What do you think about slide tests.

[pathdoc68]

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I am interviewing for a position and one day before the interview I receive a letter informing me that at 8am on the interview day, I'll start with a 1 hour slide test. I think this is kind of obnoxious- what do you think? I have never experienced a slide test at a job interview - any thoughts appreciated.

 

[LADoc00]

I am interviewing for a position and one day before the interview I receive a letter informing me that at 8am on the interview day, I'll start with a 1 hour slide test. I think this is kind of obnoxious- what do you think? I have never experienced a slide test at a job interview - any thoughts appreciated.

In terms of "position", Im going to assume a real world, non-academic, non-fellowship job.

Then I would ask:
1.) Is this a government healthcare position as in County Hospital, VA or Military subcontracted position?
2.) If not, then is this with a group who are employees of a hospital system?

I would need to know all the details to comment. Often government positions do mandate competency testing as well as drug testing prior to employment. Many even require extensive physicals.

If this is a small, private group or even an operation owned by a single guy working in a community hospital I would be very very wary of the job if you do get it. Regardless hire a solid contracts lawyer. And good luck.

I have experienced this multiple times before and never failed to turn the cases back on the interviewer. The best thing when evaluating these is if the cases seem rare, then ask if they had to send them out in consultation to get an answer. Often your thought process is more important then actually getting the right answer, especially without special stains.

 

[pathdoc68]

This is a non-academic, non-fellowship, actual real world pathologist position. The group is a long established 15 pathologist group, locally distinguished with multiple hospital contracts and several subspecialists on staff. The interview will be for a boarded sub-specialist pathologist position.
P.S. US Grad, with flawless background.

BTW- The group conducted a one hour teleconference prescreening interview prior to inviting me- jeesh I am exhausted before we even start!!!

 

[LADoc00]

This is a non-academic, non-fellowship, actual real world pathologist position. The group is a long established 15 pathologist group, locally distinguished with multiple hospital contracts and several subspecialists on staff. The interview will be for a boarded sub-specialist pathologist position.
P.S. US Grad, with flawless background.

BTW- The group conducted a one hour teleconference prescreening interview prior to inviting me- jeesh I am exhausted before we even start!!!

proceed with caution, they smack of the self-absorbed type. Is this the south Florida group by chance? What is the location, roughly? If they have an actual "process" it means one thing:
They are used to interviewing LOTS of pathologists. No one whips such stuff out of their butt because they are bored.

Do you have a set of platinum credentials or sorta solid middle of the road type? Did they throw out a lot of crap during the phone contacts like they made a big deal of how they had some who trained at MD Anderson? (I always get a HUGE laugh out of that considering most Rosarito hookers are more selective) Or better yet the oh so classic East Coast laugher "Oh we have Hopkins trained pathologists here" like somehow your poo doesnt stink if you spend time in Baltimore.

Im not at all a big fan of a group bigger than 4 or 5. 3 or 5 is optimal size. Odd number for a tie breaker vote on corporate biz stuff. 4 can work if the president role is rotated. 15 is a clusterfook. And the fact they are running you through your paces means something. Trust your instinct when you talk to them.

LADOC's job advice:
1.) Always ask who and why the last few pathologists left. Get a story and then confirm it with the actual person who left. You can find almost any doc in the US by simply using google.
2.) Make sure this is partnership track and find out how the buy in (if any) is structured.
for starters....

 

[pathdoc68]

Thanks for the advice. Don't worry I am only considering partnership track positions and yes I am thoroughly exploring the costs/conditions/timeframe for joining the partnership. The practice I mentioned is in the Western U.S. I will be gone for a week - I'll post on my experience when I return.
Pure platinum baby!

 

[djmd]

I am interviewing for a position and one day before the interview I receive a letter informing me that at 8am on the interview day, I'll start with a 1 hour slide test. I think this is kind of obnoxious- what do you think? I have never experienced a slide test at a job interview - any thoughts appreciated.

I have heard of it. In fact some of the survey results even mention "unknown slide test" as a lesser factor for selecting candidates, but like LADoc said, everything I have heard suggests it is more of a thought process kind of thing.
Are you a new grad or a practicing Pathologist (I just ask because of the "never experienced" comment) ?

On a related note,
I have been thinking about starting a post about advice for job seeking new/future grads, but this thread seems as useful as any.
LADoc, PathDawg, anyone else, any tips / advice on looking for first jobs?
While I'm sure that most of us have heard a lot of it before, it couldn't hurt.
Plus most residents and fellows have to get their advice from academic pathologist, rather than the private practice types.

 

[LADoc00]

Pure platinum baby!

Then kick ass and take names.

 

[pathdawg]

proceed with caution, they smack of the self-absorbed type. Is this the south Florida group by chance?

I couldn't agree more. They sound mighty affected to me. They take themselves waaaay too seriously, if you ask me. I personally wouldn't want to work with a-holes like this, but, of course, ymmv.

Let us know how the interview goes. Should be interesting.

 

[garfield]

Depends on slide test format. Seems that if they just give you a set of slides and you sit in a room by yourself is more annoying then if they give you truly run-of-the mill slides and you talk about thought process over two-headed scope.

 

[LADoc00]

I couldn't agree more. They sound mighty affected to me. They take themselves waaaay too seriously, if you ask me. I personally wouldn't want to work with a-holes like this, but, of course, ymmv.

Let us know how the interview goes. Should be interesting.

Western US is my turf....15? there is only 1 group I can think of in California with that number. Another in Reno with about 15. Maybe Vegas. Nowhere in Seattle/Portland/Salt Lake do groups get that size (I think). Of course when people say Western US they often mean Southwest like Arizona or New Mexico..........

 

[DarksideAllstar]

Western US is my turf....15? there is only 1 group I can think of in California with that number. Another in Reno with about 15. Maybe Vegas. Nowhere in Seattle/Portland/Salt Lake do groups get that size (I think). Of course when people say Western US they often mean Southwest like Arizona or New Mexico..........

Is the 15 member CA group Central Coast Pathology Consultants (or some variation of that)? I met a PA who worked for them for a while. Said the attendings had a pretty good gig going for them (at least her perception).

 

[LADoc00]

Is the 15 member CA group Central Coast Pathology Consultants (or some variation of that)? I met a PA who worked for them for a while. Said the attendings had a pretty good gig going for them (at least her perception).

Yes that is correct.

Based in SLO.

 

[Gyric]

I have heard that the Reno group gives a slide test, don't know about the other large western groups. Interested to hear your impression.

 

[LADoc00]

I have heard that the Reno group gives a slide test, don't know about the other large western groups. Interested to hear your impression.

Western Pathology Consultants....they cover a pretty big area and rest assured if you are a junior person your time will be predominantly spent in such lovely places as Susanville. (they cover Northern Nevada and rural far North California).

Plus I heard from a lil birdie they dont make people partner. Pyramid scheme city.

 

[drdvs]

Western US is my turf....15? there is only 1 group I can think of in California with that number. Another in Reno with about 15. Maybe Vegas. Nowhere in Seattle/Portland/Salt Lake do groups get that size (I think). Of course when people say Western US they often mean Southwest like Arizona or New Mexico..........

The Kaiser groups in Portland and Washington are pushing 15.

 

[LADoc00]

The Kaiser groups in Portland and Washington are pushing 15.

Kaiser Department of Pathology Sign out room:

 

[mrp]

What's wrong with Kaiser? The San Diego Kaiser has about 11 pathologists. From what I've seen, it appears to be a pretty sweet setup. It's sort of on the "less work for less money" side of the spectrum of jobs (although I don't actually know how much partners make.) It's very cush--9 to 4, easily.

True, Kaiser definitely has a negative connotation to its name, but that's more if you're a patient there, I think.

 

[LADoc00]

What's wrong with Kaiser? The San Diego Kaiser has about 11 pathologists. From what I've seen, it appears to be a pretty sweet setup. It's sort of on the "less work for less money" side of the spectrum of jobs (although I don't actually know how much partners make.) It's very cush--9 to 4, easily.

True, Kaiser definitely has a negative connotation to its name, but that's more if you're a patient there, I think.

Kaiser jobs are the pretty much some of the worst ones out there....and no it is not work less, make less, it is work MORE, make way less.

There are many Kaiser jobs where you sign out for a solid 6-7 hours/day. To compare I sign out for maybe 2. You also have no control over anything. If Kaiser wants you to lick toe cheese off an exec's foot, you are chowing down on toe cheese. Some might call that being a "beeeoootch".

Pathology's worst jobs:
1.) Ameripath
2.) Quest Diagnostics
3.) Lab Corp
4.) Kaiser Perm Org.

In the better options for work less/make less:
1.) Part time in a private group. I could make as much as I could in KP working half time in a reasonable private group.
2.) VA hospitals, often WAY overstaffed, very cush.
3.) Academic jobs with extensive "research" (aka screwing off ) time, sometimes as much as 50%

See jobs like KP and Quest are built around getting the maximal production AND profit out of each pathologist. Some JD or MBA is salivating over all your billings and giving you a sliver of that profit, of which you grovel thankfully for. I wouldnt be suprised that you need to ask supervisor permission to take a piss or get some coffee.

If you went to medical school, slaved away as an undergrad, busted your ass in residency to make money for SOMEONE ELSE, then go ahead....I wont stop you, but dont come back here and post they stuck an anal probe in you on your first day.

Kaiser is truly remarkable, NO ONE likes Kaiser, not the patients, not the government (the city of LA is suing them for dumping patients) and not the docs. No one but the execs pulling down 600k+/year....

 

[pathdoc68]

Ok, I had the slide test and it was really benign. The group said they were burned recently so they implemented this. 15 cases with history, just list your diagnosis and your thought process. No biggy. They provided an answer discussion sheet afterwards. They were all very nice and down to earth.

 

[pathman2006]

I have heard from some of my attendings that slide tests are becoming the norm for interviews