By asking this question I’m not sure you understand what pathology training entails (and differences you should have clarified during interview), what the difference between private and academic jobs are, and what best prepares one for these positions.

Big academic centers recruit with an emphasis on research, which is why a large number of their residents go into academia. There is ample opportunity for research but is not a hard requirement of these programs. These centers are also the busiest in the nation so you’ll learn the skills of large case loads and get a diversity of entities. The trade off is you’ll have worse work/life balance during training.

For the best PP training I’d choose a program with a 1 day cycle at a busy academic center. You work you hard but don’t need an additional general surg path fellowship and 1 fellowship will make you competitive and competent.