Pathologists who did an ID or Micro fellowship

[poorphil]

Here's a little about me:
6th year of MD/PhD program at decent (~Top 30) medical school
PhD is in Microbiology. Two first author papers studying arenavirus infection and immunology.
USMLE Step 1 score 235 (I think...)

Currently, my ideal position would be working for the CDC's special viral pathogens branch assisting in diagnostics and characterization of emerging pathogens. If I chose to go this route, I would focus on training at Emory as they offer an ID Path fellowship in collaboration with the CDC.

However, it seems that there are many dissatisfied pathologists on these forums. My concern is that if I decide to shift my focus away from working with a governmental organization, my only remaining option would be academia as the job market seems particularly bleak.

So for those pathologists who specialized in infectious disease, what are your feelings on the current job market and do you enjoy your current employment? What other options exist for those with pathology training and infectious disease research experience?

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[Weinberg Angle]

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[gbwillner]

Here's a little about me:
6th year of MD/PhD program at decent (~Top 30) medical school
PhD is in Microbiology. Two first author papers studying arenavirus infection and immunology.
USMLE Step 1 score 235 (I think...)

Currently, my ideal position would be working for the CDC's special viral pathogens branch assisting in diagnostics and characterization of emerging pathogens. If I chose to go this route, I would focus on training at Emory as they offer an ID Path fellowship in collaboration with the CDC.

However, it seems that there are many dissatisfied pathologists on these forums. My concern is that if I decide to shift my focus away from working with a governmental organization, my only remaining option would be academia as the job market seems particularly bleak.

So for those pathologists who specialized in infectious disease, what are your feelings on the current job market and do you enjoy your current employment? What other options exist for those with pathology training and infectious disease research experience?

None of the gripes of pathology will apply to you. If you are serious about this route, you will do a cp-only residency. Micro fellowship would only be optional. IMHO, this is not a good route for an md/phd, since you can do all this without the md. Most people who do a micro fellowship are phd's. All the ones I know certainly are.

 

[Weinberg Angle]

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[poorphil]

IMHO, this is not a good route for an md/phd, since you can do all this without the md.

I apologize if this sounds snarky, but what do you think is a good route for an MD/PhD interested in pathology and infectious diseases?

All the ID doctors I've interacted with are internal med/peds. I'm interested in doing a path residency as I really enjoy lab work and think I would have more access to improving my lab technique (ex. flow cytometry, next gen sequencing, molecular diagnosis) than if I did medicine.

My main concern is not having access to a job I find engaging. I realize that's a subjective criteria, but I don't want a path position where I look and the same slides all day and say, "Specimen was unremarkable".

 

[gbwillner]

Sorry if I was unclear. Just do the cp residency with no fellowship. You will have the shortest route of any specialty out of residency- really just 18 months of clinical service and another 18 will likely be ID research. If you have a good CV you can be courted by all the top programs. Since you will have such a unique interest and skill set I imagine you will quickly ascend to whatever heights you desire.

Your job of interest will likely be running an ID lab. You will not need a fellowship to do this.

Good luck.

 

[Weinberg Angle]

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[DermViser]

Don't do pathology, there are no jobs.

Go into internal medicine, then do ID fellowship at strong place like Stanford. ID fellowships are pretty un-competitive right now due to relatively low salary, which is fine because you shouldn't do this for money. And with your internal medicine certification, you will always have a backup job.

Then go into academics in ID, and open up your own research lab and research what you love. You can also be ID attending on the wards a few months a year, teach medical students and residents and fellows, and still have protected research time.

Do not go down the abyss of pathology. Please.

Stop trolling.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

That Emory fellowship is amazing. I know a path resident from my prior place (UW) who basically became a leading expert on placental malaria while still in residency. He went off to Emory and completed that very cool, very unique fellowship and now is even more of a world authority on parasitic maternal-fetal medicine. IIRC from the interview day most residents at Emory do the CDC elective simply because it's cool (micro is hardly most people's favorite subject/rotation), but they certainly accept plenty of outside rotators as well.

Your plan sounds brilliant. I might recommend AP/CP simply because of all of the morphology and histology you'll learn in AP. It might be more interesting to see the disease in situ versus just looking at plates and fluid aspirates all day-- but here my bias shows.

I'm AP-only but in a past life I was a malariologist and really thought hard about doing exactly what you're proposing.

 

[poorphil]

That Emory fellowship is amazing. I know a path resident from my prior place (UW) who basically became a leading expert on placental malaria while still in residency. He went off to Emory and completed that very cool, very unique fellowship and now is even more of a world authority on parasitic maternal-fetal medicine. IIRC from the interview day most residents at Emory do the CDC elective simply because it's cool (micro is hardly most people's favorite subject/rotation), but they certainly accept plenty of outside rotators as well.

Your plan sounds brilliant. I might recommend AP/CP simply because of all of the morphology and histology you'll learn in AP. It might be more interesting to see the disease in situ versus just looking at plates and fluid aspirates all day-- but here my bias shows.

I'm AP-only but in a past life I was a malariologist and really thought hard about doing exactly what you're proposing.

Thanks for the reply! And I apologise for neglecting this thread. I'm glad to hear your thoughts. The Emory fellowship definitely sounds pretty incredible. It's nice to hear that your colleague had such a great experience. My plan would be similar: Find a path residency with strong research in virology (specifically emerging infectious diseases) make a few more connections and experience. Then complete the Emory fellowship to really explore a topic.

I agree with you that the AP/CP route would be best for me. While I know it does add time, I really want to have a robust understanding of pathology. Both from a molecular and gross level. (And because if something goes wrong along the way, I figure it's always good to have dual certification for a mid-career job switch.)

 

[BlondeDocteur]

My friend is now a staff pathologist at the CDC. Truly about a world authority on placental malaria and maternal-fetal malaria. He rocks.

 

[theglobalhealthdoctor]

Hey Poorphil. I am curious about your career path. I love pathology and Infectious diseases. I was tempted to do medicine and then do ID, but decided to do Path (AP/CP) and although I love Path, sometimes I am not sure if I should so medicine and ID as well... I really love the microscope, and I am liking Clin Micro; but I did work in the third world extensively, mainly with TB and HIV, and I am wondering if I will have the chance of becoming an expert in ID as a pathologist. Very few Pathologists are recognized in Global Health, since many clinicians strongly believe you need clinical interaction with patients to be considered a respected authority in ID. I would really love your story since this conversation finished. Ii I decide to stay in Path, I will do the CDC/Emory fellowship. Thanks !!