rank list dilemma

[kittymuffin]

I'm confused. I really like a program that is community based but affiliated with a University Hospital. However, some things worry me- it is a small program, they have trouble filling every year, and every pathologist I talk to says go to a University program. No one ever has anything bad to say about the place I like per se, except that the variety is limited b/c they only get about 13,000 surgicals/year. Also, this program is in a good location for family. How much will it affect my future job/fellowship prospects if I attend the small program vs. a large University program far away?
PS I know I want to go into private practice, but I don't know where.

Thanks for input...good luck to everyone matching this year!!!

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[LADoc00]

With a handle like "Kittymuffin" I cant imagine you at a high stress place like WashU. Maybe you are some type of "battle kitty" ala Thundercats. Dunno, this is a tricky one. Id say stick with the community program.

Can I make the assumption you like kitties and muffins and decided to combine the 2 or is there hidden meaning?

 

[yaah]

You have to be cautious about small programs that don't fill every year. It begs the consideration of whether they are that interested in resident education. You may have to assume more of an aggressive track towards your residency - asking for opportunities and making sure you learn and aren't just forced to do gruntwork. That is not to say all community programs are like this, but it bears consideration. If you interviewed there and had a good day and got a good feeling about the program, then there is less concern.

13000 specimens is small, and it probably means that there are very few opportunities to see large and complicated specimens - are all the specimens GI biopsies, skin excisions, endometrial biopsies with the occasional colectomy or prostatectomy? Many programs, if this is true, should provide you with the opportunity to do rotations at a larger facility, perhaps where they send their consults.

Generally, going to a small community program will position you well for a position in that area. If you are planning on moving to the opposite coast it might be tougher. Then again - there are always fellowships.

 

[Doctor Zaius]

I feel your pain kittymuffin.

It seems like the more places I visit, the more I realize that the fundamental decision, at least for me, is prestige vs. happiness during residency.

ie
working like a slave in a city I'm not too excited about but ending up with an awesome name on my diploma and choice of fellowships in the end
versus
having a life and reasonable hours in a nice location but not having some ivy league pedigree

Just in general to echo kittymuffins sentiments....if you've got solid skills, how important is the name on your diploma in the end?

 

[LADoc00]

I feel your pain kittymuffin.

It seems like the more places I visit, the more I realize that the fundamental decision, at least for me, is prestige vs. happiness during residency.

ie
working like a slave in a city I'm not too excited about but ending up with an awesome name on my diploma and choice of fellowships in the end
versus
having a life and reasonable hours in a nice location but not having some ivy league pedigree

Just in general to echo kittymuffins sentiments....if you've got solid skills, how important is the name on your diploma in the end?

Maybe she is really cute with incredible interpersonal skills to make for lack of Ivy credentials, we need a real life pic to sort this out...

 

[Doctor B.]

When it comes down to it, you have to train where you will be happiest. However, so much of pathology is experience. You can read and read about lesions but in order to really learn the material, you need to see live cases. That is where community programs can fall short. But, your training opportunity is all what you make of it. If you work hard, you will be okay at a community program but you may have a little catching up to do in your first few years out of training.

 

[QuietSylph]

I've been wondering the same sort of thing myself.

What about training at a stronger university program like UT Southwestern or Emory versus a smaller university program like UC Davis? If I ultimately want to be a community practice pathologist in northern California, do the networking opportunities available to me at UC Davis prove more valuable than the "name" of a bigger (but not MGH-level) program when I'm trying to find a decent job?

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I've been wondering the same sort of thing myself.

What about training at a stronger university program like UT Southwestern or Emory versus a smaller university program like UC Davis? If I ultimately want to be a community practice pathologist in northern California, do the networking opportunities available to me at UC Davis prove more valuable than the "name" of a bigger (but not MGH-level) program when I'm trying to find a decent job?

I may be wrong here but I get the impression that pathology is very regionalistic (if that's a word). If you definitely know where you want to end up, maybe the smaller but still academic university program on the same coast would be a strong option for you. I just don't see to many west coasters moving out east and vice versa (this is based on my limited observations in academic pathology; I have no idea how community practice pathology works but envision a little more coast-to-coast movement).

 

[cytoborg]

For what it's worth, I know a couple of pathologists who trained on the East Coast and are practicing there, who are interviewing for jobs on the West Coast...I don't know how their hunts have turned out, but I know they are getting the interviews.

My gut feeling is to look at the bottom lines of training quality and your happiness, and worry about geographic location later. If the smaller regional program doesn't have great training, local practices know it, and and may prefer someone from out of the area with better credentials.

 

[RyMcQ]

I may be wrong here but I get the impression that pathology is very regionalistic (if that's a word).... I just don't see to many west coasters moving out east and vice versa.

I think what you say is true for trainees that don't aggressively search for jobs. But I think it doesn't matter so much where you practice, unless you expect a job to just fall in your lap. It seems that the people that have the most success just call groups in the area where they want to live. If a particular group isn't hiring, they often know one that is. And this isn't like telemarketing; no pathologist is going to get annoyed with you for calling them cold.

 

[yaah]

I think pathology is perhaps as "regionalistic" as any other field. In general, most people tend to stick around and get jobs in places they train. Of course it's not universal, but it does tend to happen.

 

[EvilNewbie]

I think if the residents in the past have been able to find fellowships and positions then it is a decent program for community practice but for academic pathologists the name of the place does carry weight. If you are looking to practice as a community pathologist in that area it can help you "find" jobs because of the contacts that you will "hopefully" develop where you train at. If they have problems filling with residents it may because there still is "not" enough interest in pathology by AMG's. I'm sure once pathology becomes competitive, every spot will be filled... like radiology or something...