Which part of path is toughest for you?

[yaah]

I am not talking about which one you don't like because it's boring or something, but which part is toughest and gives you fits?

For me, I think I have settled on breast path. The ADH vs DCIS differential drives me batty, and lobular lesions drive me batty, and microinvasive cases drive me batty. Plus, all these things on "is it atypical or not" drive me crazy. I almost feel like at least 25% of breast cases would make me wish I had an expert consultant if I was signing it out, and I don't get to this level with anything else. Cytopath can be tough, but I more dislike it because I find it tedious and I don't like FNAs. Hemepath is also tough, but I feel far more comfortable with making diagnoses, although I may have to spend a lot of time on the case. Breast path I feel like I can get a gestalt after a second or two but even if I stare at it for an hour and read chapters in Rosen or Tavassoli I will still be clueless.

I know a lot of people hate GU for these reasons, and some hate derm because they hate the inflammatory biopsies or dysplastic nevi. GI can be tough because of dysplasia or some colitides, but at least you know that the criteria are subjective and will be disputed. Breast path it seems like the criteria make no sense (or at least are not that readily applicable) yet experts tend to agree on more tough cases. And it also seems like the clinical issues if you are wrong in breast path are more immediate and dangerous.

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[Anna Plastic]

yahh, just to point out--there is more to pathology than just anatomic path. I'm sure people would gladly throw in some choice field in lab medicine here too.

Having said that, I would rather pump gas than do derm path (due to the sheer boredom factor).

 

[yaah]

I meant anatomic path. Obviously there is more.

 

[106174]

For me, it is non-neoplastic pulmonary pathology I would rather not ever look at.

 

[yaah]

For me, it is non-neoplastic pulmonary pathology I would rather not ever look at.

Yeah, it is tough. Personally, I love pulmonary path and wish I knew more about it. So I actually love getting the cases to review, but don't do so well yet with getting it right a lot of the time.

 

[106174]

among the non-neoplastic conditions, the infections are always fun to look at. however, the interstitial lung diseases are very tough and yes, i dont like looking at them probably because i know so little about them. neoplastic lung though, i guess like all neoplastic diseases, is very fun to study and diagnose!