switching into path

[poutsara]

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dear fellas,
i'm graduating this year and starting my residency in pediatrics in a few weeks. i was on the fence for a long time between path and peds last year and finally decided to do peds because i enjoy the patient contact and feel that it's more flexible (ie you have more control over where you can work and i want to live in a big metropolitan area). reading some of your posts about careers in pathology has reinforced my decision somewhat (i'm interested in working at an academic medical center), however, i think that i'd enjoy the actual work of pathology a bit more than the day to day work of pediatrics. i spent most of my time in med school doing basic science research and i really enjoyed my preclinical education.
anyway, i am going to give internship a shot and if it blows i'm considering going into path. any of you had any friends who've switched into path, or any thoughts about this topic?

 

[djmd]

It has been known to happen (both at one year and people have completed whole other residencies). I would do a Path rotation ASAP, because you are 100x better off if you decide now not after one year.

Besides all internships suck, it is the nature of being an Intern.
(of course path doesn't have an intern year.. )

 

[dermoid cyst]

hi! i was an internal medicine intern when i decided to switch to path. the hours, the lifestyle, the lack of sleep, the painful endless "edema" rounds (standing up all day rounding on patients damaged my venous valves - LOL!), the social issues, the thick charts with long histories, the lack of satisfaction from dealing with chronic illnesses, the ingratitude of patients, and so many other things did it for me.

i think that people who shift to path from another specialty end up staying - that is because they have seen the light and know what it is like to be in clinical medicine. people who leave path usually are those who came in straight from medical school and hence never got to see how clinical medicine was like - so, during path residency, they end up wondering what it is like to be on the other side, so to speak.

so my advice is this - go ahead and try pediatrics out. you may or may not like it. take comfort in the fact that if you finally decide to shift to path, then you know you will be making a solid and informed decision and you are most likely to not look back. besides, you have already matched. you will have a hard time finding a PGY-1 spot in path at this point.

 

[pathres2]

dear fellas,

please tell me you are greek

 

[poutsara]

please tell me you are greek

👍

 

[LADoc00]

dear fellas,
i'm graduating this year and starting my residency in pediatrics in a few weeks. i was on the fence for a long time between path and peds last year and finally decided to do peds because i enjoy the patient contact and feel that it's more flexible (ie you have more control over where you can work and i want to live in a big metropolitan area). reading some of your posts about careers in pathology has reinforced my decision somewhat (i'm interested in working at an academic medical center), however, i think that i'd enjoy the actual work of pathology a bit more than the day to day work of pediatrics. i spent most of my time in med school doing basic science research and i really enjoyed my preclinical education.
anyway, i am going to give internship a shot and if it blows i'm considering going into path. any of you had any friends who've switched into path, or any thoughts about this topic?

HMS eh? Well we might have room for you somewhere in pathology, dunno tho. If you are choosing peds you kinda sound like a piker.

 

[pathstudent]

Getting an academic job in a big city would be no problem in path. They are always looking for people

 

[pathdawg]

Getting an academic job in a big city would be no problem in path. They are always looking for people

(I'll finish the sentence)

...to pay poorly and exploit.

 

[LADoc00]

(I'll finish the sentence)

...to pay poorly and exploit.

yep. But hey you could get lucky and marry someone with a job that pays better..like a stripper.

 

[poutsara]

yep. But hey you could get lucky and marry someone with a job that pays better..like a stripper.

or your mom

 

[Cabbage Head]

or your mom

Wait, being LADoc's mom pays well?

 

[pathdawg]

or your mom

Ah, the maturity of the modern day med student.

Well done!

 

[drPLUM]

Wait, being LADoc's mom pays well?

I knew it! That explains everyting! 🙂