who enters pathology?

[suckerfree]

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when did all of you know that you wanted to be pathologists? I'm finishing my 3rd year here and feel like my interest developed after the USMLE Step I and was maintained throughout 3rd year. But I'm not a master histologist by any means. I can't help but wonder what the prerequisites are aside from genuine interest and having successfully completed coursework through M3.

 

[l&usibari]

Who enters Pathology?:

Freaks
Geeks
MD/PhDs

Did I miss anyone?

If you don't fall into one of these categories, do not bother applying.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

People who couldn't get into derm

 

[schrute]

i think during 3rd year i realized i liked the scientific aspect of medicine more...understanding why things are happening vs the intricacies of treatment.
path seemed the best combination of clinical medicine and core science, and the normal hours are a nice bonus.
people just think you hang out with dead people all day...

 

[yaah]

I knew I wanted to be a pathologist when I was 7 weeks old and I had a benign tumor removed from my thigh. The anxiety and concern over my possible diagnosis was palpable, and no other doctor, despite their expertise, could tell me what my tumor was. The pathologist knew, though. All of those other doctors kept listening to my lungs and heart and trying to elicit startle reflexes, as if that had anything to do with the lump on my thigh. My parents, seeing my interest, would bring transients home for me to dissect and they built me a mobile over my crib (and later bed) made up of key lesions that I will see on the boards. Perhaps my proudest moment was when I created a 100x scale model of the biliary system (complete with a focus of cholangiocarcinoma) out of Construx. From that point, though, I was sure, although I did waffle a bit at age 5 when I wanted to be a fireman for a couple of weeks, and then at age 15 when I had a brief flirtation with being a rodeo clown.

 

[djmd]

Apparently, it can be summed up as sarcastic people go into pathology.

 

[docbiohazard]

I knew I wanted to do Pathology once I developed a grasp of what the field actually entails (vs the typical public perception), realized my interests match up with the work, and realized that I enjoyed working with other pathologists.

More specifically, I had entered med school figuring I would go into internal medicine and subspecialize in a field related to my research interests. I was piping along on that track until I started working in a pathologist's research lab. When I first started attending scientific meetings, I went to one for internists and realized their interests and approach to research for the most part were more oriented around randomized controlled trials, while I was personally more interested in the benchy side of bench to bedside translational research. I found a much warmer reception when I went to meetings attended by pathologists. My mentor one time extolled the virtues of a career in pathology to me, and it got me to thinking more about it, and I liked what I found. As I went through third year, I did a pathology elective early on and compared it to my interest in other fields. Ultimately I realized I was less interested in direct patient care and therapeutics, more interested in diagnostics, definitely *not* interested in outpatient medicine, and not too fond of the hospitalist lifestyle.

So there you have it.

BH

 

[l&usibari]

People who couldn't get into derm

Dude, I seriously came back to this thread to type: "I forgot one, DERM-REJECTS!". So true...

 

[yaah]

I would have given my more serious answer but I have answered that question half a dozen times I think, and wasn't in the mood to do it again right now. Maybe next time this thread comes up! 😉 It's kind of a hard thread to do a search on because there aren't obvious keywords. But here's one

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=181852

 

[mlw03]

for me it's fairly simple: my favorite part of being a doctor is the diagnosis. so for me it'd either have to be path or IM, and i don't particularly enjoy a) the day to day management of patients b) dealing with people who's diseases are usually their own fault and c) i don't need to have patient interaction to feel satisfied at the end of the day. i want to understand how, why, and what far more than i want to understand what to do next.

 

[anencephalic]

I dunno. If I weren't doing path, I'd want to be an ER doc or a trauma surgeon (at least those are the rotations I TRULY enjoyed the most in med school).

If I weren't doing medicine, I'd be a rock star.

Perhaps that answers the OP's question in a roundabout sort of way?😛