Pathology vs. Radiology

[b&ierstiefel]

My apologies.

I was a prick in my last post...I apologize too.

Happiness trumps all and no doctor starves.

Amen! Happy New Year...may none of us starve.

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[yaah]

I was a prick in my last post...I apologize too.

Dude, your post rocked. Don't apologize.

I always wonder why people always have to be in this pissing contest about what field is "better." There is only one reason that matters - which field do you as an individual want to go into. It's like people are trying to justify why they went into the field on the basis of some other reason. "It's more challenging." "It's more helpful to the patient." "It's more vital." "We do more procedures." "We have a better lifestyle." Blah blah blah.

Respect and appreciate other fields because they will help you out (either as a patient or as a doc) on some occasion. And it is strongly likely that none of them will want to switch careers with you. Sometimes I don't know how FP folks deal with it - most of them went into FP because they like it and it is their perfect career, but everybody always busting their chops and telling them "You couldn't get into radiology" or "Grades not good enough for derm?" or something like that. Grow up!!! Everybody has different priorities.

Some peoples' priorities are getting money to do drugs. Some want 5 houses and a boat. Some want to be "humanitarian." Some want to enhance their sexual attractiveness. Some want to work as little as possible. Some want to be challenged mentally or physically at their job. Good thing there's room for everybody.

 

[Docxter]

why did you choose path when in path you are looking at 200k on average per year and in rads you can make 800k a year at any moderately busy community practice group.

Even if you find path more interesting, is it really worth giving up 600 k a year?

Wow, you're pretty smart trying to compare the top 1% radiology salaries with something in the range of 20-30th percentile of pathology salaries. In most physician salary surveys, the difference between the averages is less than 50k. Considering the difference in weekly hours, the difference in pay/hour is minimal, if not sometimes to the advantage of pathologists.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Yeah, I'd listen to Docxter. This guy is the radiology version of yaah.

 

[yaah]

Which one of us is the evil one?

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Which one of us is the evil one?

clearly not you.

 

[cytoborg]

Thought this might be useful to the med students trying to decide on a specialty.

 

[PathOne]

This seems to be more of a MBA/JD than a medical forum with all that focus on the money.

But let's just look at some numbers:
http://www.allied-physicians.com/salary_surveys/physician-salaries.htm
(yeah, it's probably just as wrong as all the other surveys, but let's assume that in can do for comparing specialities).

Beginning salary: $169K for Path. vs. $201K for Rad.
OK. Personally, I'd be happy to forego $2,667 a month just to avoid calls, shifts and working weekends.
Intermediate salary: $321K for Path. vs. 354K for Rad.
Ohhh my! 33K a year (10.3%) in difference pre-tax! Wow. Yes, it's obvious that I should throw away everything and race towards rad....
Top salary: $610K for Path. vs. $911K for Rad.
Now that, obviously, is a difference that can be felt. Just a couple of follow-up questions:
1) How many people are anywhere near those numbers - in either speciality?
2) What, pray, would be the average working hours required for collecting that amount? Personally, I'd actually like to have time spending my money, see my friends, watch my kids grow up and other non-chargable activities...

I'm sorry, but I just cannot see that path is so poorly compensated that anyone should why away, for fear of ending up in the gutter. Conversely, I cannot see that rads are so incredibly golden that it's the one and only thing to choose. Heck, a radiologist making $354K probably earns less than a 3rd year associate on Wall Street, and whoever's the top rads dog is a destitute compared to the vast majority of top earners in business and finance.

So if it's all about the money, please do get out of the medical profession while you can. Rads certainly isn't going to save you (and pathology obviously even less so).

 

[SoCalRULES!!!!!]

Personal satisfaction from your career is something money just can't buy. So it is important to do what you love.

 

[DasN]

If what you are truly interested in making big cash, don’t go into medicine. As far as comparing path and rads salaries, that’s irrelevant. Both careers allow ample time ( vs. general surgery ect) to pursue other business ventures on the side as well as provide a good base pay. If you really want to make money you’re going to have to supplement your income with another venture, instead of waiting for that 1 in a million job that pays 900K. Also keep in mind that compensation for each specialty can and do change over time ( more recently going toward the downside) The most IMPORTANT idea here is that you cannot choose a specialty based on the average pay. A job may pay great but if you dread going to work everyday you will eventually have to ask yourself if it was worth it. Be happy if you are able to find something that you know you will love doing, even if its for the next 30 yrs. You can't put a price on that.

 

[PathOne]

If what you are truly interested in making big cash, don’t go into medicine. As far as comparing path and rads salaries, that’s irrelevant. Both careers allow ample time ( vs. general surgery ect) to pursue other business ventures on the side as well as provide a good base pay. If you really want to make money you’re going to have to supplement your income with another venture, instead of waiting for that 1 in a million job that pays 900K. Also keep in mind that compensation for each specialty can and do change over time ( more recently going toward the downside) The most IMPORTANT idea here is that you cannot choose a specialty based on the average pay. A job may pay great but if you dread going to work everyday you will eventually have to ask yourself if it was worth it. Be happy if you are able to find something that you know you will love doing, even if its for the next 30 yrs. You can't put a price on that.

AMEN to that!