The "Things You Wished You Had Known Before You Got Into Pathology" Thread

[Thaitanium]

Anyone (practicing physicians, residents) have any regrets about going into pathology or wish you had known about the field before you applied and got into pathology? Just curious of what people have to say.

Hopefully this thread will shed some light on the current climate of pathology.

Thanks for any responses.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[l&usibari]

I wish I had known how much public speaking is involved. Things like giving lectures, conferences, tumor boards etc all involve speaking in front of a group of people, and I have major performance anxiety. It helps to know what you are talking about, but only so much.

Also, Pathologists do not work in isolation. You are dealing with people almost as much as clinicians, it's just other doctors and support staff instead of patients. Communication skills are thus very important in Pathology.

 

[yaah]

This question (or similar) is asked quite often. Here are some samples

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=228399

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=250937

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=267191

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=295272

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=323194

 

[CameronFrye]

Anyone (practicing physicians, residents) have any regrets about going into pathology or wish you had known about the field before you applied and got into pathology? Just curious of what people have to say.

Hopefully this thread will shed some light on the current climate of pathology.

Thanks for any responses.

I wish I had known how much tail would be chasing me around. I'm just not equipped for this rockstar life.

 

[deschutes]

Not a regret, but it'd blow your mind the sort of drama that goes on behind the scenes in a path department. You think getting out of clinical medicine gets you out of the drama, you got another think coming.

And when you get all these path departments together in one place like USCAP...

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Anyone (practicing physicians, residents) have any regrets about going into pathology or wish you had known about the field before you applied and got into pathology? Just curious of what people have to say.

Hopefully this thread will shed some light on the current climate of pathology.

Thanks for any responses.

I have very few regrets, if any. I enjoy what I do...more so as I go through residency.

Pathology is interesting in that whatever you do in medical school doesn't adequately prepare you for a path residency.

"Adjustment" is one of the key words that characterizes pathology residency from my perspective. Hopefully the people who go into pathology enjoy and appreciate what the field has to offer. However, that is difficult to appreciate during medical school...I think that even a one-month rotation doesn't do much justice.

 

[106174]

i agree with bierstiefel. having gone through a year of internal medicine internship during which time i was totally miserable, literally dragging myself out of bed to go to work, hating call and hating working on weekends, not enjoying patient care, and just not getting excited about looking at signs and symptoms of diseases, path is paradise for me. to me, there is no other specialty that is more exciting. the histologic patterns that diseases present to us are beautiful and simply amazing (versus dealing with shortness of breath or some vague abdominal pain) and just getting to shower and then sleep in my own bed every night (even if i had to work a really long day) are priceless.

so to answer the original poster's question - there might be a few things here and there that i might not enjoy about path but the rewards and the joy it gives me are so immense that the not-so-good things are easily forgotten.

 

[l&usibari]

Not a regret, but it'd blow your mind the sort of drama that goes on behind the scenes in a path department. You think getting out of clinical medicine gets you out of the drama, you got another think coming.

Your program too? It's really quite amazing how much drama goes on, from backstabbing to affairs.

 

[deschutes]

Your program too? It's really quite amazing how much drama goes on, from backstabbing to affairs.

Believe me it's not so much "my program" too, but that it's the rule rather than the exception. If we worked at Walmart, the same thing would be happening. Welcome to human nature.

 

[CameronFrye]

Believe me it's not so much "my program" too, but that it's the rule rather than the exception. If we worked at Walmart, the same thing would be happening. Welcome to human nature.

As someone who worked at a Walmart many years ago and who has now spent the past 5 years within the hospital, I can absolutely verify your statement.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Another thing I'd like to point out about pathology is that pathology is a service oriented field. So, that puts us at a certain position in the hierarchy/totem pole. Make sure you're comfortable with that.

 

[mlw03]

Another thing I'd like to point out about pathology is that pathology is a service oriented field. So, that puts us at a certain position in the hierarchy/totem pole. Make sure you're comfortable with that.

is this your nice way of trying to say that other people often view pathologists as they "b*tches" and expect "prompt customer service" the way they would expect at a retail store? and if yes, is is that problematic?

 

[yaah]

True to a certain extent, but all of medicine is basically a service oriented field, except for a few brainless doctors who think that patients are there to serve them.

 

[CameronFrye]

True to a certain extent, but all of medicine is basically a service oriented field, except for a few brainless doctors who think that patients are there to serve them.

True, but we're serving doctors and not patients. That can be much worse.

 

[JaneDough]

True, but we're serving doctors and not patients. That can be much worse.

I disagree. Doctors don't generally puke/poop/toot on you (unlike I lot of patients I have known). I will take impatience over body fluids any day.

 

[Primate]

is this your nice way of trying to say that other people often view pathologists as they "b*tches" and expect "prompt customer service" the way they would expect at a retail store? and if yes, is is that problematic?

Just about ANY profession is, by nature, a service field. Lawyers, management consultants (from personal experience), doctors or doctors' doctors are serving some kind of client.

Not necessarily bad, but the way of life for a "professional."

P

 

[CameronFrye]

I disagree. Doctors don't generally puke/poop/toot on you (unlike I lot of patients I have known). I will take impatience over body fluids any day.

There are plenty of days when I'm covered in bodily fluids/semi-solids and then I still have the pleasure of dealing with some dingus clinician (although most of them are perfectly nice).

 

[b&ierstiefel]

True, but we're serving doctors and not patients. That can be much worse.

Well there is that saying that "doctors make the worst patients" when it comes to doctors seeking medical care.

Now couple that with the notion that pathologists are the "doctors' doctors".

 

[CameronFrye]

Well there is that saying that "doctors make the worst patients" when it comes to doctors seeking medical care.

Now couple that with the notion that pathologists are the "doctors' doctors".

Absolutely.

 

[miko2005]

I wish I knew how much writing is involved in pathology. In our program, we write (or dictate) all of our cases and sometimes the comments can be really long on complicated cases. Its not that I don't write well, but I think my writing can and should be better. I guess its just a part of a way we communicate with clinicians and its important to work on improving that (at least in my opinion) . This is really all I can think of that I wish I knew before getting into pathology.

 

[Thaitanium]

I wish I knew how much writing is involved in pathology. In our program, we write (or dictate) all of our cases and sometimes the comments can be really long on complicated cases. Its not that I don't write well, but I think my writing can and should be better. I guess its just a part of a way we communicate with clinicians and its important to work on improving that (at least in my opinion) . This is really all I can think of that I wish I knew before getting into pathology.

Sorry, I am new to the field...what do you mean by "writing well". Grammar? You mean the content of your writing? You mean communicating to the clinician, the results of the specimen you examined?

 

[DarksideAllstar]

Sorry, I am new to the field...what do you mean by "writing well". Grammar? You mean the content of your writing? You mean communicating to the clinician, the results of the specimen you examined?

Probably being articulate and concise. Being too wordy or not explaining things thoroughly enough can both lead to problems, moreso when you are communicating solely via a written report.

 

[yaah]

You start to learn as you go through residency what things matter to clinical care, and what things don't - I think that is part of "writing well." Remembering to include certain parameters, measurements, pertinent findings, etc, which can vary depending on case.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

And when you get all these path departments together in one place like USCAP...

So the adage that "no one parties like firefighters at a convention" should be revised in light of the way pathologists party when the congregate??

 

[JaneDough]

then I still have the pleasure of dealing with some dingus clinician (although most of them are perfectly nice).

I prefer to call the dingus clinicians bastard coated bastards with bastard filling. As far as the body fluids are concerned, at least I can complain about how gross they are without hurting the patient's feelings.

 

[CameronFrye]

So the adage that "no one parties like firefighters at a convention" should be revised in light of the way pathologists party when the congregate??

Well, you have to remember that pathologists as a group are fairly inept when it comes to social interactions, so those pathologists who actually do venture out have to self-medicate their social anxiety. I was at our departmental Xmas party when I went up to one of our senior attendings and asked him why he wasn't out on the dance floor getting down to YMCA with all of the histotechs. His response? "I'm so f*&%ed up, I can barely stand". I then glanced back to the dance floor to realize that one of our other attendings was in fact out on the dance floor going nuts. High comedy indeed.

 

[mlw03]

I prefer to call the dingus clinicians bastard coated bastards with bastard filling. As far as the body fluids are concerned, at least I can complain about how gross they are without hurting the patient's feelings.

well said, "Dr. Kelso" - that's one of my favorite lines from the series.

 

[deschutes]

Well, you have to remember that pathologists as a group are fairly inept when it comes to social interactions, so those pathologists who actually do venture out have to self-medicate their social anxiety.

Are you comparing the social ineptitude of pathologists with the general population, or with reference to physicians in other fields of medicine?

If the self-medication you are referring to is EtOH, I've never been to any medical student party that didn't involve it. Therefore I'm inclined to disbelieve the notion that it's only pathologists who self-medicate (with alcohol) to ease their social anxiety.

Plus I think a lot of "I'm so f*&%ed up, I can barely stand" responses are really prophylactic measures for the trouble one might get into later

 

[Primate]

Plus I think a lot of "I'm so f*&%ed up, I can barely stand" responses are really prophylactic measures for the trouble one might get into later

Or a way to get out of getting down if you dance like Elaine from Seinfeld.

I actually wondered about the whole social side of Path (I'm an outgoing type), but once I actually WENT on interviews I found the community to be not far, if at all, from the medical mean. Now, that doesn't say much (as alluded to above), but it didn't seem like the faculty and residents I met were ANY less socially comfortable than the gen med population.

 

[CameronFrye]

Are you comparing the social ineptitude of pathologists with the general population, or with reference to physicians in other fields of medicine?

If the self-medication you are referring to is EtOH, I've never been to any medical student party that didn't involve it. Therefore I'm inclined to disbelieve the notion that it's only pathologists who self-medicate (with alcohol) to ease their social anxiety.

Plus I think a lot of "I'm so f*&%ed up, I can barely stand" responses are really prophylactic measures for the trouble one might get into later

All very true. The levels of sloppiness that can be achieved at a med student party is quite extraordinary. Although, I feel that's more related to unwinding from extreme stress and just having a good time, whereas at a path party, the EtOH serves to break up the extreme levels of awkwardness. After all, we're pathologists, what stress do we have to unwind from?

I have no idea what your last comment could mean

 

[triguy]

After all, we're pathologists, what stress do we have to unwind from?

I get a little stressed out knowing the diagnoses I make directly impact patients. We may not sleep in the hospital, but that doesn't detract from our dedication to medicine.

That said, I don't think CameronFrye meant that at all. I just wanted the opportunity to vent a little because I get sick of clinicians that think pathologists don't care about patients. We are looked at with suspician because we aren't pulling all night call. But I honestly say that many of us do work as hard as most other specialties (I will leave neurosurg out of this for obvious reasons).

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I get a little stressed out knowing the diagnoses I make directly impact patients. We may not sleep in the hospital, but that doesn't detract from our dedication to medicine.

I feel the same way...especially with the biopsy cases where the implications of your diagnosis can be far-reaching. You gotta get the diagnosis right especially on the initial biopsy but limited tissue sometimes impedes adequate and complete workup. Certainly a source of stress.

 

[yaah]

I was covering flow this week and went back to the lab after a conference, like at 6pm or so. The attending was gone home, and I case I had triaged was clearly positive for a recurrent leukemia, so I called the clinician to tell them. Even though this was clearly an obvious diagnosis, I had some weird doubts about whether I did the right thing. Obviously part of training is getting the confidence to do this, but that's something that surprised me a bit.

 

[CameronFrye]

I get a little stressed out knowing the diagnoses I make directly impact patients. We may not sleep in the hospital, but that doesn't detract from our dedication to medicine.

That said, I don't think CameronFrye meant that at all. I just wanted the opportunity to vent a little because I get sick of clinicians that think pathologists don't care about patients. We are looked at with suspician because we aren't pulling all night call. But I honestly say that many of us do work as hard as most other specialties (I will leave neurosurg out of this for obvious reasons).

Oh, my comment was definitely TIC. Pathologists and path residents can seriously f--- something up if they make a mistake (which is more likely if they're sloppy, lazy, incompetent, etc). When I'm on surg path, I'm generally a ball of nerves for the entire month.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Well, you have to remember that pathologists as a group are fairly inept when it comes to social interactions, so those pathologists who actually do venture out have to self-medicate their social anxiety. I was at our departmental Xmas party when I went up to one of our senior attendings and asked him why he wasn't out on the dance floor getting down to YMCA with all of the histotechs. His response? "I'm so f*&%ed up, I can barely stand". I then glanced back to the dance floor to realize that one of our other attendings was in fact out on the dance floor going nuts. High comedy indeed.

Nice.....