What does this say about our field?

[KeratinPearls]

From pathoutlines:

Pathologist, former Department Chairman and academic (Associate Professor at leading university), with extensive experience in laboratory medicine and expertise in hematopathology and molecular diagnostics.

&bull US citizen (born in Chicago)

&bull Medical studies, Residency and Hematopathology Fellowship in Canada and Boston

&bull Certified in AP/CP

&bull Currently licensed in AZ, NM, CT, PA, MA, NY; eligible for licensure in most states

&bull 25-year experience in two university-affiliated tertiary-care hospitals:
- all aspects of Hematopathology (solid & liquid), including IHC, Flow Cytometry, Hb analysis, etc
- Surgical Pathology (general, adult & pediatric)
- establishment of two Molecular Pathology laboratories

&bull Diligent, enthusiastic & personable, with excellent communication skills

&bull Seeks part-time (2-3 weeks/month) position in Hematopathology or other reference laboratory, biopharma, or community hospital / private practice; will also consider short-term locums (national or international)

&bull Flexible and independent; no agency fees or obligations

&bull CV and references provided on request

Confidential inquiries: [email protected]

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Gene_]

I vote that it says nothing.

 

[jackypath]

I agree. I know a guy who graduated from one of the top colleges, one of the top med schools, superb language skills, was chairman somewhere, knows a lot of stuff. He has all the right credentials. But he can't sign out cases correctly...

 

[Sulfinator]

I thought that to be a Department Chairman, you had to have the rank of Full Professor, not Associate Professor. Sounds strange to me.

 

[wild0ne]

It says pathology is like any other field: "qualifications" only get you so far. It was that way with medical school and residency. Not sure why employment should be any different.

On paper (or online), lots of people look great. Then, they come to interview, present a topic, etc. - and you realize you wouldn't want to work with this person.

 

[BrainPathology]

I think it says that after a 25 year career including running a department he wants to work less than full time. But that's just me... I'm only reading exactly what the ad says.

 

[Parts Unknown]

I think it says that after a 25 year career including running a department he wants to work less than full time. But that's just me... I'm only reading exactly what the ad says.

I'm with you on this one. I would like to hope that after a career of developing pathology skills one could land a cushy part time gig. My parents' neighbor is a retired internist. He used to do locums once a year for ~10K, and then he and his wife would go on an exotic cruise. Seemed like a good deal to me.

 

[2121115]

I agree with the above. There may be many issues of the field of pathology, but this isn't one. This pathologist is retired and wants to work part time. No big deal. Also, it doesn't say what department they were chairman of. It may not be a big academic center. They might have been "chair" of a community hospital department.

 

[GG1853]

It says that you are the kind of person that would rather spend 20 minutes postulating rather than collecting data. Why don't you e-mail him and ask? Maybe he could give you some perspective. Then, when he has indeed confirmed the direness of the job market (as you suspect), you can post his or her reply.

The sky is always falling around here. With all of the Debbie Downers on this board, I have no concern about getting a job. Who would want to hire most of you?

 

[lipomas]

Be very cautious about drawing conclusions about something vast based on something incomplete and individual.

Also, as said above, his/her requests are a bit unusual - 2-3 weeks/month doing only hemepath. It probably is better for someone like that to put their name out there in case someone can use them rather than trying to find such a position.

The sky is always falling around here. With all of the Debbie Downers on this board, I have no concern about getting a job. Who would want to hire most of you?

LOL. It's true, only on this forum could someone try to spin something like this into evidence that the job market sucks. If you have to try that hard, maybe you're trying too hard!

As a response to your last line there - I know two pathologists who told me that they posted on this site (this was a couple of years ago). Through looking through posts and knowing what I knew about them, I think I figured out who they were. Their whiny posts acknowledged none of their patently obvious flaws that contributed to their difficulties. This is obviously not true for everyone having difficulties, but it is true for some!

 

[rollwithit]

I'm betting he/she is worn out after 25+ years in the field. He/she likely has an empty nest now and is quickly approaching 60 years of age. They probably live in some cold miserable part of the country and is ready to pack up and move to a Boca Raton and wants a part time gig so there's enough cash to finance the beach house and Boston Whaler.

 

[Parts Unknown]

I'm betting he/she is worn out after 25+ years in the field. He/she likely has an empty nest now and is quickly approaching 60 years of age. They probably live in some cold miserable part of the country and is ready to pack up and move to a Boca Raton and wants a part time gig so there's enough cash to finance the beach house and Boston Whaler.

Don't forget the hookers and blow.

 

[BrainPathology]

Be very cautious about drawing conclusions about something vast based on something incomplete and individual.

LOL. It's true, only on this forum could someone try to spin something like this into evidence that the job market sucks. If you have to try that hard, maybe you're trying too hard!

Seriously.. given some of the skills in gathering and assimilating data and then making conclusions here I have to imagine that when translated to a glass slide, a number of people on this board are horrible pathologists.

The most convincing argument I've ever seen that the job market has problems is the cogent, reasonable, open description given by Dwil75. If everyone who claimed there were fundamental problems were as devoid of bitterness and evangelical fervor regarding everyone else's stupidity I imagine there would be a lot more chance of change happening (Yaah, Lipomas.. thanks for that).

I see no one on this board that I would actually follow with my energies to get anything done or convince anyone that there are problems with the exception of Yaah, Liopomas and one or two others to a much lesser extent. Almost without exception, everyone else on the "things suck" side are people I would never want to follow, help, meet or even offer a bucket of water to if they were on fire.

 

[lipomas]

I think there are many people on the strident, "say that the job market sucks or don't say anything" campaign bus who do have important points to make (they have made many of them here). But it is a terrible shame that these points get lost in what is basically conspiratorial nonsense and hate-filled language that does not recognize the existence of debate, contrary opinion, or even compromise. This tends to result in opponents of the argument marginalizing or even dismissing outright the opinion. I know that can be a hard concept for the simple-minded to grasp, but people do have other opinions. It's kind of like arguing with an extremist politician - there can be only one right answer and anyone who doesn't fully agree, no matter what the degree of partial agreement, is either a part of the establishment, an ignoramus, a nazi, or whatever.

I know it's a lot easier to go onto an anonymous forum and rant about ignorance and stupidity than it is to actually confront reality, but it's a lot more helpful if you do the latter.

 

[yaah]

I see no one on this board that I would actually follow with my energies to get anything done or convince anyone that there are problems with the exception of Yaah, Liopomas and one or two others to a much lesser extent. Almost without exception, everyone else on the "things suck" side are people I would never want to follow, help, meet or even offer a bucket of water to if they were on fire.

There are lots of great people who read these forums and many of them also post. It has been said before, but a lot of the virulent posters do make good points, it's just unfortunate that these good points get lost in posturing and heated rhetoric. I have seen this at national meetings too where the issue of the job market comes up - people will raise good points but then the whole thing turns into a distraction when someone takes it upon themselves to play revolutionary and starts stomping their feet, calling people names, and things like that. It's insane and how these supposedly intelligent people can't see it is counterproductive is beyond me. I know frustration is a powerful emotion, but learning how to channel frustration into productivity is a great skill to learn.

 

[pathstudent]

Seriously agree with the below.

When I was in medical school, they showed a picture of medicine represented as a tree. The roots were the basic sciences (anatomy, histology, chemistry, physiology, pharmacology, micro, embryology), the trunk was pathology, and the branches were the medical specialties. Pathology is the bridge between science and clinical practice. If you don't want to be part of that bridge then you shouldn't go into pathology. You need to love science and love teaching to be a pathologist. If you just to make money then go be an endoscopist and stick a camera in someone's ass 50 times a day or a cosmetic dermatologist and open up a "medical spa" selling lotions to middle aged rich bitchy housewives. But good luck competing against those people because they know how to dress professionally and go to classes/conferences while pathology residents gripe about going to conferences, want to scrubs everyday and wear headphones and listen to music at the work place.

If you want to be in pathology you need to want to be leader. Hardly any of these gripers have any leadership skills.

Seriously.. given some of the skills in gathering and assimilating data and then making conclusions here I have to imagine that when translated to a glass slide, a number of people on this board are horrible pathologists.

The most convincing argument I've ever seen that the job market has problems is the cogent, reasonable, open description given by Dwil75. If everyone who claimed there were fundamental problems were as devoid of bitterness and evangelical fervor regarding everyone else's stupidity I imagine there would be a lot more chance of change happening (Yaah, Lipomas.. thanks for that).

I see no one on this board that I would actually follow with my energies to get anything done or convince anyone that there are problems with the exception of Yaah, Liopomas and one or two others to a much lesser extent. Almost without exception, everyone else on the "things suck" side are people I would never want to follow, help, meet or even offer a bucket of water to if they were on fire.

 

[GG1853]

Ahhh . . . the tide is finally turning against these venomous posters.

 

[sohsie]

Seriously agree with the below.

When I was in medical school, they showed a picture of medicine represented as a tree. The roots were the basic sciences (anatomy, histology, chemistry, physiology, pharmacology, micro, embryology), the trunk was pathology, and the branches were the medical specialties. Pathology is the bridge between science and clinical practice. If you don't want to be part of that bridge then you shouldn't go into pathology. You need to love science and love teaching to be a pathologist. If you just to make money then go be an endoscopist and stick a camera in someone's ass 50 times a day or a cosmetic dermatologist and open up a "medical spa" selling lotions to middle aged rich bitchy housewives. But good luck competing against those people because they know how to dress professionally and go to classes/conferences while pathology residents gripe about going to conferences, want to scrubs everyday and wear headphones and listen to music at the work place.

If you want to be in pathology you need to want to be leader. Hardly any of these gripers have any leadership skills.

Yes, the endoscopists wear scrubs every day too and listen to music over a stereo so everyone can be disturbed by their crappy taste but that's COMPLETELY different. The discrepancy in income has nothing to do with supply and demand.