Poll for future pathologists or those possibly interested in the field or forensics

[yaah]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Out of interest, just seeing where Forensics fits. No doubt this will be unrevealing, but perhaps if enough people answer, it will assuage my curiosité.

It seems lots of people (again, I don't know how to quantitate "lots") are becoming interested in path as a career because of forensic issues and CSI type shows which are a new plague brought forth upon us like the locusts and the river of blood upon ancient Egypt (just being dramatic - I actually don't watch them so I they may very well be good shows for all I know, it's just that from what I have heard the actual job functions as performed by the characters on the show are not standard professions).

Thus, what is your interest in forensics?

This is an anonymous poll - please respond. Humor me. Or, as some might say, Humour me.

 

[xanthines]

I wanted to be a Medical Examiner because my girlfriend worked there and told me about what went on (pre-CSI days). Now I don't forsee myself having anything to do with forensics because CSI (especially Miami) makes me want to throw a brick through my TV. The same thing goes for Emergency Medicine and the show ER.

At least Scrubs is funny. Maybe I'll be a surgeon (a la Turk) or IM doc (Jersey State guy)....

-X

Out of interest, just seeing where Forensics fits. No doubt this will be unrevealing, but perhaps if enough people answer, it will assuage my curiosité.

It seems lots of people (again, I don't know how to quantitate "lots") are becoming interested in path as a career because of forensic issues and CSI type shows which are a new plague brought forth upon us like the locusts and the river of blood upon ancient Egypt (just being dramatic - I actually don't watch them so I they may very well be good shows for all I know, it's just that from what I have heard the actual job functions as performed by the characters on the show are not standard professions).

Thus, what is your interest in forensics?

This is an anonymous poll - please respond. Humor me. Or, as some might say, Humour me.

 

[Mrbojangles]

My geuss is that people who want to do path (whether CP or surg/cyto path) are a different brand of people from people who want to be a medical examiner. That's what it seems like to me. I for one wouldn't want to be a medical examiner in any shape or form. Just too depressing seeing how evil or desperate man can be.

 

[yaah]

My geuss is that people who want to do path (whether CP or surg/cyto path) are a different brand of people from people who want to be a medical examiner. That's what it seems like to me. I for one wouldn't want to be a medical examiner in any shape or form. Just too depressing seeing how evil or desperate man can be.

That was my thought as well, however, there are a lot of upcoming med students (and even people who aren't even med students yet) who have an interest in "pathology" as a career. In actuality, many of these individuals are enthralled by forensics for whatever the reason and want to do "pathology" because of that. Thus, in the future many people looking towards path as a career may be doing it with this in mind. The attending I am with at the VA now said she has been contacted by aspiring future doctors who want to talk with her because they are interested in forensics and pathology.

Now, perhaps many of these individuals never actually go to med school. But I am curious about it all.

One of the 1st year residents in my class is an aspiring ME, but she likes autopsies and that part of the equation.

 

[deschutes]

Humor me. Or, as some might say, Humour me.

I do my best. But since you left out an "I am interested in Path and might consider forensics" option 🙁 I am now an undecided voter.

I think forensics people are still quite normal despite the exposure to violent crimes. They figure out their daily workload by listening to the morning news as they're driving in to work.

 

[yaah]

I do my best. But since you left out an "I am interested in Path and might consider forensics" option 🙁 I am now an undecided voter.

I think forensics people are still quite normal despite the exposure to violent crimes. They figure out their daily workload by listening to the morning news as they're driving in to work.

Dammit I knew I missed one option. OH well. Can't change it now. Just pick the one that applies the most!

But yes, most forensics people are very normal. The problem is, they did not have CSI or the irritating autopsy shows on tv at the time they were selecting a future career. (Thus, they came into the career without as many preconceived notions about it) Forensics people actually remind me of ER people in a way. I like them both, I just don't think I would want to do it.

And BTW, I am not attempting to badmouth anyone who is interested in forensics, or demean anyone who gains an interest in the field from an outside area like tv. I am just curious as to where motivations come from.

 

[deschutes]

Just pick the one that applies the most!

...and pray tell me, which would that be? 🙂

How do doctors introduce themselves anyway?
Do you say what your field is? Do people ask?

 

[yaah]

...and pray tell me, which would that be? 🙂

How do doctors introduce themselves anyway?
Do you say what your field is? Do people ask?

I asked this before as well. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=106163

Right now I am just in the "I am in pathology" stage and leave it at that. If they ask, I give them an explanation which usually involves them tuning out at some point.

 

[deschutes]

Actually I didn't mean pathology. I meant doctors in general. Once you introduce yourself as a doctor to non-doctors, what is the usual response? It seems inevitable that some family member's illness would be brought into the conversation.

 

[yaah]

Actually I didn't mean pathology. I meant doctors in general. Once you introduce yourself as a doctor to non-doctors, what is the usual response? It seems inevitable that some family member's illness would be brought into the conversation.

Kind of different for me, because my dad is a doctor so people are used to going to him. Believe it or not though, I haven't heard tons of questions by people about medical issues. People seem to feel like experts themselves a lot nowadays. They tend to seek out people who have the disease before they would seek out a doctor. Like, diabetics would rather go and get advice from other diabetics before they would ask a family member doctor. However, questions do come up about medications and what certain terms or words mean.

In general, people say "Oh, that's nice" and then go back to talking about Oprah or Eminem or something riveting like that. It just doesn't impress the ladies like it used to.

 

[deschutes]

I don't know very many doctors who use the "Dr." title much outside of the hospital. It must sound a little pretentious? 😕 Especially if Oprah gets more respect!

 

[garfield]

I don't know very many doctors who use the "Dr." title much outside of the hospital. It must sound a little pretentious? 😕 Especially if Oprah gets more respect!

When garfield will go shopping for a car: won't tell salesperson about being a doc... flashback to old Cosby show where Dr. Huxtable dresses up in the worst clothes ever to try to get a good deal on the car.
When garfield needs to get a loan at the bank: telling them you're a doc helps out a great deal.
Lesson: garfield only tells people about being a doc when it's useful.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

When garfield will go shopping for a car: won't tell salesperson about being a doc... flashback to old Cosby show where Dr. Huxtable dresses up in the worst clothes ever to try to get a good deal on the car.
When garfield needs to get a loan at the bank: telling them you're a doc helps out a great deal.
Lesson: garfield only tells people about being a doc when it's useful.

Same thing goes for when you get into a car accident. Do NOT let the other party know that you have any relation to the field of medicine. Tell them that you weave baskets for a living.

 

[yaah]

Somehow I think my poll is non-representative of the up and coming med student population. Only one person seems to want to do forensics so far. Perhaps they aren't that common, it just seems like it because I'm paying attention. Oh well, I tried! Thank you all for voting.

 

[adpitan]

Somehow I think my poll is non-representative of the up and coming med student population. Only one person seems to want to do forensics so far. Perhaps they aren't that common, it just seems like it because I'm paying attention. Oh well, I tried! Thank you all for voting.

There might be two of us out there who want to do forensics. 🙂 I'm one of them, I caught the bug pre-CSI days. I love being in the autopsy suite and being knee deep in it. Fortunately, I have already had experience in the field and am not only doing it because of the shows, I actually have some substance to my CV when I apply.

 

[1Path]

I actually worked my way "backwards" into path. I started with what interested me after seing a seminar by a woman I didn't know at the time was a pathologist, and decided on the career before she finished her presentation.
Now after 2.5 years, a predoctoral fellowship and coursework in path, I KNOW without a doubt I'm in the right place! 👍

 

[yaah]

There might be two of us out there who want to do forensics. 🙂 I'm one of them, I caught the bug pre-CSI days. I love being in the autopsy suite and being knee deep in it. Fortunately, I have already had experience in the field and am not only doing it because of the shows, I actually have some substance to my CV when I apply.

Well, I can see how many are interested - we had 4 autopsies today. One was the ME doing a decomp case (man found in a hotel after being dead 3 days - that's good maid service, eh?) the other 3 were hospital cases and I did two of them. Both had a similar history - lymphoma treated by bone marrow transplant complicated by graft versus host disease. The second case was more interesting because he had a systemic mycosis (Aspergillus) in the lung, bowel, heart, probably kidney and spleen. I had a very busy day but it was interesting. At this point though I still get more of a kick out of microscopy than gross pathology. But perhaps that will change.

 

[EvoDevo]

How about the "Clueless about Path but here it gets you primo research opportunities" option? 🙂

 

[luckystar]

Well, I can see how many are interested - we had 4 autopsies today. One was the ME doing a decomp case (man found in a hotel after being dead 3 days - that's good maid service, eh?) the other 3 were hospital cases and I did two of them. Both had a similar history - lymphoma treated by bone marrow transplant complicated by graft versus host disease. The second case was more interesting because he had a systemic mycosis (Aspergillus) in the lung, bowel, heart, probably kidney and spleen. I had a very busy day but it was interesting. At this point though I still get more of a kick out of microscopy than gross pathology. But perhaps that will change.

This is a great example of why I'm interested in doing pathology myself. You get to see everything! I've noticed that I tend to focus more on the mechanisms and biology behind all the diseases/disorders we're presently being bombarded with just a little bit more than the management side of it all. And I just found out that I can do a path rotation in 3rd year, AND still be able to get 3 more during 4th year if that's really what I want to do. Great news!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

This is a great example of why I'm interested in doing pathology myself. You get to see everything! And I've noticed that I tend to focus more on the mechanisms and biology behind all the diseases/disorders we're presently being bombarded with just a little bit more than the management side of it all. And I just found out that I can do a path rotation in 3rd year, AND still be able to get 3 more in during 4th year if that's really what I want to do. Great news!

lucky bastard 😀