2009 Pathology Applicants

[raspberry009]

my favorite place to go when looking for airline tickets:
www.kayak.com
it will search several of the sites for you, super time saver for me.

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[Arctic Char]

my favorite place to go when looking for airline tickets:
www.kayak.com
it will search several of the sites for you, super time saver for me.

thats my "Go-To" as well. it can be frustrating trying to track down the fares they list, but at least you know they are there. usually it requires seeing the fare you want, then calling the airline directly

 

[getunconcsious]

Anyone else counting the days (12 for me) until ms3 is over? Why oh WHY did I end with general surgery?! 3 calls to go, 2 on weekends! I'm not learning anything and the surgeons are mean as hell!

I feel so SORRY for myself!!!!

Can't wait to never be in an OR (or at least never be scrubbed) again!!!

 

[dmurali]

I saw a blank to where I am from.. so thought to fill in.. I am from DC.. and I am now in psych rotation and then family medicine... trying to crack down on step 2.. but so hard to find motivation..

can't believe this year went so fast though.. application is coming pretty soon

 

[Psychopathology]

Started my countdown weeks ago. Almost there. Less than a month remaining!

I'm about to start my tenth week of surgery. It's a lot of fun to be in the OR and rounding is mercifully precise and efficient. I have a stronger attachment to my patients on surgery than I have had anywhere else outside of psychiatry and that is despite remarkably shorter interactions. Kind of strange but I enjoy it. I agree though that it is not fun to be the butt of every joke, the beast of burden, the target of displaced hostility, and the child who is expected to be seen and not heard despite all of the interesting stuff going on around you. And I agree that spending 80+ hours a week with angry, chronically tired and stressed-out people in their umpteenth year of training who are treated roughly, take on more responsibility than they ever could imagine, and miss their children's birthday parties... kinda makes me look forward to going home to study every night, but when I get home, I start getting anxious about the shelf and find that I cannot keep my eyes open to read. Meanwhile, I'm trying to set up some projects for fourth year, take care of an on-going project, attend class to prepare for applications, and.... snap! I forgot I had friends. They must be pissed that they haven't heard from me in a while. Hope they remember who I am!

Gotta love the end-of-third-year crunch!!! Ending with surgery is a doosie.

It goes by fast, thankfully, or else we'd all lose our sanities. Then again, we're scrambling to find extra minutes to ourselves.

Good luck to everyone finishing up this 13 month rite of passage. We'll all soon be fourth years!!!

 

[TypicalTuesday]

I agree though that it is not fun to be the butt of every joke, the beast of burden, the target of displaced hostility, and the child who is expected to be seen and not heard despite all of the interesting stuff going on around you. And I agree that spending 80+ hours a week with angry, chronically tired and stressed-out people in their umpteenth year of training who are treated roughly, take on more responsibility than they ever could imagine, and miss their children's birthday parties... kinda makes me look forward to going home to study every night, but when I get home, I start getting anxious about the shelf and find that I cannot keep my eyes open to read. Meanwhile, I'm trying to set up some projects for fourth year, take care of an on-going project, attend class to prepare for applications, and.... snap! I forgot I had friends. They must be pissed that they haven't heard from me in a while. Hope they remember who I am!
quote]

dude, have an ativan or something, you sound like you need one even more than me.

 

[Napoleon1801]

I agree though that it is not fun to be the butt of every joke, the beast of burden, the target of displaced hostility, and the child who is expected to be seen and not heard despite all of the interesting stuff going on around you. And I agree that spending 80+ hours a week with angry, chronically tired and stressed-out people in their umpteenth year of training who are treated roughly, take on more responsibility than they ever could imagine, and miss their children's birthday parties... kinda makes me look forward to going home to study every night, but when I get home, I start getting anxious about the shelf and find that I cannot keep my eyes open to read. Meanwhile, I'm trying to set up some projects for fourth year, take care of an on-going project, attend class to prepare for applications, and.... snap! I forgot I had friends. They must be pissed that they haven't heard from me in a while. Hope they remember who I am!
quote]

dude, have an ativan or something, you sound like you need one even more than me.

God, I wish I had an IV drip of benzo during surgery rotation.... I think I would've given my left ball to avoid that experience...

 

[Arctic Char]

Started my countdown weeks ago. Almost there. Less than a month remaining!

I'm about to start my tenth week of surgery. It's a lot of fun to be in the OR and rounding is mercifully precise and efficient. I have a stronger attachment to my patients on surgery than I have had anywhere else outside of psychiatry and that is despite remarkably shorter interactions. Kind of strange but I enjoy it. I agree though that it is not fun to be the butt of every joke, the beast of burden, the target of displaced hostility, and the child who is expected to be seen and not heard despite all of the interesting stuff going on around you. And I agree that spending 80+ hours a week with angry, chronically tired and stressed-out people in their umpteenth year of training who are treated roughly, take on more responsibility than they ever could imagine, and miss their children's birthday parties... kinda makes me look forward to going home to study every night, but when I get home, I start getting anxious about the shelf and find that I cannot keep my eyes open to read. Meanwhile, I'm trying to set up some projects for fourth year, take care of an on-going project, attend class to prepare for applications, and.... snap! I forgot I had friends. They must be pissed that they haven't heard from me in a while. Hope they remember who I am!

Gotta love the end-of-third-year crunch!!! Ending with surgery is a doosie.

It goes by fast, thankfully, or else we'd all lose our sanities. Then again, we're scrambling to find extra minutes to ourselves.

Good luck to everyone finishing up this 13 month rite of passage. We'll all soon be fourth years!!!

well said, and beautifully written. 22 days for me. then BOO-YAH i'm on a flight to NYC for electives (neuropathology is my first). god i can't wait . . .

here's to our luck with the match . . .

 

[getunconcsious]

Started my countdown weeks ago. Almost there. Less than a month remaining!

I'm about to start my tenth week of surgery. It's a lot of fun to be in the OR and rounding is mercifully precise and efficient. I have a stronger attachment to my patients on surgery than I have had anywhere else outside of psychiatry and that is despite remarkably shorter interactions. Kind of strange but I enjoy it. I agree though that it is not fun to be the butt of every joke, the beast of burden, the target of displaced hostility, and the child who is expected to be seen and not heard despite all of the interesting stuff going on around you. And I agree that spending 80+ hours a week with angry, chronically tired and stressed-out people in their umpteenth year of training who are treated roughly, take on more responsibility than they ever could imagine, and miss their children's birthday parties... kinda makes me look forward to going home to study every night, but when I get home, I start getting anxious about the shelf and find that I cannot keep my eyes open to read. Meanwhile, I'm trying to set up some projects for fourth year, take care of an on-going project, attend class to prepare for applications, and.... snap! I forgot I had friends. They must be pissed that they haven't heard from me in a while. Hope they remember who I am!

Gotta love the end-of-third-year crunch!!! Ending with surgery is a doosie.

It goes by fast, thankfully, or else we'd all lose our sanities. Then again, we're scrambling to find extra minutes to ourselves.

Good luck to everyone finishing up this 13 month rite of passage. We'll all soon be fourth years!!!

Your optimism both frightens and disgusts me

 

[Arctic Char]

Your optimism both frightens and disgusts me

 

[rockit]

Looks like I'll be going into pathology as well. I'm excited about the field, but worried about matching, as I've done mediocre gradewise, but with a very good excuse.

Right now, I think that I'd like to go to South Carolina. It just seems like a really cool place.

 

[Arctic Char]

this is definitely off-topic, but i had to post this is some way . . .

i'm sorry, but this picture cracks me up. "Have you seen my baseball????"

 

[getunconcsious]

So is anyone else starting a path elective tomorrow? I'm starting surgical path and I'm kinda nervous, it just dawned on me how uber-important this rotation will be for me in terms of LOR's, etc. I hope they don't expect us to know too much, Surgery sort of erased my brain.

 

[Arctic Char]

So is anyone else starting a path elective tomorrow? I'm starting surgical path and I'm kinda nervous, it just dawned on me how uber-important this rotation will be for me in terms of LOR's, etc. I hope they don't expect us to know too much, Surgery sort of erased my brain.

i just finished my first day of neuropath and i loved it. the felows, residents and attending were very welcoming, they have a good vibe, and i've already learned so much (did sign-out on neuro and GI today. now i need to sleep . . . )

i'll keep posting if i have chances. the train commute to NYC is a biatch. god knows when i will have time to study for step 2

 

[Alteran]

i just finished my first day of neuropath and i loved it. the felows, residents and attending were very welcoming, they have a good vibe, and i've already learned so much (did sign-out on neuro and GI today. now i need to sleep . . . )

i'll keep posting if i have chances. the train commute to NYC is a biatch. god knows when i will have time to study for step 2

I'll be doing a rotation in experimental pathology this month which should afford me some time to study for Step 2 and take it at the end of this month before I head off to do an away in clinical path.

 

[KWiz79]

I start Anatomic Path on Monday at the home institution. I've spent the last 7 weeks A) finishing a manuscript, B) studying for and taking step 2 CK, and C) studying for and taking Step 2 CS.

I've freed myself of those two intolerable USMLE monkeys on my back, but without any score reports, they still lurk. Seriously, Step 2 CS was one of the most brutal testing experiences of my life. I can't fathom having to take that thing again. Hopefully, I did the "right" things to PASS...whatever those may be.

Best of luck to all who have to take those monstrosities, and starting the Path rotations. ERAS is currently open to start working on your applications

 

[getunconcsious]

Everyone is real nice at my elective too. I feel like I am finally "home"

It's weird though how laid-back the path attendings and residents are. Like, they're in a coma laid-back. The only ones I met in third year who are even close to this were the psychiatry peeps. I guess maybe that's why I almost went into psych?

Then again, maybe I'm still residually high-strung after surgery. In any case, I hope I do well. I'm getting less and less confident about my application!

 

[Arctic Char]

Everyone is real nice at my elective too. I feel like I am finally "home"

It's weird though how laid-back the path attendings and residents are. Like, they're in a coma laid-back. The only ones I met in third year who are even close to this were the psychiatry peeps. I guess maybe that's why I almost went into psych?

Then again, maybe I'm still residually high-strung after surgery. In any case, I hope I do well. I'm getting less and less confident about my application!

yeah, ditto, despite repeated reassurance from attandings and fellows. "just don't be a psycho" they tell me.

but man, it is really hard to be in a position to impress anyone. there is just simply no way to know anything, so i have to read my arse off. i like it, and its a very steep learning curve, but i wish i could pull out some knowledge and make myself look somewhat learned

 

[Arctic Char]

just a note for a saturday morning:

scared to death about the match.

 

[getunconcsious]

just a note for a saturday morning:

scared to death about the match.

Yuck, me too. I don't even want to fill out ERAS, it makes the whole thing too real.

Besides, what if I was supposed to be a psychiatrist or a pediatrician and I'm in the wrong specialty?

Too much pressure!

 

[Arctic Char]

Yuck, me too. I don't even want to fill out ERAS, it makes the whole thing too real.

Besides, what if I was supposed to be a psychiatrist or a pediatrician and I'm in the wrong specialty?

Too much pressure!

yup. its bizarre. i started myERAS today and had to close it, just because it was too surreal.

 

[TypicalTuesday]

Yuck, me too. I don't even want to fill out ERAS, it makes the whole thing too real.

Besides, what if I was supposed to be a psychiatrist or a pediatrician and I'm in the wrong specialty?

Too much pressure!

yeah, I know what you mean...but I'm glad now I'm sure I'm in the right specialty. 3 weeks of AP finished, and now only 1 week into CP and I feel just like you getunconscious..."at home". It's so good to be home.

Now I just need to finally ask my peeps for LORs and start my silly personal statement, though I did fill out the "profile" section of ERAS. I was so proud of myself!

 

[Arctic Char]

yeah, I know what you mean...but I'm glad now I'm sure I'm in the right specialty. 3 weeks of AP finished, and now only 1 week into CP and I feel just like you getunconscious..."at home". It's so good to be home.

Now I just need to finally ask my peeps for LORs and start my silly personal statement, though I did fill out the "profile" section of ERAS; I was so proud of myself!

i share the feelings of "finding a home". its so nice to be at the scope, listening to smart people, and feeling excited about learning again! congrats to us all!

 

[Napoleon1801]

Add me to the excitement. People don't yell or scut me, they're happy to teach. The residents are actually likeable too! Finding "home" is almost an understatement.

 

[KWiz79]

So, I started my Path rotation 2 weeks ago doing almost exclusively Surg Path and I love it. I like the way the day is ordered - gross in the afternoons, read about the interesting/puzzling cases in the evening, review with the residents in the early morning, and then sit and discuss things with the attendings at the scope until the afternoon. The day goes by fast, I learn a ton, and everyone is so nice, willing to teach, and I don't get scutted out. It sounds like everyone else is having similiar experiences. Oh, and the learning curve is ridiculous.

I will throw in my 2 cents about the job market. Some of the 4th year residents are struggling with the competitive job market. No details/reasons in particular, but it is a concern. It's the nature of the beast - the oversaturated job market, the number of Pathologists who can practice until they're 105, and the financial crunch that continues in health care. I do agree with previous posters in these forums that a glaringly obvious initial solution is to decrease the number of residency spots by about ~1/3. This wouldn't really affect the mid-to-strong applicants, but could deter people from going into Path b/c "there's nothing else out there and it's a good residency lifestyle." But, I'm not a pessimist and it's hard to predict the future. I can only control what I can control and that's working as hard as I can to get a job when it's all said and done.

My spouse and I are couples matching, and we've made a preliminary list of ~25 programs. The good news is, the strong Gen Surg programs are more often than not assocaited with strong Path programs, so we were pretty much in agreement on most of these choices.

Note: I know we won't interview at all of these places, but the geographic location is fairly consistent with a few spot outliers.

UAB
Colorado
Emory
Northwestern
Rush
University of Chicago
UIC
Indiana
Louisville
Michigan
Mayo
Wash U
Univ of Missouri-Columbia
Duke
UNC
Wake Forest
Dartmouth
MUSC
Vanderbilt
Baylor
Methodist
UT-Houston
UT-San Antonio
UT-Southwestern
UVA
Wisconsin

Off to tackle that personal statement...

 

[Arctic Char]

So, I started my Path rotation 2 weeks ago doing almost exclusively Surg Path and I love it. I like the way the day is ordered - gross in the afternoons, read about the interesting/puzzling cases in the evening, review with the residents in the early morning, and then sit and discuss things with the attendings at the scope until the afternoon. The day goes by fast, I learn a ton, and everyone is so nice, willing to teach, and I don't get scutted out. It sounds like everyone else is having similiar experiences. Oh, and the learning curve is ridiculous.

I will throw in my 2 cents about the job market. Some of the 4th year residents are struggling with the competitive job market. No details/reasons in particular, but it is a concern. It's the nature of the beast - the oversaturated job market, the number of Pathologists who can practice until they're 105, and the financial crunch that continues in health care. I do agree with previous posters in these forums that a glaringly obvious initial solution is to decrease the number of residency spots by about ~1/3. This wouldn't really affect the mid-to-strong applicants, but could deter people from going into Path b/c "there's nothing else out there and it's a good residency lifestyle." But, I'm not a pessimist and it's hard to predict the future. I can only control what I can control and that's working as hard as I can to get a job when it's all said and done.

My spouse and I are couples matching, and we've made a preliminary list of ~25 programs. The good news is, the strong Gen Surg programs are more often than not assocaited with strong Path programs, so we were pretty much in agreement on most of these choices.

Note: I know we won't interview at all of these places, but the geographic location is fairly consistent with a few spot outliers.

UAB
Colorado
Emory
Northwestern
Rush
University of Chicago
UIC
Indiana
Louisville
Michigan
Mayo
Wash U
Univ of Missouri-Columbia
Duke
UNC
Wake Forest
Dartmouth
MUSC
Vanderbilt
Baylor
Methodist
UT-Houston
UT-San Antonio
UT-Southwestern
UVA
Wisconsin

Off to tackle that personal statement...

looks like a good list. overlaps with my own. good luck!

 

[billyvnilly]

Hello! I'm new to the forum.

I am planning on couples matching somewhere in Houston hopefully. I am interested in heme or derm path. My s.o. wants to do rads, and do a fellowship in ped rads.

Has anyone done any anat or surg path in houston? I've done heme, forensics, and will do anat (dec), and derm (jan)... its a little late appyling for electives, but I want to find a good general elective in houston in Novemeber.

2009 Pathology Applicants
Arctic Char - MS3, MSIH (The Medical School for International Health)
Napoleon1801 - MS3, U. of Oklahoma
KWiz79 - MS3/PhD, U. of Missouri
getunconcsious - MS3, UT-Houston
dingozlife - Med student
Pronkzilla - MS3, UT-Southwestern
tmz2007 - MS3, FMG
Ekard81 - MS3 in St.Louis
typicaltuesday - MS3 in Chicago
dmurali - MS3
leu345 - IMG
Alteran - MS3
BiopsyThis - MS3/PhD (virology), Northwestern
ssj3tom - MS3, Ph.D. (cell biology), LECOM
dmurali - MS3 (?)
billyvnilly - MS6 (combo ba/md) university missouri - kansas city

 

[Arctic Char]

Hello! I'm new to the forum.

I am planning on couples matching somewhere in Houston hopefully. I am interested in heme or derm path. My s.o. wants to do rads, and do a fellowship in ped rads.

Has anyone done any anat or surg path in houston? I've done heme, forensics, and will do anat (dec), and derm (jan)... its a little late appyling for electives, but I want to find a good general elective in houston in Novemeber.

2009 Pathology Applicants
Arctic Char - MS3, MSIH (The Medical School for International Health)
Napoleon1801 - MS3, U. of Oklahoma
KWiz79 - MS3/PhD, U. of Missouri
getunconcsious - MS3, UT-Houston
dingozlife - Med student
Pronkzilla - MS3, UT-Southwestern
tmz2007 - MS3, FMG
Ekard81 - MS3 in St.Louis
typicaltuesday - MS3 in Chicago
dmurali - MS3
leu345 - IMG
Alteran - MS3
BiopsyThis - MS3/PhD (virology), Northwestern
ssj3tom - MS3, Ph.D. (cell biology), LECOM
dmurali - MS3 (?)
billyvnilly - MS6 (combo ba/md) university missouri - kansas city

is it me, or does 16 seem like an awfully small number? i know not every year has SDN'ers, and its a random phenomenon, but still . . . 16?

 

[Napoleon1801]

is it me, or does 16 seem like an awfully small number? i know not every year has SDN'ers, and its a random phenomenon, but still . . . 16?

Still early in the year, isn't it? I'm sure there will be more newcomers as time goes on.


Oh yeah, and we're no longer measely MS3's anymore!


2009 Pathology Applicants
Arctic Char - MS4, MSIH (The Medical School for International Health)
Napoleon1801 - MS4, U. of Oklahoma
KWiz79 - MS4/PhD, U. of Missouri
getunconcsious - MS4, UT-Houston
dingozlife - Med student
Pronkzilla - MS4, UT-Southwestern
tmz2007 - MS4, FMG
Ekard81 - MS4 in St.Louis
typicaltuesday - MS4 in Chicago
dmurali - MS4
leu345 - IMG
Alteran - MS4
BiopsyThis - MS4/PhD (virology), Northwestern
ssj3tom - MS4, Ph.D. (cell biology), LECOM
dmurali - MS4 (?)
billyvnilly - MS6 (combo ba/md) university missouri - kansas city

 

[Arctic Char]

Oh yeah, and we're no longer measely MS3's anymore!

oh yeah, and we are proud! proud to be back at the top of the bottom of the food chain . . .

 

[Alteran]

We've gone from being maggots to flies now. I guess being swatted around is an upgrade from being stepped on constantly.

 

[Pianoboe01]

I suppose I'll add myself to the list. MS4 from Indiana. Don't know where I will be applying yet.

2009 Pathology Applicants
Arctic Char - MS3, MSIH (The Medical School for International Health)
Napoleon1801 - MS3, U. of Oklahoma
KWiz79 - MS3/PhD, U. of Missouri
getunconcsious - MS3, UT-Houston
dingozlife - Med student
Pronkzilla - MS3, UT-Southwestern
tmz2007 - MS3, FMG
Ekard81 - MS3 in St.Louis
typicaltuesday - MS3 in Chicago
dmurali - MS3
leu345 - IMG
Alteran - MS3
BiopsyThis - MS3/PhD (virology), Northwestern
ssj3tom - MS3, Ph.D. (cell biology), LECOM
dmurali - MS3 (?)
billyvnilly - MS6 (combo ba/md) university missouri - kansas city
Pianoboe01 - MS4, Indiana

 

[Arctic Char]

just want to send out a note to say that i hope everyone is enjoying their electives, and that ERAS isn't causing too many headaches.

i just finished neuropath and i loved it. i think i liked it especially because of the people in this department. the whole path department is great, and the neuro folks were awesome. people have been so nice and welcoming, and letting me sit in on anything and everything. despite some of these big names, everyone is pretty open-door, and i'm meeting a lot of great people. the teaching is great, and i've learned a ton! i'm still an idiot, but i'm making progress . . . i have GBM's down pat

i volunteer the fact that i am applying to path to everyone i meet (with a wink wink), and its funny the responses i get. i would say that its unanimous that "i'll be fine". i wish i was in their shoes.

 

[getunconcsious]

What are you on this month, Arctic?

I've switched from surgical path elective to forensic path elective with the Houston ME. It's SO awesome! Seeing crazy homicide autopsies and such. But I don't know that I could do it for a living, since the smell is more disgusting than anything I could even imagine or describe. Still though, fun times!

Hope everyone's doing great, I've been reading this thread religiously, though I haven't said much mostly b/c I'm boring.

 

[Arctic Char]

What are you on this month, Arctic?

I've switched from surgical path elective to forensic path elective with the Houston ME. It's SO awesome! Seeing crazy homicide autopsies and such. But I don't know that I could do it for a living, since the smell is more disgusting than anything I could even imagine or describe. Still though, fun times!

Hope everyone's doing great, I've been reading this thread religiously, though I haven't said much mostly b/c I'm boring.

you are, dude. you are SO boring. give up and go into anesthesiology. path needs more effervescent people than your sorry ass.

i'm on surgical (read: liver) pathology for the next month. should be great!

 

[getunconcsious]

you are, dude. you are SO boring. give up and go into anesthesiology. path needs more effervescent people than your sorry ass.

i'm on surgical (read: liver) pathology for the next month. should be great!

Huh. I'm actually surprised at the prevalence of liver. I rarely ever saw the stuff on my surg path month. You must be at a hospital with a liver transplant center?

My surg path month was mostly breast, prostate, and GI tract biopsies, courtesy of our friends in gastroenterology

Ah gastroenterologists...the poopsmiths of the medical world.

 

[Arctic Char]

Huh. I'm actually surprised at the prevalence of liver. I rarely ever saw the stuff on my surg path month. You must be at a hospital with a liver transplant center?

My surg path month was mostly breast, prostate, and GI tract biopsies, courtesy of our friends in gastroenterology

Ah gastroenterologists...the poopsmiths of the medical world.

scoopin da poop, scoopin da poop

yeah, there is a big liver guy here who coordinates the elective. and yeah, they have a transplant center.

"the poop smith is alright guy. he just has a crappy job."

 

[Napoleon1801]

Everyone having fun at their path electives/aways?

 

[getunconcsious]

Hey guys,
Well I'm really shocked and I hate to admit it but I really don't like Pathology. I tried and tried to make myself like it, but I just don't. I figure that if I don't like it after 6 weeks, I'm probably not going to. Autopsies are gross and weird. I can't orient my own hand in space, much less specimens that I'd then have to gross. I was bored to tears during sign-out, and couldn't care less about those stupid inflammatory cells that for some god-awful reason seem to show up in every single part of the body.

Whew, it feels good to get that off my chest!

So anyways, I'm going to apply to the triple board (peds/psych/child psych in 5 years). I probably won't get it at this point since I have no contacts after spending the last 2 years planning to apply to Pathology. So I'll apply to straight psych as a back up.

So yeah go ahead and cross my name off the list for this year. I really really wish you guys all the best, I think Path offers an amazing lifestyle for those who truly enjoy the material. I'm less than stoked about looking at an internship with lots of 80+ hour weeks and q4 call, but I've got to be true to myself I guess.

I'm sure you will all do great in the match this year! Send some luck my way since I'm now applying for a field with 23 spots per year
I'll definitely always have a much greater appreciation for what Pathologists do after almost becoming one myself. Now, off to write a completely different personal statement, frantically email schedule coordinators, and pray!

 

[ggddizzy2]

Hey everyone.....you can add me to the list of applicants this year! I'm an MS4 in Chicago.

 

[Pianoboe01]

Hey guys,
Well I'm really shocked and I hate to admit it but I really don't like Pathology. I tried and tried to make myself like it, but I just don't. I figure that if I don't like it after 6 weeks, I'm probably not going to. Autopsies are gross and weird. I can't orient my own hand in space, much less specimens that I'd then have to gross. I was bored to tears during sign-out, and couldn't care less about those stupid inflammatory cells that for some god-awful reason seem to show up in every single part of the body.

Whew, it feels good to get that off my chest!

So anyways, I'm going to apply to the triple board (peds/psych/child psych in 5 years). I probably won't get it at this point since I have no contacts after spending the last 2 years planning to apply to Pathology. So I'll apply to straight psych as a back up.

So yeah go ahead and cross my name off the list for this year. I really really wish you guys all the best, I think Path offers an amazing lifestyle for those who truly enjoy the material. I'm less than stoked about looking at an internship with lots of 80+ hour weeks and q4 call, but I've got to be true to myself I guess.

I'm sure you will all do great in the match this year! Send some luck my way since I'm now applying for a field with 23 spots per year
I'll definitely always have a much greater appreciation for what Pathologists do after almost becoming one myself. Now, off to write a completely different personal statement, frantically email schedule coordinators, and pray!

Good luck! I made a late specialty decision in MS4 as well. Before last month, I was certain I was going to go into neurosurgery!

 

[Arctic Char]

Hey guys,
Well I'm really shocked and I hate to admit it but I really don't like Pathology. I tried and tried to make myself like it, but I just don't. I figure that if I don't like it after 6 weeks, I'm probably not going to. Autopsies are gross and weird. I can't orient my own hand in space, much less specimens that I'd then have to gross. I was bored to tears during sign-out, and couldn't care less about those stupid inflammatory cells that for some god-awful reason seem to show up in every single part of the body.

Whew, it feels good to get that off my chest!

So anyways, I'm going to apply to the triple board (peds/psych/child psych in 5 years). I probably won't get it at this point since I have no contacts after spending the last 2 years planning to apply to Pathology. So I'll apply to straight psych as a back up.

So yeah go ahead and cross my name off the list for this year. I really really wish you guys all the best, I think Path offers an amazing lifestyle for those who truly enjoy the material. I'm less than stoked about looking at an internship with lots of 80+ hour weeks and q4 call, but I've got to be true to myself I guess.

I'm sure you will all do great in the match this year! Send some luck my way since I'm now applying for a field with 23 spots per year
I'll definitely always have a much greater appreciation for what Pathologists do after almost becoming one myself. Now, off to write a completely different personal statement, frantically email schedule coordinators, and pray!

whoa! droppin some drama in this here thread . . . sorry to lose you from path, but i'm happy that you feel more certain about what you want to do. 90% of life is figuring out what you don't want to do. many people aren't so lucky. anyway, best of luck in the new direction, i'll cross my fingers for you.

all the best

 

[Arctic Char]

updating the list (and also revising myself as an MS4. hmm, that actually felt kind of good):

2009 Pathology Applicants
Arctic Char - MS4, MSIH (The Medical School for International Health)
Napoleon1801 - MS3, U. of Oklahoma
KWiz79 - MS3/PhD, U. of Missouri
dingozlife - Med student
Pronkzilla - MS3, UT-Southwestern
tmz2007 - MS3, FMG
Ekard81 - MS3 in St.Louis
typicaltuesday - MS3 in Chicago
dmurali - MS3
leu345 - IMG
Alteran - MS3
BiopsyThis - MS3/PhD (virology), Northwestern
ssj3tom - MS3, Ph.D. (cell biology), LECOM
dmurali - MS3 (?)
billyvnilly - MS6 (combo ba/md) university missouri - kansas city
Pianoboe01 - MS4, Indiana
ggddizzy - MS4, Chicago

 

[Napoleon1801]

So yeah go ahead and cross my name off the list for this year. I really really wish you guys all the best, I think Path offers an amazing lifestyle for those who truly enjoy the material. I'm less than stoked about looking at an internship with lots of 80+ hour weeks and q4 call, but I've got to be true to myself I guess.

Best wishes! Sorry to hear path wasn't for you, but I hope you find some love in peds/psych!

 

[Amylacea]

Long time lurker here, but I am coming out of the shadows now because the time to apply is so close. I am filling out ERAS and just keep staring at my list of programs. I really don't know where I stand and all of the programs I like are pretty desirable to everyone else too! I have about 20 on the list now, hopefully one of them will like me! How many programs are on your lists?

 

[Napoleon1801]

Long time lurker here, but I am coming out of the shadows now because the time to apply is so close. I am filling out ERAS and just keep staring at my list of programs. I really don't know where I stand and all of the programs I like are pretty desirable to everyone else too! I have about 20 on the list now, hopefully one of them will like me! How many programs are on your lists?

Welcome to the fold. I have about 16 on my list currently, I've been waffling about quite a bit. It's somewhat hard to compare beyond geography, climate, and city size.

 

[Pianoboe01]

I have 20 on my "short list" right now, but I'm hoping to cut it back to maybe 13-15 by application submission time. Where is everyone applying? Here's my list currently (in ERAS order):

UCSD
UCSF
Iowa
Northwestern
Indiana
Kentucky
BI/B&W/MGH
Hopkins
Michigan
Mayo
Duke
UNC
Ohio State
Oregon
Pitt
MUSC
Vanderbilt
Washington

 

[vinnyboy]

I would like to add myself to the growing list.

2009 Pathology Applicants
Arctic Char - MS4, MSIH (The Medical School for International Health)
Napoleon1801 - MS3, U. of Oklahoma
KWiz79 - MS3/PhD, U. of Missouri
dingozlife - Med student
Pronkzilla - MS3, UT-Southwestern
tmz2007 - MS3, FMG
Ekard81 - MS3 in St.Louis
typicaltuesday - MS3 in Chicago
dmurali - MS3
leu345 - IMG
Alteran - MS3
BiopsyThis - MS3/PhD (virology), Northwestern
ssj3tom - MS3, Ph.D. (cell biology), LECOM
dmurali - MS3 (?)
billyvnilly - MS6 (combo ba/md) university missouri - kansas city
Pianoboe01 - MS4, Indiana
ggddizzy - MS4, Chicago
vinnyboy - mdphd fellow, utsw

 

[vinnyboy]

some programs ask for 4 lor's. Are you guys doing 3 or 4 lor's. Thoughts?

 

[Psychopathology]

The majority of programs I'm looking at require 3 letters in addition to the deans letter/MSPE.

Haven't finallized my list yet and was curious which programs now require 4?