Why CP only?

[Enkidu]

It seems like common knowledge that only someone dedicated to research would pursue a CP-only residency... But I don't understand why. I'm dedicated to research, and that seems like a reason that I would avoid CP.

Am I missing something? Is CP training helpful for research in a way that I don't understand? I've been thinking of it as a way to market yourself to private practice groups who may need someone to cover blood bank or something.

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[Entgegen]

It seems like common knowledge that only someone dedicated to research would pursue a CP-only residency... But I don't understand why. I'm dedicated to research, and that seems like a reason that I would avoid CP.

Am I missing something? Is CP training helpful for research in a way that I don't understand? I've been thinking of it as a way to market yourself to private practice groups who may need someone to cover blood bank or something.

By "dedicated to research", I think most people mean pursuing academics instead of private practice, and CP training is really only helpful for research if you're focusing your academic career on CP (especially if you're CP-only). As far as marketing yourself to private groups by doing blood banking or something, it would still be more advisable to do AP/CP + CP fellowship...unless you find yourself with a huge group who only needs a CP guy, you won't be able to take AP call with the group and would therefore be seen as undesirable.

 

[Enkidu]

As far as marketing yourself to private groups by doing blood banking or something, it would still be more advisable to do AP/CP + CP fellowship...unless you find yourself with a huge group who only needs a CP guy, you won't be able to take AP call with the group and would therefore be seen as undesirable.

Right, I don't mean that CP only is advisable for private practice. What I mean is that CP as part of AP/CP is required for private practice to cover CP call.

My question is about people who apply CP only, intending to only do research. You'll find these people around, sometimes MD/PhD types. I just don't understand how CP will give someone special insight into research. It seems like all the same stuff you do in lab anyway.

 

[malchik]

The point is not that CP training is helpful for research, but rather the academic CP attending lifestyle of having nothing to do all day is great for people who want to compete with PhDs who are 150% research time. I guess the training can be helpful because it is short and you can do some postdoc-ing while you're at it.

 

[gbwillner]

Am I missing something? Is CP training helpful for research in a way that I don't understand? I've been thinking of it as a way to market yourself to private practice groups who may need someone to cover blood bank or something.

Yes, you are missing something. CP is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to have an 80/20 or MORE research-type career. Reasons:

1. CP training, while 3 years officially, only has 18 months of "required" clinical time. This means a built in 18 mo. post doc. That means a possibility to become a research-focused faculty member right out of residency.

2. The clinical component is not as strenuous as, well, probably any other residency program out there. Yes, CP-only residency programs are a LOT more intensive than the "tack-on" versions in most AP/CP training programs, but compare to anything else and it's a breeze. Even during your transfusion medicine/pheresis time, and if you have in-house call it is not that bad. seriously.

3. When finished, your clinical responsibilities, in chemistry and micro at least, probably won't interfere too much from running a lab full-time. And you get paid like a clinician. in transfusion medicine you will likely have to see patients, but residents will do most of the grunt work (like any medicine team). I am quickly realizing that AP is not the haven I thought it would be for running a lab- if you are on service in surgical pathology it is a LOT of work.

4. If you are interested in Hemepath, this is a nice way of getting to that route without having to be a slave to the gross bench.

5. CP, as it's name implies, is a lot more related to medicine. You will have to keep up with your medicine and act more as a consultant to medicine services. You will be more up-to-date (IMHO) on specific patients and their care. In AP you have a high case load, and it is only a rare occurrence that you know more about a patient than there age, sex, ethnicity, and past surgical pathology history.

 

[green mantis]

4. If you are interested in Hemepath, this is a nice way of getting to that route without having to be a slave to the gross bench.

It doesn't necessarily apply to HP only. It also works for subspecialties such as blood bank or molecular. I know that the ABP offers a combined CP/BB exam.

If you know going into residency that you want to do a CP fellowship, there's no need to spend excess time doing AP. It's just like how people who know they want to do forensics will just do AP only followed by FP fellowship.

You won't be as marketable, but maybe you don't want to be.


----- Antony

 

[Sunesis]

........... And you get paid like a clinician.

Is this true?
Do academic pathologists with "80% protected time" for research get paid like clinicians, or do they get (0.8X + 0.2Y) where X is a researcher's salary and Y is a clinician's salary.
Academic pathologists, please chime in, if possible with real numbers.
Thanks.

 

[Ephelis]

I recently switched from AP/CP to CP only. I will be doing a fellowship in BB/TM next year. My reason for this is that I just don't see myself doing any AP in the future. I want a 100% TM/lab admin job. Yes, this may limit my options a bit, but the job market for TM is pretty decent, and since I knew I wouldn't WANT a job that required me to do AP, I decided not to go through all of the remaining work (grossing, autopsies, boards) that would be needed to finish AP.

I am not planning on being a super-reseacher. There are a fair number of CP only jobs (in TM at least) that have a clincial focus, which is what I want to do.

An AP/CP hemepath friend of mine said some large private groups will hire a CP only molecular person to deal with those tests as they are becoming more common and complicated.

I think the reason people say CP only is for research is more because that is where a lot of the jobs are, not so much that it specially prepares you for it.

 

[2121115]

Is this true?
Do academic pathologists with "80% protected time" for research get paid like clinicians, or do they get (0.8X + 0.2Y) where X is a researcher's salary and Y is a clinician's salary.
Academic pathologists, please chime in, if possible with real numbers.
Thanks.

Unlikely that someone will post their salary on an internet forum. However, I can tell you my experience. Academic salaries for someone doing full time clinical work (signing out cases) are in the 130-140K range to start out. I am not sure if that is modified by significant protected research time (more research time likely means less $$ but I'm not sure since the people I've known doing academics don't have a significant amount of dedicated research time).