reference lab job opportunities?

[suckerfree]

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Hi,

I'm interested in eventually working in a reference lab in hematopathology, preferably in CA, such as for a company like Quest for example. What I've heard so far is that you work 9-5, make >200k+ working in a reference lab, you do only 1 subject, but if you ever want to change back to academics or private practice it is very difficult. Is this true? How competitive are these sorts of jobs? I'd appreciate any information. Thanks!\

 

[macrocyte]

What you heard is true regarding pay/hours.

These jobs are not difficult to get.

 

[LADoc00]

industry type jobs in single speciality areas such as heme are the least competitive but are also the worst (goes together huh..).

I havent heard of a single pathology actually planning on working for quest, you would be the first. Akin to a first year medical student day dreaming about one day working in the prison system.

 

[Pianoboe01]

Wait - so what's so bad about Quest, or other reference labs in general?

 

[yaah]

If you work for a reference lab you are part of the metaphorical assembly line. You likely will have quotas. You may receive bonuses for more efficient and extra work, but you will be salaried and unlikely to be incentivized (i.e. a partner) unless you put in many years and become indispensible in some fashion.

Thus, at a place like this, your pay is good but not in comparison to a good private job. And your hours are likely worse. There are variables though, as best as I can tell Quest also has bought out smaller practice groups and keeps them as quest employees (at least for awhile), so their practice environment may be different than if headquartered at a large reference lab.

Theoretically I suppose it is possible for you to carve out some sort of academic/publication niche while working for a reference lab. But it would probably have to be on your own time. These labs hire well known experts to serve as directors, but then they will get consults and can compete for more contracts by marketing the fact that they have an expert. These people get paid well, but their jobs can also be somewhat tenuous and dependent on the whim of the corporation who may decide they are too expensive.

 

[LADoc00]

Wait - so what's so bad about Quest, or other reference labs in general?

Im picturing a "Dude, where's my car?" med student behind this post.

 

[yaah]

To use an extreme analogy, working at Quest is to working at a good private practice location like working at Applebee's as compared to a 4 star NYC steakhouse.

 

[Pianoboe01]

Im picturing a "Dude, where's my car?" med student behind this post.

Hey - that's not very nice. It was a legit question, and if you don't know something, why not ask?

 

[suckerfree]

okay, so the reason I started this thread is because private practice requires one to work in some capacity as a generalist. If you're as obsessed with heme path as I am and yet you want a service oriented career, as opposed to a research oriented one, then this seems like a logical option to explore. Before residency, all I had heard was if you want to do only one subject in pathology you are restricting yourself to the halls of academia. Why wouldn't I want to do what I love all the time, and nothing else, and get paid lots of sweet moolah for it, and go home at a good time? That was my goal all along.

Sincerely,

Suckerfree, soon to be diagnosing multiple myeloma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma at an applebees restaurant near you

 

[pathstudent]

okay, so the reason I started this thread is because private practice requires one to work in some capacity as a generalist. If you're as obsessed with heme path as I am and yet you want a service oriented career, as opposed to a research oriented one, then this seems like a logical option to explore. Before residency, all I had heard was if you want to do only one subject in pathology you are restricting yourself to the halls of academia. Why wouldn't I want to do what I love all the time, and nothing else, and get paid lots of sweet moolah for it, and go home at a good time? That was my goal all along.

Sincerely,

Suckerfree, soon to be diagnosing multiple myeloma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma at an applebees restaurant near you

You must know there are hundreds of pathologists at academic institutions that have service oriented careers for whom publishing and research are a small part of their focus. You focus on your cases and teaching and every once in a while you hoodwink some eager beaver resident into doing a project for you. It is a much more civilized life than the grinding life of a reference lab pathologist where volume is everything and you'll spend the rest of your career signing out 20 marrow a day. Plus the labs are backed by investors who expect ever increasing quarterly profits to keep the stock value high, which means you are very likely going to be expected to do more with less, work harder and harder, or keep less of a percentage of what you earn for the corporation as time goes by.

 

[Ale]

There is nothing wrong with anyone working in a reference lab.

The jobs are as competitive as the job market in the area you want to live. The setting does not mater. If in that city there are no spots, you won't find a job.

Service oriented, that depends on you and how you want to practice medicine. It does not matter where you are either.

If you only want to do one thing, there are plenty of private, reference and academic institutions that you can do that.

Keep in mind that if you do one organ only it's going to be very hard to change back to general surg path. That does not mean impossible. And again it does not matter where you are doing it. What matters is what you are doing where you are.

 

[suckerfree]

1) I think it would be exceedingly rare to come upon a private practice job that would allow me to do heme path only straight out of residency.

2) Certainly I could get an academic position some place but it would probably be for only 150k. I didn't go to school for 20,000 years to make only 150k.

I'm beginning to think a reference lab is my only option if I want to make more than 200k and do only heme. But if I'm wrong I'd really like to know what other options exist.

Peace!

 

[mcfaddens]

1) I think it would be exceedingly rare to come upon a private practice job that would allow me to do heme path only straight out of residency.

2) Certainly I could get an academic position some place but it would probably be for only 150k. I didn't go to school for 20,000 years to make only 150k.

I'm beginning to think a reference lab is my only option if I want to make more than 200k and do only heme. But if I'm wrong I'd really like to know what other options exist.

Peace!

You should really get a good idea of the kind of jobs that are out there, ask questions, talk to real private groups and see what is really going on. I know of larger groups where the heme path person does mostly heme. So dont sell yourself so short just yet, a refrence lab may provide that opportunity however there are alot of minuses in that setting not to mention a complete lack of job stability (if you have a family you may be forced to relocate on a moments notice without a job to go to for some reason that has nothing to do with your performance). So my advice is to look into groups that have enough people where you can focus on heme (even if your not fishing for a job at that practice) and have a semi stable career, rather than throw in the towel so early (you did spend 20,000 years in training, it should be worth the effort) good luck

 

[caribstud]

I worked with a heme-pathologist who only did heme (academia) but opened a flow/special procedures lab and does very well for himself. It takes time and entrepreneurship. Avoid the pod lab if at all possible.

 

[raggedredfiber]

in any line of work: more $ = more work. don't be fooled...

 

[yaah]

in any line of work: more $ = more work. don't be fooled...

Haha, not necessarily. Sometimes more $ comes from simply being there longer and manipulating the books and finances in your favor (i.e. taking advantage of junior people), or being savvy financially. That would depend on the work environment though.

In general though that is a fair statement, if it doesn't equal more work it equals more onerous tasks.