Indeed, pathology is in some ways similiar to radiology. Thus in pathology, life style is better, patient contact is less, good salary but less than Rads, wider variety of "pathology" and tasks to be performed.
Lifestyle in Radiology has changed drastically and this specialty is seeing a tremendous increase in volume (work to be done) and busy to nonstop night call (from home, but still) outside of academia (in private practice as a partner). If you do not want to be a partner, there is an opportunity to work less with a large compensatory drop in compensation. Also, if you are thinking about Interventional Rads (IR), it is very busy as well (day and night). So if you want lifestyle seriously think before going into Rads. Residency is no joke anymore. We will be up all night reading trama and ER requests (do not even get me started on appropriateness). I relish the opportunity because it is a critical learning experience, but those who want a "lifestyle" will be seriously disappointed.
IR has lots of patient contact unlike diag rads and path.
As for path, squinting into a microscope and working on the dead are two things I would have to get used to doing. Heh, if the slides were on a monitor in a dark room, then maybe. 😀
An aside...one of my best teachers in medical school outside the fields of radiology and internal medicine was in pathology. This guy was phenomenal in his knowledge, skill, and ability to teach. Many of pathology attendings I have met like to teach and do interesting research.
Those not getting many interviews in radiology should consider backup plans. Last year, we had about 1 in 3 who did not match into radiology. Several people scrambled into path and rehab, one into medicine categorical, and a few backed up into peds. There are also several radiology programs that withdraw from the match early and sign candidates.
"If you want it, you can have it, but you've got to learn to reach out there and grab it" - Photograph.Weezer.
