As I've rotated through pathology rotations and asked many residents why they chose pathology, I've come across two basic types of people. One type is the research/scientific type who chose pathology because they love basic science and research and wish to pursue this after training. The other camp is the "After going through my clinical rotations I realized I did not want to deal with patient care" type and chose pathology because nothing else was appealing. I know there may be a combination of both or other reasons why people chose pathology but these two divisions seem to be the most popular. I feel that this dichotomy of motivation is not seen in other specialties. For example if you ask people why they chose surgery the majority would say because they like to cut. But I find such a consensus lacking among those who chose pathology and I would like to hear your thoughts.
Why you chose pathology?
- Thread starter Ypruns
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Because I...
1. like to make the final call.
2. like the work setting.
3. like the hours.
4. can't stand patients.
5. didn't realize how bad the job market is.
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1. I enjoyed making diagnoses, not managing social issues; I liked interacting with patients well enough and have not met too many pathologists who went into the specialty to specifically get away from direct patient care.
2. I had great mentors in pathology
3. I liked the idea of being a generalist and a specialist.
4. I knew that I would match at a top program and succeed in the specialty.
2. I had great mentors in pathology
3. I liked the idea of being a generalist and a specialist.
4. I knew that I would match at a top program and succeed in the specialty.
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I like #3, I do like the fact that you have to be current in all specialities of medicine and surgery and you don't ever really become a tech doc like you can in other fields of medicine (doing the same 3 thirty minute procedures over and over and over again) but this applies to a good general surg path posititon in a working hospital/outpatient environment; NOT a peudospecialized path mill sweat shop corporate lab.
I've been really critical of the current state of pathology, but the actual work is great. I chose pathology because of the diagnoses. You are actually required to render a reasonably clear, useful line diagnosis. Not radiology vague CYA BS, not IM endless test-ordering and pointless rumination. Make a final decision, and then move on already. Next case.
Plus, you don't have to BS patients as a matter of course. Very satisfying.
Plus, you don't have to BS patients as a matter of course. Very satisfying.
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You can create an artificial dichotomy for almost every specialty. I disagree with your dichotomy. I think those who go into path because they are researchers or scientific are fairly small numbers. Those who go into path as a default because they don't like anything else are also not very numerous. There are many who go into path because they like characteristics of the field like those above stated. There are also some who go into it because they are obsessed with lifestyle and their grades weren't good enough for derm (or sometimes radiology). Most people who choose pathology as a default because they hate everything else end up hating pathology also.
Pathology is such a widely varied field that it is also hard to dissect it down to a simplistic statement like "surgeons like to cut" or "emergency physicians like chaos" or "pediatricians like kids."
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So I'm applying right now, and therefore do not have any practicing experience. But the above is pretty much why I chose to APPLY. I know it sounds weird, but I love studying
. I love learning about the pathophys of diseases, and there just didn't seem to be enough of that in the other specialties I considered (IM and family medicine). The daily work and the research also seem much more tangible and satisfying to me than the same in the two fields previously mentioned.
