question

[sandg]

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First time poster on the pathology board...

My question is this: is feeling like all the histo and path micrographs they showed us in med 1 and 2 were abstract art a contraindication to going into pathology?

I have just begun week 6 on the wards as a third year (doing peds). I realize it is way too early to make any rash generalizations about clinical medicine, but already there are certain things about the wards that don't sit all that well with me. Mainly the inefficiency of rounding and note writing as well as discharging many patients without getting a "final" answer from all the labs we've ordered. So, I've been wondering if pathology might be a fit for me. I must admit (as my question tells you), I was not a huge fan of micrographs in the classroom years. But I do really like pathophysiology as well as microscopy (did a ton of LM and EM in grad school in engineering). Plus, whenever I get a real job, I would like education to be a part of it. Seems like pathologists at our school did a ton education-wise.

Anyway, thanks for reading my musings. Anyone think pathology is a field I should take a closer look at? Or should I run the other way?🙂

 

[TheCritic]

First time poster on the pathology board...

My question is this: is feeling like all the histo and path micrographs they showed us in med 1 and 2 were abstract art a contraindication to going into pathology?

I have just begun week 6 on the wards as a third year (doing peds). I realize it is way too early to make any rash generalizations about clinical medicine, but already there are certain things about the wards that don't sit all that well with me. Mainly the inefficiency of rounding and note writing as well as discharging many patients without getting a "final" answer from all the labs we've ordered. So, I've been wondering if pathology might be a fit for me. I must admit (as my question tells you), I was not a huge fan of micrographs in the classroom years. But I do really like pathophysiology as well as microscopy (did a ton of LM and EM in grad school in engineering). Plus, whenever I get a real job, I would like education to be a part of it. Seems like pathologists at our school did a ton education-wise.

Anyway, thanks for reading my musings. Anyone think pathology is a field I should take a closer look at? Or should I run the other way?🙂

It's really not an easy answer IMO. I think the only way you will know is if and when you do a path rotation. I don't think it is necessarily a contraindication because IMO you can learn to like histopathology just like you can learn to like other things.

The flip side is: path is not perfect. Chances are if there are things you don't like about clinical medicine there are things you won't like about path. I get really agitated when people say they went into or are going into path because they didn't like clinical medicine. I loved clinical medicine but just loved path more. Keep in mind there is no perfect specialty. If there was everyone would do it. Try it out and see if you like it. I have found that the more I understand it, the more I like it.

 

[deschutes]

Short answer is: you'll never know until you spend time on a pathology service (usually surgical pathology) at your med school. Try for an elective.

 

[mlw03]

i would agree with the others that to be sure, you have to experience something for yourself. if you don't like rounding, you may be better suited to a procedural field such as surgery and its subspecialties or ob-gyn. also, radiology and rad onc are options. don't worry if histopathology is something you don't know yet - you're not supposed to at this point, but you do have to enjoy looking at tissue under the microscope. and the only way to learn that is to spend some time doing signout with a multiheaded microscope. when you're on your clerkships ask to go down to pathology to look at biopsies with the pathologist. most residents won't mind, and the pathologists usually love the opportunity to teach. plus, it'll make you look good!

 

[yaah]

A lot of people don't like looking at tissue under a scope when they start, but in part this is because of inexperience and having to "learn it for the test." A lot of med schools don't really teach an appreciation of histology and pathology, for various reasons. Students (sadly) don't want "extraneous" information and schools have increasing requirements on things they have to teach (social issues, new discoveries, etc). The more I looked and learned, the more I liked it and the more fascinated I got. Perhaps it's my personality and I would have had the same response to doing gallbladder surgeries, but I doubt it. I think the material is such that you can never hope to learn everything and there is always more to discover (true of most of medicine though).

Personally, I think it's a shame, our histology and pathology in med school was fairly extensive and it taught me to value it and be fascinated by it. Learning things just for the test can become a never ending cycle in which you only learn things temporarily and stuff doesn't stick with you.

Pathology has its inefficiencies and menial tasks too, so don't think it's all gravy. And as said above, picking pathology because you don't like clinical medicine or it's the only thing left is kind of a risky behavior and generally means you'll be unsuccessful or unhappy in your residency and future career.