Pathology - Any regrets? Anyone?

[sweet n sour]

I realize everyone out here loves Path and I do too but just curious if anyone who is going through residency or looking for jobs now feels differently about Path.

Also, is there anyone here who had Path as a backup during application season for say Radiology, didn't match into their first choice, now doing Path and loving it? or may be you are applying again this year? (Not having the intern year is great for those who know for sure that Path is what they would ever do but seems risky for those who are not.)

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[deschutes]

I wish I could do a 5-year AP residency so that I wouldn't have to apply for fellowship after fellowship!

 

[Mrbojangles]

Oh the constant application for higher educational training is fun, even when we're 40 ;-).

 

[deschutes]

Another little aside...

So my good friend a brand-spanking-new PGY-2 in Surgery was telling me that her intern bawled because the nurses were totally giving said intern a hard time (because she was "too nice") to the point that said intern even felt like quitting residency.

Take and multiply across the country.

Let me assure you it is very very difficult to feel like one has picked the wrong specialty.

 

[beary]

So my good friend a brand-spanking-new PGY-2 in Surgery was telling me that her intern bawled because the nurses were totally giving said intern a hard time (because she was "too nice") to the point that said intern even felt like quitting residency.

Please don't tell me that this was in Iowa City...

I start surgery on Monday.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

On certain days, I get worked pretty good. On certain days, I simply get my ass beat into the ground (like this week!). Nonetheless, I enjoy what I do very much and I'm not having any doubts. I don't regret doing pathology one bit.

 

[yaah]

My only regrets are when I do not get to hold a patient's hand as I tell them their diagnosis and hope to guide them through the healing process, attending to their physical as well as emotional needs to make their recovery or perhaps journey towards death as humane and comfortable as possible.

 

[LADoc00]

I sure as hell have regrets!!!

...But they all involve girls from my high school days. I walk around the mall nowadays thinking "What the f@ck was I thinking studying in HS surrounded by all this?!" I cry myself to sleep now thinking what I missed out on.

Im going to start surfing the web for a time machine....
Dont end up like me, live the dream!

 

[bananaface]

I sure as hell have regrets!!!

...But they all involve girls from my high school days. I walk around the mall nowadays thinking "What the f@ck was I thinking studying in HS surrounded by all this?!" I cry myself to sleep now thinking what I missed out on.

Im going to start surfing the web for a time machine....
Dont end up like me, live the dream!

It's never too late to sleep with whorish 16 year olds. I bet you could still get one knocked up too.

 

[deschutes]

Please don't tell me that this was in Iowa City...

I start surgery on Monday.

Kiddo, you're a med student. I hear med students get to go READ on their surgery rotations at Iowa, and that they don't even write progress notes because of some medico-legal thing. You can let me know if this is what your experience is like

Oh shoot what with being snowed under, I totally forgot to get back to you! What did you end up deciding on? The VA?

 

[beary]

I hear med students get to go READ on their surgery rotations at Iowa, and that they don't even write progress notes because of some medico-legal thing. You can let me know if this is what your experience is like

My experience on other rotations has been that we have to write progress notes but they don't count for anything whatsoever. They just go into some "student" section of the computer system. The resident has to write their own notes - they can't just cosign ours.

What did you end up deciding on? The VA?

I requested the VA but they don't tell us what we get until Monday morning. I'll let you know.

 

[stormjen]

I am a path PGY1 and don't regret it for a second. Sometimes I think about what life would be like had I gone into OB/GYN or Family or whatnot, and I laugh uncontrollably and pat myself on the back.

 

[DasN]

It's never too late to sleep with whorish 16 year olds. I bet you could still get one knocked up too.

20K posts Huh You must be living the life!!

 

[SLUsagar]

I am a path PGY1 and don't regret it for a second. Sometimes I think about what life would be like had I gone into OB/GYN or Family or whatnot, and I laugh uncontrollably and pat myself on the back.

totally agreed with above... although i think others have a diff opinion of our field...

i recently got (several now actually) a call from a surg resident asking to go over the slides and diagnostic info i (my attending rather, i still barely can sign out gb's --- CCC, that's it, right???) had in the report. I asked a more senior res about how to go about doing this being that i really don't know squat etc etc, and he reminded me about the (FALSE) attitude about pathologists here at stanford, which i'm sure applies to everywhere else -- we don't work hard.
He told me let the person know that i'd be happy to show cases etc, after like 6pm, and to always reply something of this nature when asked about calls....i.e. hey, i'm doing a presentation on XXXX, will you take pic's of the slides for me??? (for this, tell 'em you'll be happy to, week's notice of course).
We simply HAVE to put our feet down and not let non-path people push us around [the surg res was indeed frustrated that i couldn't just drop what i was doing and come show her the slides]. People literally think we (as residents at least) sit around with our thumbs up our ass*s occasionally strolling down to the OR to open colons for surgeons and taking extra long lunch breaks where we talk about what exciting things we (or who... ) we did over the weekend.

Remember: stand up for our field. Power to path's!

 

[TigerPath05]

I am happier than ever that I picked path! I see some of my friends in other fields and I just think..that could have been me!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

totally agreed with above... although i think others have a diff opinion of our field...

I haven't been treated with any disrespect so far nor am I aware of negative perceptions about our field by other clinicians.

That being said, if people do think of us as a bunch of slackers, they can all kiss my ass! This week I'll be going over the 80 hour limit for sure so as Sean Connery tells Alex Trebek in the SNL Celebrity Jeopardy skits, they can "suck it long...suck it hard."

 

[Gut Shot]

It's scrub city here and I couldn't be happier. There are a few rotations where shirt & tie will be needed, but they are rare. I don't mind wearing decent clothes, but I despise the maintenance aspect. Making sure everything is properly cleaned, pressed, ironed, fluffed, primped, caressed, etc. is the last thing I want to deal with.

Someday when I get a real job I'm going to stock up on clip-ons.

 

[yaah]

We are treated with respect here - there are a couple of surgeons and clinicians who are obnoxious but that is to be expected anywhere. There is one liver guy who always wants to see all the biopsies on his patients and questions the diagnosis.

There is also ingrained in the culture here that pathologists are not at the beck and call of the surgeons - except, perhaps, the breast service where the clinicians are the most demanding and tell us how to do our jobs. And in terms of them asking us to open colons for them, well, they seem to do it themselves here and then send it out, quite often conveniently cut right through that lung cancer or colon mass.

And that being said, if they criticize us, well, we rip on them all the time too so it goes both ways. Most clinicians, the problem is, have little to no experience actually seeing what day to day pathology is like - they think a biopsy can be read immediately and accurately, etc. Whereas pathologists at least have the experience of med school rotations and seeing what clinicians do, and why a quick read on certain biopsy results can make such a difference.

Today, we are reading a biopsy on a two month old with hepatic failure of unknown cause. Clearly, we will be prioritizing that one as this child is not doing well. The screening colonoscopy biopsies can wait. Most clinicians understand this. UNfortunately, though, the squeaky wheel does often get the grease.

 

[deschutes]

I have recently taken to ending all my bone marrow biopsy encounters with "...And now you can go tell all your friends and family that pathologists don't deal only with dead people! "

And I find that when I word my service duties as being 3 to 4 new consults a day (2 bone, 1-2 bloods) in addition to the (2 a day) follow-up on consults, it tends to put things in perspective for the non-path service residents.

 

[cytoborg]

I am a path PGY1 and don't regret it for a second. Sometimes I think about what life would be like had I gone into OB/GYN or Family or whatnot, and I laugh uncontrollably and pat myself on the back.

Amen! Even on the worst days when I am getting my ass kicked, I am still thrilled to be here. Life could be so much worse right now...as evidenced by the haunted eyes of my ex-classmates as they drag themselves past me down the hall. Mwahahahaha!

 

[Aubrey]

I have recently taken to ending all my bone marrow biopsy encounters with "...And now you can go tell all your friends and family that pathologists don't deal only with dead people! "

To paraphrase the immortal words of Dr. Nick Riviera:

"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing... until I jam this giant needle in your pelvis!"

 

[deschutes]

To paraphrase the immortal words of Dr. Nick Riviera:

"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing... until I jam this giant needle in your pelvis!"

Who is Dr. Nick Riviera, and with all due respect why hasn't he heard of lidocaine?

Edit: I just Googled him. No wonder he hasn't heard of lidocaine.

 

[bananaface]

20K posts Huh You must be living the life!!

Like 2.5K of them are fake. Don't be too impressed.