Problems facing pathology today?

[Zuwie]

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So I'll have my first interview pretty soon and I heard they like to ask the question "What problems do you think face the specialty today?" Any ideas of what I can answer? Your responses will be much appreciated.

 

[yaah]

It's best to come up with your own answers to such questions. They aren't looking for the "right" answer - they just want to know you have thought about the career, its benefits and limitations, etc. If you give someone else's answer it often sounds like you are just regurgitating info.

However, I had 10-12 interview days and I was never asked this question.

 

[CameronFrye]

It's best to come up with your own answers to such questions. They aren't looking for the "right" answer - they just want to know you have thought about the career, its benefits and limitations, etc. If you give someone else's answer it often sounds like you are just regurgitating info.

However, I had 10-12 interview days and I was never asked this question.

Me neither. A vast majority of the questions asked on path interviews are just "get to know you" type questions. I got asked about past jobs, future plans, why pathology?, past research, why are you looking here?, etc. Honestly, a majority of my interviews consisted mostly of me asking questions. Most path programs are trying to sell you on the program, not the other way around. I only had one (maybe two) interviews where I felt like that was not the case (and they still weren't malignant interviews).

 

[112641]

I was asked here at ORMC (Orlando).. I said the only problem I could see was that I wasn't in it yet. I can be a bit of a smart ass.

 

[djmd]

I was asked here at ORMC (Orlando).. I said the only problem I could see was that I wasn't in it yet. I can be a bit of a smart ass.

Best to follow that up with a bit more serious answer unless the interviewer and you are all chummy-chummy already...

Good advice: Feel free to answer with an intelligent "I don't know..."

Better advice: Try to be ready for any question, including "so do you have any questions?" (hint the answer should never be "No")

 

[112641]

Actually I think the best advice is to let your personality show through whatever it may be. They have to work with me for the next 2.5 years and have for the last 1.5 years. I think it's good that they knew my sense of humor before I got here... they already knew my strenths before I got here and got nice long intelligent answers to every other question.

 

[rirriri]

EH?

they will never ask you that question.

 

[mlw03]

I was asked here at ORMC (Orlando).. I said the only problem I could see was that I wasn't in it yet. I can be a bit of a smart ass.

i got a nice chuckle out of this. you gotta say it just the right way to pull this line off, but it can be done obviously.

on a similar topic (not worth it's own thread i think), how did ya'll reply to the invariable, "won't you miss patient contact" type of questions? if you say "i won't miss them" that can't sound good, but if you make it sound like you'll genuinely miss it then won't programs worry they'll lose the resident to a clinical specialty one or two years into residency? do you just play the safe middle ground?

 

[b&ierstiefel]

i got a nice chuckle out of this. you gotta say it just the right way to pull this line off, but it can be done obviously.

on a similar topic (not worth it's own thread i think), how did ya'll reply to the invariable, "won't you miss patient contact" type of questions? if you say "i won't miss them" that can't sound good, but if you make it sound like you'll genuinely miss it then won't programs worry they'll lose the resident to a clinical specialty one or two years into residency? do you just play the safe middle ground?

there are easy ways to answer a question like this...just say something like, "i enjoyed patient contact and i'll miss that part; however, this is balanced by the realization that I will be making an important impact on overall patient care as a pathologist."

plus, you do get patient contact when you do FNAs. so pathology isn't completely devoid of patient contact.

 

[112641]

Why can't it sound good to say you won't miss patient contact? I don't... I never will and I knew I wouldn't once I did my medicine and family practice rotations.

And what's with all the questions about how to answer such and such question? It's fine to not actually know the answer and maybe get information to strengthen your own opinions but the only correct answer to any question is the truth as you see it. If you get into a program because you answered questions in a practiced way that didn't reflect your actual opinions and beliefs about your expectations chances are you're going to be in a bad program for you.

 

[deleted113029]

Why can't it sound good to say you won't miss patient contact? I don't... I never will and I knew I wouldn't once I did my medicine and family practice rotations.

And what's with all the questions about how to answer such and such question? It's fine to not actually know the answer and maybe get information to strengthen your own opinions but the only correct answer to any question is the truth as you see it. If you get into a program because you answered questions in a practiced way that didn't reflect your actual opinions and beliefs about your expectations chances are you're going to be in a bad program for you.

I agree with you up to a civilized point. You're right about being yourself, but you're there for a career/job position not for friendship!

 

[112641]

You have to spend up to 50% of your life for the next 4 years with your fellow residents.. if you can't get along with them, if you don't 'fit in' for whatever reason it's going to be a very very long 4 years with stress and pressure from things that have nothing to do with pathology and will keep you from learning as much as you could. True you don't come looking for friends but if you can't imagine being friends or at least friendly with most if not all of the staff and other residents I think that would be a very large red flag.

 

[deleted113029]

You have to spend up to 50% of your life for the next 4 years with your fellow residents.. if you can't get along with them, if you don't 'fit in' for whatever reason it's going to be a very very long 4 years with stress and pressure from things that have nothing to do with pathology and will keep you from learning as much as you could. True you don't come looking for friends but if you can't imagine being friends or at least friendly with most if not all of the staff and other residents I think that would be a very large red flag.

Again, you are right. My best 3rd yr rotation was psych due to an awesome group of students I worked with, BUT it didn't make me do psych. 🙂

BUT, please don't let people get in the way of receiving the best education that you've worked hard to obtain.

On side note: SMILES are not easily faked without one noticing abnormal facial tension in their countenance. Good luck knowing sincerity from deception. (We're all in the same boat) 🙂 [Sorry, didn't know you were currently a resident. So this doesn't apply to you.]

 

[djmd]

Why can't it sound good to say you won't miss patient contact? I don't... I never will and I knew I wouldn't once I did my medicine and family practice rotations.

And what's with all the questions about how to answer such and such question? It's fine to not actually know the answer and maybe get information to strengthen your own opinions but the only correct answer to any question is the truth as you see it. If you get into a program because you answered questions in a practiced way that didn't reflect your actual opinions and beliefs about your expectations chances are you're going to be in a bad program for you.

Why would it sound bad?
Two people answer that question.
1- No I won't, I knew that medicine and family practice weren't for me. I want to do pathology.

2- I might, but I found that areas of medicine that interest me are the diagnosis and disease process. Pathology seems like a good fit.

The interviewer might take 1 as someone who is running away from the rest of medicine, and not to pathology in particular. 2 is more suggestive of an interest in pathology.

Yes staff pathologist will say things "I knew I didn't want to be around patients...", but answering questions in an interview is an attempt to put your best foot forward. We are responding to possible candidates, not current residents.

Look, if you do your interviews and don't try to answer things in a positive fashion, just whatever you feel like, and you get jobs, more power to you. Ignore this advice, it is for people who are worried about saying the wrong thing or coming across in a bad light...

Oh and we aren't saying lie. If you are going to really miss patient contact, pathology is not a great fit, people do leave the field and sometimes it is for that reason.

 

[112641]

I'm not responding in a way I would respond now - I'm responding in the way I did at my interview, and the way I would want potential candidates to respond to me when I'm helping to interview them here.

Answering questions based on how you think you may be percieved in any interview, from when I managed a medical practice to when I ran a bed a breakfast, to when I helped interview potential medical students to now when I'm helping with the lunch interviews for the residents is the surest way for me to be turned off to you.

Perhaps I'm the only person interviewing people for various positions that prefers people who have enough integrity and confidence to give me the exact answer they'd like to give, and not frame it in a way which they think will make me feel the warmest and fuzziest. Perhaps I'm the only person who thinks that it would be better for my program and the people I work with to not have to continually guess what my collegues actually mean when they interact with me.

On the other hand I'm certain there are some programs where politics holds sway over efficiency and I imagine the advice of giving the most pleasant sounding answer will get you in there easier. I suppose I can only speak for the kind of people who work with me and interviewed me here at ORMC when I say that these kinds of answers most likely won't get you far here. Maybe that's a private practice versus university environment thing too.

 

[mlw03]

I'm not responding in a way I would respond now - I'm responding in the way I did at my interview, and the way I would want potential candidates to respond to me when I'm helping to interview them here.

Answering questions based on how you think you may be percieved in any interview, from when I managed a medical practice to when I ran a bed a breakfast, to when I helped interview potential medical students to now when I'm helping with the lunch interviews for the residents is the surest way for me to be turned off to you.

Perhaps I'm the only person interviewing people for various positions that prefers people who have enough integrity and confidence to give me the exact answer they'd like to give, and not frame it in a way which they think will make me feel the warmest and fuzziest. Perhaps I'm the only person who thinks that it would be better for my program and the people I work with to not have to continually guess what my collegues actually mean when they interact with me.

On the other hand I'm certain there are some programs where politics holds sway over efficiency and I imagine the advice of giving the most pleasant sounding answer will get you in there easier. I suppose I can only speak for the kind of people who work with me and interviewed me here at ORMC when I say that these kinds of answers most likely won't get you far here. Maybe that's a private practice versus university environment thing too.

i wasn't trying to make this a contentious thing. nor would i every lie during an interview and don't advocate that. but it's a matter of phrasing things in the most positive way possible - as djmd said above. i personally don't care if my answers are "wrong," because you're right when you say that if you don't get along with people it's only going to make your residency less pleasant. however path is a special situation - it's the only specialty where you may never have any sustained patient contact, and that's different from the traditional thing people think of when they think of doctor. more importantly, many of us went to med school because we enjoy helping and working with patients, while as a pathologist you help them without directly interacting with them.

if someone genuinely doesn't think they'll miss patient contact then they should just say so, but there are aspects of patient care i expect i'll miss if i end up picking path like i think i will - and i know other pathologists struggled with this (such as a few of the path faculty at my school i've discussed this with). and i do want to answer that difficult question honestly, but in a way that makes it clear to my interviewer that i believe the rewards of pathology will outweigh the missing of patients. this is a delicate line to balance on and i appreciate the phrasing suggestions from djmd and AndyM.

 

[yaah]

Just make sure if someone asks you about patient care, you say in some fashion that pathology is patient care, and that you still do like patient care. If you say, "I don't like patient care," some people will then ask you why you even bothered to go into medicine.

 

[cytoborg]

Agree with Giovoni...of course we all want to put our best foot forward and do as well in the Match as possible...and of course it's wise to be tactful and thoughtful in responses...however, I do think it's most important to be honest, and present yourself as realistically as possible, giving your honest opinions (tactfully, of course) when asked. You want the truth about them and they want the truth about you, so you can each decide if it's a mutually good fit. I think most interviewers are honestly curious about where you're coming from, what motivates you, what you're like as a person...all the canned crap wastes everybody's time. Don't overthink the exact best answer to every question. Besides, if you present the "real you" and they don't like you...well then that's not a place you want to end up for residency. Once the pleasantries of interviews are over, you are actually going to have to work there and it's hard to keep up thefake smile and canned responses every single day.