pathology assistant vs. job market

[jmin]

I'm interested in becoming a pathologist assistant. I was wondering what the job market is like?

I keep hearing pathologists (and presumably, those who assist them, aka pathologist assistant) are in demand but on this forum people/doctors seem to believe otherwise?

Would love to hear more info. Thanks!

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[pathstudent]

I'm interested in becoming a pathologist assistant. I was wondering what the job market is like?

I keep hearing pathologists (and presumably, those who assist them, aka pathologist assistant) are in demand but on this forum people/doctors seem to believe otherwise?

Would love to hear more info. Thanks!

From what I understand PAs are in high demand with plenty of jobs. Being a physician assistant is a good way to in general if you want a relatively high level job in medicine but don't want to take the time and debt it takes for medical school, residency and fellowship.

 

[KCShaw]

To spin off... Physician assistant != pathology assistant. The concept is similar, but the physician assistant/nurse practitioner fields are considerably less restrictive in terms of options. Most of the pathology assistant jobs seem to be grossing, which a fair number of new path assistant students don't seem to realize; many think there are jobs primarily in autopsy or in forensic offices, or that they will have some opportunity to look at and review slides (much like a path resident might prepare for signout) -- while such jobs may exist they seem to be pretty rare. Autopsy techs, including at ME offices, are far more commonly trained on-the-job and paid less than half what most PA's would get, while preparing histology reports requires additional training and often just slows down an attending except in very niche circumstances, and thus is an unhelpful added cost. Physician assistants/nurse practitioners, on the other hand, are more like a clinical resident and can handle the routine ward or office patients in significant volume -- basically allowing an attending to bill more patients without adding the salary cost of another attending or the requirements of teaching new rounds of residents every year.

But I totally agree that physician assistant/nurse practitioner jobs are great quick and cheap ways to get into medicine, get paid reasonably well, have less bottom-line responsibility, but still have reasonable autonomy most of the time. Over the course of a career, eliminating that extra time and debt means quite likely having a better lifetime net income than most physicians, at least most academics, family practitioners, and so forth.

 

[pathstudent]

Good points.

Pathology assistant definitely means a life of grossing with possible ap management.

Physician assistants have a multitude of possibilities from being a surgical assistant to rounding on in patients to seeing patients in the clinic.

I asked an orthopedic friend of mine what he paid his PA and he said 135k a year but she had worked for him for a few years.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

There arent many certified path assistants or many schools offering programs. I am sure the market is volatile and changes rapidly. If more and more specimens migrate out to in-office labs, will that mean an increase or decrease in demand? Ive noticed Joe Plankdowski doesnt even put a PA salary in the costs of running an in-office lab. He only lists histotech(s) and pathologist.

 

[pathstudent]

There arent many certified path assistants or many schools offering programs. I am sure the market is volatile and changes rapidly. If more and more specimens migrate out to in-office labs, will that mean an increase or decrease in demand? Ive noticed Joe Plankdowski doesnt even put a PA salary in the costs of running an in-office lab. He only lists histotech(s) and pathologist.

You only "need" a path asst for large specimens. You don't need a PA to transfer biopsies from a jar to a cassette.

 

[caffeinegirl]

Agreed pathstudent. With the new CAP regulations as to who can gross/handle specimens though, this has made us change our workflow and employment of technicians, since they now require to qualify for high complexity testing under CLIA regulations.

I'm not sure about the general market for pathology assistants though. It's site/practice dependent.

 

[mlw03]

My residency program had (but no longer has) a small PA training program. All graduates found employment, some with multiple job offers, all in the part of the country they wanted. Starting salary around $75K, for a masters level degree. I enjoy what I do, but sometimes I wish I'd done PA training right out of college. To be 25 years old making that kind of money, no call, far less debt, and interesting work... not a bad deal, in my opinion.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

You only "need" a path asst for large specimens. You don't need a PA to transfer biopsies from a jar to a cassette.

Lancaster Gastroenterology [FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond][FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond](Lancaster, PA) opened a histology lab in May 2009. The group has hired a full-time pathology assistant and contracts with Fabien Baksh, MD, at Pennsylvania Specialty Pathology (Lancaster) for professional services. Lancaster Gastroenterology has eight gastroenterologists. Estimated annual pathology service revenue is $1 million...
[FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond][FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond]..
[FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond][FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond]..
[FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond][FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond]Looks like some in-office labs are hiring path assistants so maybe PA demand will stay high.
..

 

[pathstudent]

I stand corrected.

Wow each gastroenterologist makes 125k a year off the pathology for doing nothing. That is a sweet annual bonus.

I wonder how much is off the TC and how much is off spliting the fee for the PC with some pathologist.

If CAP could do one thing, I think it would be to make it so that a physician couldn't bill for another physician's professional services. That would help out the field of pathology immensely. If gastros and uros want to try to make money off making slides, fine, but what I find really insulting is them thinking they are entitled to split the fee for the professional component with some pathologist. Clearly if this arrangement existed between other groups of physicians it would be illegal. For example a FP couldn't bill for the PC of a gastroenterologist and them pay hime 15% on the dollar. I think that would be obviously perceived as illegal. In fact I think most people would perceive what goes on with these groups and pathologists as illegal. It is fee splitting no matter how you try to dress it up. Are state medical boards aware of this? This is the kind of thing they are supposed to oversee.

Lancaster Gastroenterology [FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond][FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond](Lancaster, PA) opened a histology lab in May 2009. The group has hired a full-time pathology assistant and contracts with Fabien Baksh, MD, at Pennsylvania Specialty Pathology (Lancaster) for professional services. Lancaster Gastroenterology has eight gastroenterologists. Estimated annual pathology service revenue is $1 million...
[FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond][FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond]..
[FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond][FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond]..
[FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond][FONT=AGaramond,AGaramond]Looks like some in-office labs are hiring path assistants so maybe PA demand will stay high.
..

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Maybe that upcoming shortage of pathologists we keep hearing about will make these in-office labs go away. I shouldnt joke since I know plenty of out of work pathologists doing locum work.

I read a crazy statistic the other day that Haiti has 12 pathologists for 9 million people. Haiti is also ranked 138 in the WHO health care system rankings.

 

[path24]

Pathologist shortage always hilarious!! To my knowledge this has been said since the 90s (and has not even remotely come close to happening). Has anyone ever put an actual date out there for this to occur. If you support this claim put a date on it please. How many years/decades do we have to wait?

Easy to find locum pathologists, lots of underemployed pathologists, crappy stock market (everyone is putting off retirement for 5+ years) equals very poor job market for years to come. I will put a date out there, 2018. The pathology job market will still suck and there will be no where close to a shortage. It will be the same. Newly trained pathologists will continue to struggle to find work and working pathologists will continue to be underemployed.

 

[Gene_]

I recently heard this looming pathologist shortage story from someone in the business of hiring pathologists. The expectation is that there will be a shortage in the next 5-10 years. Could this actually be true? I'll believe it when I see it.