salary trends

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tennik

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On most physician salary surveys pathology ranks in the top 5 (non fellowship) for average income after three years. But it ranks near the bottom of the pack for salary in the first year. Does this mean that path docs just move up the pay scale faster than others, or does this mean that the market has changed and the new batch of pathologists are making must less than in years past?

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Well,

There is a problem with salary survey in pathology: Many pathologists are unemployed after resedency/fellowship and are not included in the survey. AND the ones who reply are mostly in academic departments dishing out good salary.

Net result: Big salary on survey but lot of misery in reality.
 
A couple things:

1) If they're unemployed what do they do for cash?

2) I thought path was no longer overcrowded. In other words, I thought there were enough jobs for pathologists.
 
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tiffanychang said:
Well,

There is a problem with salary survey in pathology: Many pathologists are unemployed after resedency/fellowship and are not included in the survey. AND the ones who reply are mostly in academic departments dishing out good salary.

Net result: Big salary on survey but lot of misery in reality.
Huh? Couple questions - what survery are you referring to, and how do you justify this claim that many unemployed pathologists are not included in it?

Also, academic pathologists definitely do not make more than people in private practice. I had one prominent academic pathologist tell me that academic pathology is better because it is more intelectually stimulating, you can do research, teach, etc. But, you have to be prepared to drive a Chevy instead of a Lexus. :laugh: People leave academics for private practice to make more money all the time.

At the time of the latest ASCP survey on pathology resident employment, 84% had found jobs after residency. You can read the total breakdown here: http://www.ascp.org/member/resident/surveys/job-survey-04.asp

A.D.O.R. said:
2) I thought path was no longer overcrowded. In other words, I thought there were enough jobs for pathologists.
I agree, but you can find varying opinions on the subject. Here's a quote from the ASCP survey I referenced above:

"Importantly, though, of those applying for jobs, 84% received at least one job offer. This is a 11% decreased from the preceding year (95%), but is not reflected in the number of job offers per respondent due to an increase in the number of respondents who had more than one job offer (60% vs 57% in 2002). This could indicate a tighter more competitive market when compared to 2002. In general, thought, when compared to years preceding 2002, the job market continues to be favorable. Since 1998, there has been a general upward trend in the job market when comparing the ASCP annual job market surveys. Between 1998 to 2002, the number of job offers per respondent increased from 1.3 to 2.0, marking a 50% rise. The results from this survey indicate that the market may be trending downward slightly, but continues to be positive for exiting residents looking for jobs."

You'll also find widely varying opinions on salaries. I'd take most of it with a grain of salt. Talk to as many actual pathologists as possible.
 
What is going on here? Academics are skewing the survey to the high end? Pathologists can't find jobs? Even 86% of residents getting one offer seems rediculously low.
 
OK, I am going to post in a new thread what I learned about jobs today.

Tiffanychang's info - I have no idea where this comes from.
 
Again, from the survey site:

"It is important to realize that this survey is distributed in early spring and some of the respondents may not have finalized their job/fellowship plans prior to returning the survey. Therefore, it is likely that this survey underestimates the number of respondents acquiring jobs and fellowship positions. Additionally, the smaller number of respondents (67) when compared to previous years makes the results of this survey less reliable and may not accurately depict the current job market. Efforts are being made to increase resident participation so that more accurate assessments can be made."

Like I said, there are many surveys and opinions out there - I wouldn't worry too much about any single one. If you go to a reasonably good residency program, I guess you'll find a job. If you're looking for a guarantee that you'll find a good job no matter where you go for residency or how good a pathologist you become, then sorry.

If you want to get worried about jobs in Pathology, then I wouldn't worry about the current market being anemic. Worry more about things 10-20 years down the pike like out-sourcing to corporations or third world countries, computer imaging and virtual slide reading, clinical specialties reading their own slides, increased molecular testing reducing the need for biopsies, hand-held tricorders used in EDs, that kind of thing. These worries seem to be hardy perennials in the world of Pathology :)
 
When I found you, you were so slobbering drunk you couldn't buy brandy. And you: friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless. Do you want me to send you back to where you were, unemployed . . . in Pathology-land?

I may have changed the last line a bit.
 
AndyMilonakis said:
This tiffanychang posted about this several weeks ago actually:
http://67.43.153.76/showpost.php?p=2559992&postcount=1


well hurry up already!
Yeah, that's what I get for linking to a site before reading it fully myself! 67 respondants, indeed. :laugh: But I still have no idea why tiffanychang says that says salaries are skewed higher by more people going into academics. This can't be right, unless everything LADoc ever told me was wrong.
 
Oh, and I agree with Andy - make with the salary posting, Yaah!
 
Holy jeebus. It was a long post, gimme a break! :laugh:

The surveys that Dr Silva used today were a little more comprehensive, and he said 96% of the respondents were working full time, only 4% part time.
 
flindophile said:
I find the "reassuring" numbers from this oft quoted survey anything but reassuring. 86% getting one offer sounds like an anemic job market to me.

Pathologist unemployment.......14%
Nationwide unemployment.......5% http://www.bls.gov/


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