Unemployed pathologists

[Enkidu]

For those pathologists who identified on being unemployed on the previous poll - here is an opportunity for you to clarify your situation while maintaining a bit of anonymity. I hope that everyone who voted "unemployed" in that poll takes the time to give us a bit more information here, it will be valuable to any medical students considering pathology.

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[gbwillner]

For those pathologists who identified on being unemployed on the previous poll - here is an opportunity for you to clarify your situation while maintaining a bit of anonymity. I hope that everyone who voted "unemployed" in that poll takes the time to give us a bit more information here, it will be valuable to any medical students considering pathology.

Perhaps it would be best to clarify with these types of questions:

1. I finished fellowship and was geographically restricted

2. I finished fellowship, applied broadly, but received no interviews and was not offered a position anywhere

3. I finished fellowship, applied broadly, received few interviews but was not offered a position anywhere

4. I finished fellowship, was not under pressure to get a job so I am waiting for the best opportunity to present itself

 

[Enkidu]

Perhaps it would be best to clarify with these types of questions:

1. I finished fellowship and was geographically restricted

2. I finished fellowship, applied broadly, but received no interviews and was not offered a position anywhere

3. I finished fellowship, applied broadly, received few interviews but was not offered a position anywhere

4. I finished fellowship, was not under pressure to get a job so I am waiting for the best opportunity to present itself

Good suggestion. My thought was primarily to distinguish between current fellows who are simply frustrated in their job search but not actually unemployed, and those who actually couldn't get a job for whatever reason. I also wanted to exclude from consideration people who *could* have gotten a job but didn't, or were subsequently fired or quit.

I'll make a new poll with those options after this poll is completed

 

[KluverB]

I would add a few more:

2. b. I finished fellowship, applied broadly, but received no interviews and was not offered a position anywhere. I am God's gift to the field.
2. c. I finished fellowship, applied broadly, but received no interviews and was not offered a position anywhere. I am the next Virchow, Rokitansky, Rosai, etc.
2. d. I finished fellowship, applied broadly, but received no interviews and was not offered a position anywhere. I have never been called a "douche"... at least not to my face.
2. e. I finished fellowship, applied broadly, but received no interviews and was not offered a position anywhere. I have been diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, but I'm fine now.
2. f. I finished fellowship, applied broadly, but received no interviews and was not offered a position anywhere. All the the other fellows in my graduating class got jobs and they're all *****s.

Did I miss anything?

 

[Enkidu]

I suspect that some of the "unemployed" votes on the other poll were fraudulent - which is perhaps the reason that I'm not getting much success here.

 

[LADoc00]

this whole effort is amusing to me.

 

[KLPM]

 

[icpshootyz]

Considering one of the people voted "I'm currently in a fellowship", well, they don't understand what unemployed actually means.

 

[BrainPathology]

I think if you look hard enough you can find unemployed pathologists. There has to be ONE in all the country, probably more, right? Finding someone who is unemployed isn't going to surprise me much. On the other hand if a few specific people I know of through my own experience who have jobs now become unemployed because they should be, and THEN qualified pathologists are also unemployed because the jobs just aren't there to be filled then I'll start planning for imminent escape routes.

 

[lipomas]

I think if you look hard enough you can find unemployed pathologists. There has to be ONE in all the country, probably more, right? Finding someone who is unemployed isn't going to surprise me much. On the other hand if a few specific people I know of through my own experience who have jobs now become unemployed because they should be, and THEN qualified pathologists are also unemployed because the jobs just aren't there to be filled then I'll start planning for imminent escape routes.

Of course there are unemployed pathologists. Just like there are criminal pathologists, rampant alcoholic pathologists, fraudulent pathologists. But most true unemployed pathologists are unemployed not because they are competent and can't find a job. They are either unemployed by choice or because they have been disqualified for some reason (legal, terrible performance).

The trick is how to define underemployed and then how to measure it. Next to impossible. Many people even if they have a great job are always "looking for something better" even if that something better is unattainable and doesn't exist (like working 10 hrs a week for seven figures). Some people who are in crap jobs don't even recognize it.

 

[gbwillner]

The trick is how to define underemployed and then how to measure it. Next to impossible. Many people even if they have a great job are always "looking for something better" even if that something better is unattainable and doesn't exist (like working 10 hrs a week for seven figures). Some people who are in crap jobs don't even recognize it.

I just want to point out that Kevin Kolb made $20.5 million dollars playing football (if you can call it that) for the Arizona Cardinals the last 2 seasons.

He started 15 games (6-8 record), and threw 17 TDs. That breaks down to:

1. $1.4 million per game
2. $1.21 million per TD pass
3. $360,000 per sack taken
4. $80,400 per pass completed

So those jobs do exist.

 

[pathstudent]

I just want to point out that Kevin Kolb made $20.5 million dollars playing football (if you can call it that) for the Arizona Cardinals the last 2 seasons.

He started 15 games (6-8 record), and threw 17 TDs. That breaks down to:

1. $1.4 million per game
2. $1.21 million per TD pass
3. $360,000 per sack taken
4. $80,400 per pass completed

So those jobs do exist.

Peyton Manning didn't play at in in 2011 and was paid 22 million by the Colts.

What's his face, Rodriguez will get paid 25-30 million this year and not play an inning for Yankees.

 

[Enkidu]

Considering one of the people voted "I'm currently in a fellowship", well, they don't understand what unemployed actually means.

Interestingly, more people responded to this poll than did the original one - there were 4 "unemployed" pathologists in that poll and so far 7 in this one. However, as you pointed out some responding to this poll are still in fellowship, some had been offered jobs but simply declined them all, and some had already gotten jobs but had left them for some reason. By my reckoning only 2 people on this poll are unemployed in a way that might concern medical students considering pathology.

I'd be interested to hear more about their stories, perhaps geographical restrictions are an important factor. It might be helpful to make another poll to get more details on their situation, but seeing as I'd only be polling a population of 2 it would feel kind of silly.

 

[BrainPathology]

Of course there are unemployed pathologists. Just like there are criminal pathologists, rampant alcoholic pathologists, fraudulent pathologists. But most true unemployed pathologists are unemployed not because they are competent and can't find a job. They are either unemployed by choice or because they have been disqualified for some reason (legal, terrible performance).

The trick is how to define underemployed and then how to measure it. Next to impossible. Many people even if they have a great job are always "looking for something better" even if that something better is unattainable and doesn't exist (like working 10 hrs a week for seven figures). Some people who are in crap jobs don't even recognize it.

Thanks, that's a much better way to put what I was getting at.

As far as the second question though I agree it's nearly impossible. Though I'm sure that someone, somewhere could ask all pathologists "Do you want to make more money?" get 100% "Sure we all do!" responses and argue that it means 100% of pathologists are underemployed.

 

[pathstudent]

I don't get the last choice. If you are a resident or fellow, you are employed. Residency is not just education. It is work. You pay taxes. Weird.

 

[lipomas]

Interestingly, more people responded to this poll than did the original one - there were 4 "unemployed" pathologists in that poll and so far 7 in this one. However, as you pointed out some responding to this poll are still in fellowship, some had been offered jobs but simply declined them all, and some had already gotten jobs but had left them for some reason. By my reckoning only 2 people on this poll are unemployed in a way that might concern medical students considering pathology.

I'd be interested to hear more about their stories, perhaps geographical restrictions are an important factor. It might be helpful to make another poll to get more details on their situation, but seeing as I'd only be polling a population of 2 it would feel kind of silly.

A more likely rationale is that the people picking "unemployed" are not actually unemployed unless it's by choice, incompetence, or legal proceedings, and they are just picking this option for fun.