Advice: switching to path

[Car-e-monda]

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[octopusprime]

Hello everyone,

I don't know if this turning to this site for advice will help or hurt my current mental dilema but I have give it a shot before I end up in in a darker place.

During medical school i was aways fascinated with Pathology and I really enjoyed Basic sciences. I decided I wanted to do Pathology and I changed my mind last minute to Anesthesia after a couple of clerkships I did (worst decision of my life so far).

I have felt very very bummed out by this decision and was even hospitalized for sever depression ( something I have never had, I consider myself a very outgoing and happy person). I clearly started residency out on the wrong foot and I honestly don't even feel like going through intern year unless I absolutely have to. I really want to give pathology a shot, maybe do some rotations and reapply this season.

My HUGE dilemma is telling my PD that I feel this way just a week after starting? If I just leave right now I would probably get sanctioned by the ACGME. I am leaning towards being completely honest with my PD and telling them all of my issues/future career goals. My understanding is that I will need a LOR from my current PD for switching fields and I do want to make this as easy for them as possible since I highly appreciate the opportunity they have provided me.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

If you're a week into your program and you "don't even feel like going through intern year," i assume you haven't even experienced anesthesia in any training capacity? was this depressive episode in med school/after graduation?

Ask yourself what you're capable of getting through in the next few years vs what your career will be like. Even if you think path residency better suits you and you can't get past the anesthesia route, your career/job prospects/potential is infinitely better in anesthesia. i'd say you need to experience some path before making that decision but kinda late for that.

I've known a few other second guessers that transitioned into path...mostly from surgery though...any program that accepts you is going to want a pretty good explanation as to why you left anesthesia before even trying it...doesn't exude confidence that you're bailing so early on...that's a liability for PDs--path is a much smaller world than anesthesia. plus your current PD is going to have to write you a letter.

anesthesia, aside from derm, has one of the highest job satisfaction rates of all specialties...there are plenty of people in path who--for one reason or another, but likely job prospect & income related--wish they would have gone into anesthesia.

 

[Unty]

If you absolutely cant do anesthesia, talk to your PD and hopefully hes understanding and will try to help you out.

Dont try going through a full year hating what you do. Attendings will notice. Better to be upfront and tell the PD in my opinion.

Do what you have to do to get some Path electives if you can and apply this coming season.

I had a coresident who was from anesthesia and he finished residency and fellowship and was much more happier it seemed.

Apply to Path next year if you like it and kick ass. **** happens. Dust yourself off and come back strong.

 

[pathslides]

See if your hospital has a path program. Maybe if you are really lucky, they might not have filled and it's still super early so you could just join right into that program and not waste your time doing and intern year or having to reply.