'm a little afraid of, is the thought that - no offence - pathology might start to bore me after a while. I know that I really like variation and constant new input, so I'm a little afraid I might start to dislike pathology as soon as I've finished residency and seen the majority of pathologies I'll be faced with on a day-to-day basis.

This can be said of any field of medicine. Like this...

"The only thing I'm a little afraid of, is the thought that - no offence - [insert specialty here] might start to bore me after a while. I know that I really like variation and constant new input, so I'm a little afraid I might start to dislike [insert specialty here] as soon as I've finished residency and seen the majority of [insert specialty here] I'll be faced with on a day-to-day basis."

That is just the way medicine is. I'm not sure there is all that much brilliance to it. Sure, you can't be dumb and practice medicine, but experience counts for so much and you "don't have to be a rocket scientist" to diagnose chronic gastritis. It is very unlikely that you will be figuring out new problems about new diseases every day of your career. With that in mind, try and find a field in which you enjoy the routine work, because it all becomes routine work once you are up the learning curve.