Pathology Job Outlook

[MahlerROCKS]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hello, yes I am still pre-med, but I've shadowed nearly a dozen specialties, in addition, I have also done GI research: the amalgamation of these experiences is that I have fallen in love with GI path. I apologize for all of this unrealistic hyperbole because I know that's its likely that I will change my mind in med school many times about which field I would like to pursue, but would you all be able to humor me, and tell me what the job outlook for a general pathologist (not necessarily a specialist) is? I read a post the other day by a researcher who said that a lot of pathologists have to do multiple fellowships because there are too many pathologists and simply not enough jobs. Thanks

 

[Cabbage Head]

As long as you truly do Rock, you won't have a problem.

 

[yaah]

I read a post the other day by a researcher who said that a lot of pathologists have to do multiple fellowships because there are too many pathologists and simply not enough jobs. Thanks

That's BS in general, unless you have certain "factors" in your application that make you a less desirable candidate (bad personality, unable to work with you, disciplinary action, failing the boards multiple times, etc). Many pathologists do multiple fellowships, but they don't have to. Perhaps they have to to get their dream job and extra $$$, but then again extra training in general equates to this.

Be very careful of people who say terrible things about the job market. They generally have an axe to grind in some fashion. To be honest, many researchers can have trouble finding jobs because they don't have the necessary skills for the jobs that are out there.

I don't know if there are too many pathologists. There probably are too many pathology residents, but who knows what that means.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I can't really comment on the job market since I haven't gone job hunting 🙂 I encountered lots of negative comments about the job market when I was a 1st and 2nd yr med student but that was like before 2000

As for doing multiple fellowships, I don't think many people are in that position. Mostly because the majority of path residents do combined AP/CP training. In that situation, you certainly don't need more than one fellowship. I think doing multiple fellowships really come into play when one is AP only because people may not feel comfortable applying for jobs after just doing 3 yrs of path residency/fellowship training and also because these folks feel they need to be more competitive for jobs by doing not one but two fellowships. I dunno...wait for LADoc00 to chime in on this.

 

[LADoc00]

we have lots of posts on this explaining exactly what has happened and who is primarily to blame.

 

[pathdoc68]

I don't know if there are too many pathologists. There probably are too many pathology residents, but who knows what that means.

Of course there are way too many path residents and way too many pathologists and I'll tell you exactly what that means - lower salaries and fewer jobs, generally of lower quality/desirability (employee positions, Ameripath/Quest etc.) Not to mention all the bulls..t that is going on with people chasing after a pie that is cut up into smaller and smaller slices - POD Labs! MFer's!! Generally it's too late for us already working in the field, but if your a trainee, be warned - there are many much greener pastures.

 

[yaah]

Of course there are way too many path residents and way too many pathologists and I'll tell you exactly what that means - lower salaries and fewer jobs, generally of lower quality/desirability (employee positions, Ameripath/Quest etc.) Not to mention all the bulls..t that is going on with people chasing after a pie that is cut up into smaller and smaller slices - POD Labs! MFer's!! Generally it's too late for us already working in the field, but if your a trainee, be warned - there are many much greener pastures.

i would tend to blame rising health care costs, medicare, etc etc for falling physician salaries which is far from limited to pathology. Health care is falling more and more under the rubric of MBA stock option loving sleazeballs.

 

[Vaderize]

Eventually they will realize that the majority of healthcare dollars are not spent on physician salaries and stop squeezing us.

Of course, doctors will have to take over Congress for that to happen....😛