student questions

[MD1088]

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Hi Folks. I am doing a six week senior year elective in Pathology (AP) this summer in the US. Any advice on what the expectations of students are? What is a good prep book for this elective, re-read Robbins? I am assuming its a nine to five, monday through friday schedule, anyone ever have after hours requirements other than book time? Finally, when considering a career in path, do you relinquish any possibility of future patient contact? Here in Australia pathologists do biopsies and such. Are there similar opportunities to "see" patients in the states as a practicing pathologist? Cheers.

 

[LADoc00]

Hi Folks. I am doing a six week senior year elective in Pathology (AP) this summer in the US. Any advice on what the expectations of students are? What is a good prep book for this elective, re-read Robbins? I am assuming its a nine to five, monday through friday schedule, anyone ever have after hours requirements other than book time? Finally, when considering a career in path, do you relinquish any possibility of future patient contact? Here in Australia pathologists do biopsies and such. Are there similar opportunities to "see" patients in the states as a practicing pathologist? Cheers.

What do you mean by "do biopsies"? FNA and bone marrows yes, but I know some Aus pathologists and Im fairly certain they dont do skin or surgical biopsies.

 

[cytoborg]

Re-read Robbins if you like, but you should already probably remember most of what you're expected to know, just from your med school path course. Don't know what your rotation will be like, but my hours were 8-5 or 8-6 except frozen section days which were more like 7-9.

Re. patient contact, BB/TM, cyto, and heme have varying degrees of it, from some to lots. For example the pathologist running the apheresis unit at MCV does 100% patient care (writes orders, gives meds, the whole shebang) and loves it. Cytologists might see patients a couple days a week, or a couple weeks per month, doing FNAs. The heme people might do BM bx's or not, but they tend to have a lot of interaction with the clinicians so they at least feel like they are directly involved in patient care.

Path probably isn't too different between the U.S. and Australia. Just curious, why do you want to come to the U.S.? I hear Australia is having a shortage of pathologists right now.