psych and path

[basiligaw]

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I really like psychiatry but i also like pathology as well so i am having trouble deciding what residency to go into. As far as psyc goes I am worried I will not make enough money to pay off my loans and support a family.
I hear pathologists make more money but I worry I will tire of staring into a microscope all day.
Does anyone have any issue i should consider or advice on how to make this very impt decicision.
My psychiatrist tells me not to go into psychiatry if I am sensitive cause you end up taking the sad stories you hear all day home with you.
i mean of course i'm sensitive to sad stories, geez who isn't

 

[tatabox80]

I really like psychiatry but i also like pathology as well so i am having trouble deciding what residency to go into. As far as psyc goes I am worried I will not make enough money to pay off my loans and support a family.
I hear pathologists make more money but I worry I will tire of staring into a microscope all day.
Does anyone have any issue i should consider or advice on how to make this very impt decicision.
My psychiatrist tells me not to go into psychiatry if I am sensitive cause you end up taking the sad stories you hear all day home with you.
i mean of course i'm sensitive to sad stories, geez who isn't

How much money do you think you need to pay off your loans and support a family? I haven't met any doctors in the poor house, even though a lot of them often think they are.

 

[PsychMD]

I am a psychiatrist who has always been fascinated by the history and intellectual challenges of Pathology, and I have always thought that there is some similarity in the detective-like thought-processes that go "into the mix" in both specialties. Also, I've always liked the designation of "the doctors' doctor" that Paths have historically been known for. Sometimes, in Psych, especially in Consult-Liaison, you also get at times that "feeling" of helping other doctors to navigate through some cases!

Plus, in Pathology, not everyone ends up staring into a microscope all day! You can just read the Path threads in this forum to see how diverse are the responsibilities in the various rotations that Path residents go through. OTOH, when it comes to real day-to-day practice, and especially regarding the human-interaction factor (especially interaction with patients and their families)...those specialties are as "different" as you can get! In Psych, one interacts day-in-day out with people all day long...with patients, with other members of the tx. team, with families, etc., while in Path...the most interaction one gets, I assume, is probably with the other Path-setting colleagues or mid-levels and that's about it! (Some Paths do interact with other colleagues from other specialties, especially in a hospital setting, but I guess...to a much lesser extent than Psychs do.)

Some days...I do get tired myself of THAT much "people interaction", and I daydream about having the oppt. to have a quiet moment with my books and with microscopes...fantasy stuff like that! That's why I also tend to lurk around for relaxation on the Paths forums!

And...definitely...NO...it's NOT about the money "differential". Actually, in real life, I think I know some Psychs who do realistically earn in the 200K range, and some Paths (esp. in academic settings) who are earning "only" in the 150K range. But life-long medicine and choosing a specialty is NEVER about the money. I see that every single day in my day to day interaction with other colleagues actually, younger and older. Everyone "worries" about paying off loans, and/or putting their kids through college and paying their mortgages, regardless of specialty! It's about the "worry" more than about the "specialty"!

 

[basiligaw]

I am a psychiatrist who has always been fascinated by the history and intellectual challenges of Pathology, and I have always thought that there is some similarity in the detective-like thought-processes that go "into the mix" in both specialties. Also, I've always liked the designation of "the doctors' doctor" that Paths have historically been known for. Sometimes, in Psych, especially in Consult-Liaison, you also get at times that "feeling" of helping other doctors to navigate through some cases!

Plus, in Pathology, not everyone ends up staring into a microscope all day! You can just read the Path threads in this forum to see how diverse are the responsibilities in the various rotations that Path residents go through. OTOH, when it comes to real day-to-day practice, and especially regarding the human-interaction factor (especially interaction with patients and their families)...those specialties are as "different" as you can get! In Psych, one interacts day-in-day out with people all day long...with patients, with other members of the tx. team, with families, etc., while in Path...the most interaction one gets, I assume, is probably with the other Path-setting colleagues or mid-levels and that's about it! (Some Paths do interact with other colleagues from other specialties, especially in a hospital setting, but I guess...to a much lesser extent than Psychs do.)

Some days...I do get tired myself of THAT much "people interaction", and I daydream about having the oppt. to have a quiet moment with my books and with microscopes...fantasy stuff like that! That's why I also tend to lurk around for relaxation on the Paths forums!

And...definitely...NO...it's NOT about the money "differential". Actually, in real life, I think I know some Psychs who do realistically earn in the 200K range, and some Paths (esp. in academic settings) who are earning "only" in the 150K range. But life-long medicine and choosing a specialty is NEVER about the money. I see that every single day in my day to day interaction with other colleagues actually, younger and older. Everyone "worries" about paying off loans, and/or putting their kids through college and paying their mortgages, regardless of specialty! It's about the "worry" more than about the "specialty"!

Thank you so much for your reply. I definitely do not want to make my career choice based solely on salary though it is an issue for me. Most impt to me is which field i will feel the most passion for and will make me least unhappy. I try to think of my personality and which i fit more into--path or psyc. I like interacting with ppl and patients though at times i can be impatient. I am just unsure what my deciding factor should be in deciding which residency to pursue. I admit when I think of the 6months of medicine I have to do if I do a psych residency I'd much prefer to do path