Your Eureka! Path moment or when you decided path was for you

[bananaface]

yaah has mad linkin' skillz.

Hey, let's play link the salary threads!

I am supposed to link some stuff in my area but I feel lazy. I'm taking a nap first.

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[deschutes]

If you nap now, when are you waking up?

 

[Gut Shot]

What are you, like 47?

I'm 31. My eureka moment was finding a forensic pathology textbook at age 15. Then that pesky PhD got in the way of me fulfilling my apparent destiny in a more expedient manner.

 

[stormjen]

I'm 31.

Aw hush, you're only a year older than me.

 

[jeff2005]

I'll be 32 in a couple of months - and i don't have a PhD to show for it!

 

[bananaface]

If you nap now, when are you waking up?

I'm up again. That was a nice nap. My sore neck feels mostly better too.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

you younguns!

 

[deschutes]

I'm 31. My eureka moment was finding a forensic pathology textbook at age 15. Then that pesky PhD got in the way of me fulfilling my apparent destiny in a more expedient manner.

15, and 31? I think Mother Nature was telling you to slow down. But it seems you took her a little too seriously?

 

[gungho]

What are you, like 47?

.

47's not so old...especially when you're 48.

 

[Gut Shot]

Aw hush, you're only a year older than me.

I'll be 32 in a couple of months - and i don't have a PhD to show for it!

So there are three of us in our early 30's? Wow, maybe we should all go shopping for burial plots together.

 

[stormjen]

So there are three of us in our early 30's? Wow, maybe we should all go shopping for burial plots together.

I plan to live past 100, so it's probably a little too early for me. But I could tag along if you two wish to shop for burial plots.

Yeah, it kinda sucks getting ready to start residency at an age when some people (FP's, for example) or finishing up. But hey, I don't think I would have made it through med school (or even into it, for that matter) without the experiences I got in those post-undergrad, pre-med years.

 

[yaah]

There are residents in my program in their mid 30s to late 30s, and honestly it's hard to tell unless you ask. I rode up in the elevator today with a woman (a patient I think) who thought I was a student. It's all relative and all in how you feel.

I think the point about the previous experiences is a good one!

 

[AnnaLee]

Is this thread still about Eureka moments? I hate interrupting conversations.

I thought I would add my 2 cents as I have only recently decided on path, and am on clerkship 5 (psych) of 6 of my third year.

I was hell bent on doing nephrology or endocrine for my first two years. I had a mentor in internal medicine who was telling me all about making crazy diagnoses, solving perplexing problems, getting to the bottom of those strange lab values etc. It sounded so great, I couldn't wait to do my medicine clerkship.

I did medicine in October/November and HATED IT! People walked in with their problems already diagnosed (in those nightmarish 20+ lists with 80 scrillion meds). The only two patients we actually diagnosed with anything had terrible problems that just broke my heart.

Sorry for the rambling, but after deciding medicine wasn't for me, I started looking at peds, radiology, derm... when someone mentioned path. I did some shadowing and got myself on this forum and haven't looked back.

I think one thing that really felt good was to see all the fun personalities that frequent this website. I went to a beer-heavy party school for undergrad and miss non-gunner, low-stress people who get their work done but don't freak out making thousands of tiny notecards at 3AM. There aren't too many really bright, intellectual people out there who still think dollar beer night is the best night of the week mmmmmm beer, speaking of which...psych consult doesn't start until 9 tomorrow.

Anyway, cheers to normal people who love the cool cases and hate the physical exam as much as I do

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Is this thread still about Eureka moments? I hate interrupting conversations.

I thought I would add my 2 cents as I have only recently decided on path, and am on clerkship 5 (psych) of 6 of my third year.

I was hell bent on doing nephrology or endocrine for my first two years. I had a mentor in internal medicine who was telling me all about making crazy diagnoses, solving perplexing problems, getting to the bottom of those strange lab values etc. It sounded so great, I couldn't wait to do my medicine clerkship.

I did medicine in October/November and HATED IT! People walked in with their problems already diagnosed (in those nightmarish 20+ lists with 80 scrillion meds). The only two patients we actually diagnosed with anything had terrible problems that just broke my heart.

Sorry for the rambling, but after deciding medicine wasn't for me, I started looking at peds, radiology, derm... when someone mentioned path. I did some shadowing and got myself on this forum and haven't looked back.

I think one thing that really felt good was to see all the fun personalities that frequent this website. I went to a beer-heavy party school for undergrad and miss non-gunner, low-stress people who get their work done but don't freak out making thousands of tiny notecards at 3AM. There aren't too many really bright, intellectual people out there who still think dollar beer night is the best night of the week mmmmmm beer, speaking of which...psych consult doesn't start until 9 tomorrow.

Anyway, cheers to normal people who love the cool cases and hate the physical exam as much as I do

Sounds a lot like what I went through. And like you, it was the fun personalities of path people that helped to draw me in the field. For some reason, I just felt that I couldn't adopt the persona of a medicine doc.

BTW, don't hesitate to "interrupt" conversations or throw off a thread in a tangential direction. It happens all the time here and it makes things the more merrier and fun

 

[Mr. Personality]

Does AnnaLee have anything to do with a certain older woman peripherally involved with pathology at a large Southern program? If so, you're funny. AnnaLee is the best.

I wanted to be a neurologist with all my little heart for most of medical school, so much so that I ignored the mounting evidence that it was not for me. My eureka moment came when, during clinic on my neurology elective, the preceptor turned to me in between the 397th and 398th med check for the day and asked "What's your sign?"

Blank stare.

"When were you born?"

"August."

"Oh, so you're a cancer. You really seem like a cancer. You're so (was not listening)."

Blank stare followed by "Well. You really seem like a hemorrhoid. Can I go home now?"
(in my head, of course)

He went on to familiarize me with astrology, spiritualism and some just plain crazy shtuff that I wont even try to describe. In spite of being a nice and successful neurologist and a smart guy who trained at a famous program, he was the perfect anti-role model. Not that the incurable patients, similarity to IM and minimal oppotunity to diagnose were lost on me, but the craziness was the proverbial straw.

Why path? Well my next rotation was CP/hemepath with a couple of old-timey gentlemen who showed me that path is all about the diagnosing and the seeing of the unique cases and things like this. It's like the good parts of IM & neuro concentrated and without all the retchid parts. It was an easy decision, but I felt a little bad about abandoning my old plans so close to application season, as it was my last rotation of the year.

 

[cytoborg]

I didn't have a eureka moment. It was a really hard decision for me. I loved the path course early on, but didn't consider it seriously (only freaks do path after all ), and went on to love almost all my clinical stuff. Wound up with a very broad differential of things I was considering (EM, general surgery, a couple of surgical subspecialties were top choices). I think I would have been happy doing any number of things...but I could only choose one. I've posted a few other times about how I compared path to other specialties so I won't reiterate everything here. But in the end it did come down to personality fit. I did a couple 4th yr path rotations that felt like finally coming home.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I didn't have a eureka moment. It was a really hard decision for me. I loved the path course early on, but didn't consider it seriously (only freaks do path after all ), and went on to love almost all my clinical stuff. Wound up with a very broad differential of things I was considering (EM, general surgery, a couple of surgical subspecialties were top choices). I think I would have been happy doing any number of things...but I could only choose one. I've posted a few other times about how I compared path to other specialties so I won't reiterate everything here. But in the end it did come down to personality fit. I did a couple 4th yr path rotations that felt like finally coming home.

plus, it's hard to be an orthopaedic surgeon when you're in a wheelchair

 

[cytoborg]

plus, it's hard to be an orthopaedic surgeon when you're in a wheelchair

Piss off you upright bipedal hominid. I've got the Force, remember? I can make the bones heal themselves.

 

[bananaface]

Piss off you upright bipedal hominid. I've got the Force, remember? I can make the bones heal themselves.

Quit that heavy breathing. You're giving me the creeps.

 

[yaah]

I think one thing that really felt good was to see all the fun personalities that frequent this website. I went to a beer-heavy party school for undergrad and miss non-gunner, low-stress people who get their work done but don't freak out making thousands of tiny notecards at 3AM. There aren't too many really bright, intellectual people out there who still think dollar beer night is the best night of the week mmmmmm beer, speaking of which...psych consult doesn't start until 9 tomorrow.

Well, this month on my surgical path rotation I am not making thousands of notecards but every day I type up a list of the cases we have, all the relevant clinical info, my preliminary dx, etc. Then when we sign out I fill in the rest and put down all the special studies we are doing, etc. But it isn't at 3am so I guess it's ok! And dammit I want $1 beer right now!

But yeah, path is fun. At the beginning of signout today I introduced the dictation tape saying who I was and who the attending was responsible for all the cases. The attending then said, "Instead of going by my real name today, I would like you to call me 'The Hammer.'" He said this with a complete deadpan inflection and I started cracking up. Then we spent 15 minutes coming up with ways in which he, as "The Hammer," could flex his muscles. Then we spent 15 minutes making fun of arrogant and antsy surgeons.

 

[EUA]

Well, this month on my surgical path rotation I am not making thousands of notecards but every day I type up a list of the cases we have, all the relevant clinical info, my preliminary dx, etc. Then when we sign out I fill in the rest and put down all the special studies we are doing, etc. But it isn't at 3am so I guess it's ok! And dammit I want $1 beer right now!

first that was a damn good idea bout your surg path list although i suspect i would get laughed out of the gross room if i tried that at the place where i hope to match..........

as for dollar beer, monday night is 50 cent PBR night at this one dive round here. "normal" price is a buck. alcoholics unite.

 

[yaah]

first that was a damn good idea bout your surg path list although i suspect i would get laughed out of the gross room if i tried that at the place where i hope to match..........

as for dollar beer, monday night is 50 cent PBR night at this one dive round here. "normal" price is a buck. alcoholics unite.

Well, part of our job as a resident here is to keep track of all the cases, because they tend to get lost and for some reason there is no real pending list. So I spent time today tracking down some delinquent cases. So if we don't keep track of all the cases it will mean more work in the long run when the attending takes the case back to their office and then it gets lost.

Plus, it helps you learn. Writing down your impression on every case really helps, even if it is, as I did a couple of times today, "???" once on an excision of "tenosynovitis" which is really weird in this case, and once on an axillary lymph node dissection for melanoma where there are pigmented cells everywhere and the obviously malignant foci look similar cytologically to the obviously benign foci.

The attendings depend on us to keep track of things. Taking consults to other people, keeping track of immunostains, additional sections, etc.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

first that was a damn good idea bout your surg path list although i suspect i would get laughed out of the gross room if i tried that at the place where i hope to match..........

as for dollar beer, monday night is 50 cent PBR night at this one dive round here. "normal" price is a buck. alcoholics unite.

man, i could SO use a beer right now. i don't care how cheap it is. hell, a silver bullet would do right about now.

 

[bananaface]

man, i could SO use a beer right now. i don't care how cheap it is. hell, a silver bullet would do right about now.

Have you seen the cans that are white and just say "beer" across them in white letters? That is supposedly the worst you can get.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Have you seen the cans that are white and just say "beer" across them in white letters? That is supposedly the worst you can get.

Yeah actually I have. In fact, I go to this bar called "Bar". At this bar, I drink beer that comes in cans labelled only "Beer". After that, I hit the local diner next to which there is a sign. Guess what the sign says? You guessed it. "Diner."

 

[1Path]

There are residents in my program in their mid 30s to late 30s, and honestly it's hard to tell unless you ask. I rode up in the elevator today with a woman (a patient I think) who thought I was a student. It's all relative and all in how you feel.

At the rate I'm going, I'll be a late 40-something resident (looking 32 of course )!

And for sure, the USCAP meeting sealed the deal for me. It's pathology or bust!

 

[Doctor B.]

So there are three of us in our early 30's? Wow, maybe we should all go shopping for burial plots together.

I'm going to be thirty this year. I hope life as I know it does not end

 

[bananaface]

Yeah actually I have. In fact, I go to this bar called "Bar". At this bar, I drink beer that comes in cans labelled only "Beer". After that, I hit the local diner next to which there is a sign. Guess what the sign says? You guessed it. "Diner."

I was not joking! I was so seriously!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I was not joking! I was so seriously!

As was I

 

[bananaface]

As was I

me sowie. I'm a bad Anna.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

me sowie. I'm a bad Anna.

stormjen, a task has been appointed to you. banana needs a wicked spanking.

 

[bananaface]

stormjen, a task has been appointed to you. banana needs a wicked spanking.

*does happy dance*

 

[deschutes]

*does happy dance*

Thou hast issues.

 

[bananaface]

Thou hast issues.

Yes. But, I am less embarassed by the happy dance than are those who watch me perform it.

 

[deschutes]

I wasn't talking about your happy dance or its dastardly effects.... I was referring to the state of bliss which the threat of a wicked spanking is apparently able to generate in you

 

[bananaface]

I wasn't talking about your happy dance or its dastardly effects.... I was referring to the state of bliss which the threat of a wicked spanking is apparently able to generate in you

It's stormjen and her special skillz.

 

[deschutes]

It's stormjen and her special skillz.

Will it be the mud-wrestling or the spanking first?

 

[PathOne]

What is this? Is the SDN path board turning into a BDSM board???

 

[bananaface]

Will it be the mud-wrestling or the spanking first?

No mud wrestling. yaah believes it is too dirty (in the messy sense). Really, I think he is just worried that it will obscure his ability to see anything of interest. After all, if jello hits the TV it just bounces off. If mud hits it, there is no chance you're going to be able to tell what is going on with the sports hilights.

What is this? Is the SDN path board turning into a BDSM board???

Yep.

 

[yaah]

What is this? Is the SDN path board turning into a BDSM board???

Only after midnight. Work hard, play hard, I always say.

 

[bananaface]

Only after midnight. Work hard, play hard, I always say.

Meet me in the kitchen.

 

[yaah]

Meet me in the kitchen.

Somethin' cookin?

 

[bananaface]

Somethin' cookin?

Perhaps I should have said the car, garage, or bathroom.

 

[yaah]

Perhaps I should have said the car, garage, or bathroom.

Ah, the old late night rendezvous. I think I would have to veto all of these three choices though. The kitchen is much better.

 

[bananaface]

Ah, the old late night rendezvous. I think I would have to veto all of these three choices though. The kitchen is much better.

You caved!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

wow this conversation took an interesting turn. oy it's too late though...i'll try to make sense of this after rest.

 

[yaah]

wow this conversation took an interesting turn. oy it's too late though...i'll try to make sense of this after rest.

Yes, I am not sure how that happened! It's the whole "Pathology after dark" thing.

 

[bananaface]

Yes, I am not sure how that happened! It's the whole "Pathology after dark" thing.

Strange things happen after dark!

 

[deschutes]

Strange things also happen in the dark...

 

[yaah]

Strange things happen after dark!

Things that go bump in the night.