Vet med/pathology/microbiology

[blueduck1162]

Hey everyone! So I've been a lurker of SDN for a few years now and have just created an account. A little about me...I started college off in the nursing program, but soon realized that wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. I liked the medicine aspect of it, but not much else. I withdrew from the program and changed my major to Biology with an Agricultural Science minor.( I grew up on a cattle farm, have been a member of 4-H, FFA and have worked in a vet clinic since high school, so agriculture is in my blood) I'm a second semester Junior now and still can't decide what career path to follow. Since I was little I've wanted to be a vet, but stepped away from the idea to explore different career paths, which originally led me to nursing. I really like microbiology and pathology and studying the disease process/symptoms associated with different diseases. However, I can't stand the idea of looking through a microscope all day. I'm a very active, hands on person, so the thought of doing that all day is mind-numbing to me, even though I do enjoy looking at microbes/bacteria under the microscope. I'd also really like to do something with animals as a career, so I've looked into specializing in pathology or microbiology as a veterinarian as a way to get the best of both worlds. But specializing is very time consuming and competitive. And even if I did specialize, would I still be looking at slides the whole time? Does anyone know if there is something comparable to a pathologist assistant in the veterinary/animal world? Would that just be a vet tech working in a lab setting? Is it possible to work with animals as a microbiologist besides a veterinary microbiologist? Are there any other careers that combine animals with microbiology/pathology without specializing in vet med?

I've already talked with a career counselor and he didn't know much at all about vet med, so any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

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[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

@JaynaAli @WhtsThFrequency

Tagged an anatomical pathology resident (you're still a resident right?) and a clinical pathology resident to share their respective details.

There are definitely several threads on the vet and pre-vet forms about pathology, so I suggest using the search function as well.

 

[JaynaAli]

Much of veterinary pathology is microscope based. I'm pursuing specialization as a pathologist in clinical pathology which deals with blood testing, other fluids (urine, CSF, body effusions), and needle aspirates of tissue from generally living patients. Very much of my day is spent at a microscope. At least 80%. Anatomic pathology, which focuses on larger biopsies of tissues and necropsy among other things), definitely has time spent at a microscope but has more time away as well due to time spent performing necropsies and such.

We do have technicians that work in our laboratory. Some spend their days reviewing blood under the microscope, and others run our chemistry and other analyzers. Their job is very much hands-off with actual animals. Most of the jobs in veterinary clinical pathology labs are seeking applicants with a Medical Technologist degree. This is a human certification that lab staff in human labs often receive. Then the technicians are trained additionally in veterinary species. Sometimes, they will hire veterinary technicians or laypeople and train them on the job, but most places I've seen for clin path prefer the Med Tech degree. There really aren't many positions in clin path other than pathologist and lab tech.

Anatomic pathology probably has different options such as histology technicians who prepare, embed, section, and prepare biopsy sample for the pathologists, but WTF can talk about that more.

I am unaware of what daily life is for a microbiologist. The microbiology manager (who we lovingly call the micromanager) at my institution has a BS degree. The head of the laboratory is a zoo medicine boarded faculty member who also is boarded in micro and something else I can't remember. Another faculty member I know is a boarded dermatologist who was trained as an immunologist initially that is now pursuing micro boards.

Edit: Oh, and @BeautifulBritishColumbia I'm a resident and WTF is a boarded grown up with more letters after her name.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

@JaynaAli @WhtsThFrequency

Tagged an anatomical pathology resident (you're still a resident right?) and a clinical pathology resident to share their respective details.

There are definitely several threads on the vet and pre-vet forms about pathology, so I suggest using the search function as well.

Lol no. I finished AP residency several years ago Been in PhD land since, going to start going for big girl jobs pretty soon here.

I'll def answer when I have more time this week.

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

Lol no. I finished AP residency several years ago Been in PhD land since, going to start going for big girl jobs pretty soon here.

I'll def answer when I have more time this week.

Lets just go with you seem so young and spry I couldn't imagine you having been through vet school AND a residency by this point in your life?

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Lets just go with you seem so young and spry I couldn't imagine you having been through vet school AND a residency by this point in your life?

I like it. I will let you live when I inevitably bend the universe to my will.

 

[PrincessButterCup]

Does anyone know if their is something comparable to a pathologist assistant in the veterinary/animal world? Would that just be a vet tech working in a lab setting?

I'm a necropsy technician, so I get to work with pathologists and residents on the necropsy floor. I assist with necropsy (which can mean simply holding a limb while it's reflected or doing a full necropsy w/ supervision, and everything in between), store and dispose of tissue samples, understand disposal techniques and make sure things are done according to our SOPs, and a LOT of cleaning.

I love my job and I love getting to see and learn so much, BUT - and this is a big but - I don't have the knowledge base to be able to really appreciate what I see on the floor. I don't understand all the terminology that is used, and I just haven't studied anatomy/physiology/biochemistry/bacteriology/parasitology ETC enough to appreciate lesions the way the students and doctors do. It's frustrating, because I want to know these things, but I can't without going to vet school myself.

So jobs like mine are out there, and they're really interesting and easy to love, but they don't satisfy my curiosity and desire to learn.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I feel like clin pathers definitely spend more time behind the scope than anatomics, mostly because we also have necropsy and such. We're pretty hands-on in that respect. It's kind of a strange dichotomy - one minute you're up to your elbows in horse guts and covered in blood, the next you are sitting behind your scope in your clean little office looking at slides.

However, in defense of the scope....it may sound kind of boring, but when you are looking at a necropsy or biopsy case you just worked up and you're excited to see what it *really* is based on your gross diagnosis.....especially if it's something cool/weird....spending time behind the scope isn't so bad. Of course when you are swamped with cases it can be frustrating, but it's not really drudgery if you are interested in making a diagnosis. The only times I have gotten truly, maddeningly bored at the the scope is when I'm grading stuff for research studies.

Anatomic pathology can be a research-heavy specialty, so if you wanted to pursue a graduate degree in microbiology during/after residency that is definitely an option (many anatomic path residencies are actually combined residency/PhD programs now anyway).

You can work with animals as a "regular" microbiologist, but it would most likely be indirectly - e.g. in a research setting using animal models of disease, or government setting doing epidemiology of zoonoses. It depends how interactive you want to be.

 

[twelvetigers]

Lets just go with you seem so young and spry I couldn't imagine you having been through vet school AND a residency by this point in your life?

Its that pink hair. The color seeps into your brain and keeps you young.

 

[cowsandmicrobes]

Hey there blueduck,
I'm a 4th year vet student pursuing microbiology in my career, thought I'd provide insight. I think my position in the veterinary field will give you the best exposure to both worlds of animals and microbes, however, it's a long expensive road so I understand if you are hesitant. The way I plan to go about things is by pursuing a PhD in microbiology then take boards and get involved with research. I'm open to jobs in government, food safety, diagnostic labs, biotech, pharmaceutical companies or running my own lab as my dream job.

As far as microscopes, I will say that the life of a diagnostic microbiologist is maybe 20% microscopes and majority of interesting lab skills - plating & interpreting plates, PCR, fungal cultures, serologic tests, sensititity tests, chemistry, etc. So you may want to look at veterinary diagnostic lab tech jobs. However, no live animals are in the lab, but you'll get to think about the animal samples being submitted to you and learn a little about animal health. Without the veterinary degree, you wouldn't understand the clinical picture and provide interpretation, but if that's not important for you than you'd be fine. Other microbiology jobs besides diagnostics include food safety (testing at plants and farms for foodborne pathogens) and working in the food sciences in general.

I love ag science too (despite lacking a background in it), so you may benefit from just pursuing graduate school in veterinary microbiology or agricultural sciences. There's a very good chance you can get involved with hands on research with animals (collecting samples from farms or the animals themselves, etc.) and you could avoid the debt of vet school, again if you're not as interested in the clinical picture of things.

Best of luck, and hope you figure something out!

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

As a not-a-veterinarian-yet but pathologist assistant and having degree in Microbiology, I can kinda talk about life in this field.

As a lab tech, we do get to do a lot of cool things. Most of my job involves accessioning the specimens, staining slides, grossing specimens, histo, answering phones, cleaning, andddd that's pretty much it.

Our pathologists strictly do microscope work, writing reports, and the anatomical pathologist has necropsies, sometimes, but they are pretty quick and lead to more microscope work.

I looked into another job as a veterinary microbiologist. My understanding is that it would pay better but they really want you to be certified as an MLT because it involves reading plates, culturing, etc, stuff that I am NOT trained to do-micro as a degree is pretty theoretical.

It sounds like you should seriously consider the MLT route-it does not really involve microscopes, and pays pretty well especially if you look in the human field.

 

[WildZoo]

You guys know you are replying to a thread that is over a year old, right?

 

[SkiOtter]

You guys know you are replying to a thread that is over a year old, right?

Psh why would they reply to current threads

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

You guys know you are replying to a thread that is over a year old, right?

You think I dont know what I'm doing?!

Cause I don't know what I'm doing, so just clarifying that is indeed what you think

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

@JaynaAli and @WhtsThFrequency do you mind if I PM you? I am interested in learning more about pathology and the path y'all took.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Sure, go ahead.

 

[JaynaAli]

Fine with me too.