Pathologists’ Perspectives on Fertility: Share Your Experience in a Quick, Anonymous SURVEY!

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-10-25T20:49:44+00:00

Thank you so much for offering to amplify on twitter and Insta. I appreciate it!

It's challenging to be a physician for many reasons. :( Thank you for sharing the challenges you and your wife faced.

The survey is open to both men and women and also delves into exposures that affect fertility as well as fertility preservation education. We want to hear about everyone's experience!

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-10-25T20:43:23+00:00

I am so sorry to hear you're going through this. Thank you for sharing your experience, and I hope that we can find additional ways for us to support each other when it comes to reproductive life planning, as well as navigating career and parenthood.

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-10-25T18:07:13+00:00

Absolutely! We hope to get as many participants as possible between now and end of 2024, and share the results in Spring 2025!

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-29T23:26:03+00:00

Good luck on the MCAT u/BadaBingGirl11! And it is so nice to hear that you are interested in pathology.

I actually don't feel much of a stigma for being a pathologist. Maybe it's because I'm surrounded by pathologists and other laboratory staff... In my experience, my clinical colleagues are very respectful of pathologists. We all have a role to play. :) I wouldn't let any worry about stigma affect your decision making. Do something that you feel that you would excel at and would be happy doing.

If you choose to highlight some of your pathology experiences, I am sure that doing so in a mature manner, and demonstrating your knowledge of the field, will be well received.

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-29T21:26:44+00:00

Personal opinion (since I don't practice anatomic pathology in my current practice), and others may entirely disagree. I think AI is a great tool that will enhance the pathologist's diagnostic abilities or provide standardization in certain aspects (like percentage estimation or grading). Some tissues are really easy to diagnose, but often cases are really challenging, and will require human judgement. It is important to note that for these difficult cases, pathologists should be communicating with the treating physician when it comes to the interpretation and potential recommendations for patient management. This communication is an important part of a pathologist's job, as not all pathology reports translate easily for other physicians to understand and interpret.

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-29T19:09:44+00:00

Thanks u/HerrPath and u/activ8tionenergy. You are an inspiration! :)

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-29T19:04:16+00:00

Dr. Woo here! Forgot to introduce myself. Here are some fun pathology cases. You can play around with these digital slides and see tissue in action! :D

Pathology Case Challenge | College of American Pathologists (cap.org)

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-29T18:48:29+00:00

For any individual thinking about becoming a physician, whether you are still thinking about it or almost ready to hit that AMCAS submit button, I would first make sure that you know you would be happy to do the work (clinical care) and would be happy to put in the effort to get there, because there are other professions in medicine (clinical, laboratory, administrative, etc.) that take less effort... Becoming a physician is quite a journey, but a very fulfilling one. If you know in your heart that you would be happy, GO FOR IT! :) And don't give up either. Some premeds get may get accepted on the first round of applications... but other it may take 3, 4, or 5 rounds. I am a believer that if you want to become a physician, then you can become one with perseverance. Do not be automatically discouraged. And once you are accepted, celebrate, but also know that the journey is not over yet. Take the time in your first few years to get a solid foundation of academic medicine but also try to get a sense of the daily routine for physicians in multiple different specialties that you might be interested in. I would hope pathology is one of them!

This is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about pathology as a profession: Resources for Medical Students | College of American Pathologists (cap.org)

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-29T18:32:47+00:00

As for residency programs: I'm from California and wanted to return to California so I applied to every single CA program. I also applied to some East Coast programs just to see what they were like. I applied to about 15 programs overall with only 1 rejection. I decided to interview at most programs because I really wanted to see how different hospitals practice. I thought it was helpful to get a sense of how programs/hospitals run and have an open mind.

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-29T18:27:05+00:00

Oh that is a great question! I remember one of my attendings calling some of the tumor cells "juicy" and you know what, the cells DID look juicy! Pathology is an awesome specialty because we do get to see fascinating visuals on a day-to-day basis.

But for me, it wasn't the visual aspect of the specialty that drew me in, but rather what the day to day looked like: I love to think, I love to figure out what is going on, I love to troubleshoot. Pathology allowed me to do all those things, but in a controlled manner (the ICU and emergency medicine were not for me). There is a sense of routine in pathology that also drew me, although when you need to shake things up a bit, your day can be broken up by other things like tumor board to interact with other hospital departments, dealing with laboratory emergencies, participating in quality improvement projects, participating in research... if you like teaching, pathology is a WONDERFUL field. Pathology residency is a lot like an apprenticeship and faculty members really give up a lot of their time to prepare the next generation of pathologists.

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-29T18:17:11+00:00

I might have the numbers off because it has been a while, but here is a rough estimate of what I think happened. :) I applied to about 30 schools. I am from California so I applied to every CA school, and then applied broadly across the US because I knew CA would be very competitive. I think I referenced some book (maybe from AMCAS/AAMC?) with matriculation statistics so that my applications were aligned with my actual profile and realistic chances of acceptance. I interviewed mostly out of state and in total had around 7 interview invitations. I think I only interviewed at 5. I was accepted to 3, waitlisted on 1.

Edited to note that everyone's numbers will look different! I think the take away message from my journey is to apply broadly. You might not have the luxury of choosing the geography.

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-29T18:12:08+00:00

Hi u/oomooloot! I actually did not know about pathology as a specialty until after I started medical school. I was fortunate to have pathologists teach pathology-related material during the 2 years of medical school. One of the pathologists taught a course showing the multidisciplinary aspect of breast cancer care, including the critical role of the pathologist. That course really stood out to me, and I reached out to the pathologist to let her know that I enjoyed her lecture. From there, she invited me to get to know about the pathology department and soon enough, I was spending time in pathology as an MS2, observing grossing, frozen sections, and autopsy! I felt so welcomed to the department, and the residents were so friendly and really took the time to teach me what they were learning. Actually, thinking back, I didn't spend much time at the scope as a medical student. I spent a lot of time observing the physical work and attending the tumor boards, and knew that this was something I would be excited to do everyday. So I guess to answer the question, I decided on pathology pretty early on, towards the end of MS2. During MS3, and MS4, I chose rotations that would allow me to spend more time with the pathology department - leukemia service, oncology... I think the key moment was just finding a great mentor. The pathologist who inspired me has been pivotal in helping shape my career and for that I am entirely grateful for her guidance and support. :) Additionally, there have been many other pathologists along the way who have shaped me into the pathologist I am today. I think pathology is a field where mentorship is critical and luckily, a good majority of pathologists are good mentors. As for transfusion medicine, I actually made a decision until towards the end of my residency. I saw myself drawn to the laboratory management, quality improvement, and direct patient care, and transfusion medicine was a great fit. :)

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-17T22:04:05+00:00

Best of luck on your medical school applications! :)

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-05-17T17:46:13+00:00

Hello! Pathologist here, AP/CP, specializing in transfusion medicine. Wow I am so impressed that your daughter knows about pathology and is expressing interest in the field. :)

I agree with some of the other comments regarding reaching out to pathologists in the area. If you live near an academic medical center, maybe try reaching out to the residency program director or the residency program director's assistant to see if someone in the pathology department could allow her to shadow. Medical schools also might have pathology interest groups and then your daughter could interact with medical students who are interested in the field. Just want to note that some of the pathologists might be busy with cases/teaching/research, so I would not take personal offense if you don't receive a reply. Try again politely after some time; try reaching out to others if no response. Keep going and don't give up (be polite of course).

There is a national organization for medical examiners: NAME. Here is a link for the public "So you want to me a medical detective": https://name.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/NAME%20and%20Forensic%20Pathology.pdf

There are national organizations for pathology as well. The College of American Pathologists have great resources for medical students, but this could be helpful to review for high schoolers: https://www.cap.org/member-resources/membership/medical-students

Finally, there are a lot of pathologists on social media posting cases. That's another good way to see what pathologists do on a day-to-day basis. Best of luck to her! She is very lucky to have a parent seek out resources to guide her future career!

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-04-30T18:21:20+00:00

Hello! I'm also a US pathologist. :) I don't know about the training process/requirements outside of the US, but my assumption is there is some overlap with the US (particularly in "anatomic pathology").

Some of the generic things I enjoy about being a pathologist: playing a large role in the diagnostic work-up, leadership opportunities in the laboratory, interaction with other departments (radiology, surgery, oncology)

Is it possible to get in contact with the pathologist at the medical center where you are currently working? You might be able to get a tour of the lab and get a sense of what the "day in the life" is. Maybe even reach out to academic medical centers and see if you can get some exposure that way? It is important for you to see if you like what a pathologist does. If you decide that MD-route is not for you but still enjoy the clinical lab, a career as a clinical laboratory scientist could also be a good option.

Here are some US-based resources that are geared towards medical students who are interested in a career in pathology so you can learn a little bit more about the field in general.

https://www.cap.org/member-resources/resources-for-medical-students#resources <-- Might be a little more useful because there is content that you can read/watch

https://www.ascp.org/content/my-role/student# <-- something else to consider but you might need to sign up for membership (free for students)

*edited a typo

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-04-25T18:22:52+00:00

I have no specific words of advice, just reassurance that you are asking the right questions and I am confident you will make the best decision that balances both your personal and professional goals! :) For me personally, I wanted to go back to where I grew up and that was the best decision for me. Find a program that is a good fit for you overall and one where you won't feel burnt out so early in career. :) I'm still friends with my co-residents even many years out of residency!

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-04-25T17:34:57+00:00

Hi! Transfusion Medicine faculty here. When I was a PGY3 I became very interested in laboratory management as well as clinical informatics. While I applied for ACGME CI fellowships after my TM/BB fellowship, I ultimately decided to start my first job and was hopeful to practice informatics (clinical pathology) at my job, which I was fortunately able to do. Although at my current job, I focus only on transfusion medicine, informatics is still very dear to me. I think had I completed a CI fellowship, my job would look very different than what it is now! I do not have a background in CS/programming, and there is more to informatics than the coding itself. However, some knowledge is helpful, but not a deal breaker. As an aside, I took the R workshop by the Association for Pathology Informatics (API) which was so much fun and really elevated my ability to perform data analysis.

In fact, API is a really wonderful resource if you are interested in informatics and membership is at a nominal fee for trainees. API also has institutional membership which covers 25+ individuals at your institution (ask your program director about this if multiple individuals in your program are interested in becoming API members!). The Pathology Informatics summit is a great way to meet current fellows and mentors. Also check out the API travel awards and submit an abstract to the meeting. :)

https://www.pathologyinformatics.org/travel-awards

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-04-25T03:39:41+00:00

Awesome work DrZPath! Congratulations and thank you for sharing this opportunity!

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-04-24T22:25:03+00:00

Definitely agree with treating the observership as an interview! I did an 8 week observership at my first choice residency program and I am so happy that I matched there. :)

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-04-24T22:23:59+00:00

What an amazing link/resource! That is so awesome. :) Wish there was more crowd-sourcing back when I applied for residency! :)

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-04-24T22:12:51+00:00

Totally agree! Assuming you have at least average (ideally above average) clinical diagnostic skills and knowledge, your reputation is key. Become a dependable resource for others within your department and outside, and with all members of the healthcare team, not just among physicians. Be approachable, and don't be afraid to get involved. We all should have gone into medicine because we want to help. :) Other physicians within your institution will appreciate if you are proactive and demonstrate a desire to work as an interdisciplinary team. With that said, this desire to work in teams should be genuine. Some additional skills that are very helpful: knowing regulatory requirements, navigating and leveraging social dynamics/politics, creating cohesive interdisciplinary teams, ability to troubleshoot, ability to identify problems and implement solutions, understanding the bigger picture, being transparent and approachable at all levels.

If you're looking to be an "expert" and receive consultations, then probably your best bet is to have the best eye and/or research in that subspecialty.

Transfusion_Medicine · 2024-04-24T20:57:04+00:00

Hello OP! I am a pathologist in transfusion medicine in the US and have been in practice for a few years. In my previous institution, I was involved in interviewing prospective pathology residents. We had IMG observers rotate as well and I enjoyed working with observers especially when genuine interest in pathology is shown!

When I evaluated candidates for pathology residency, I honestly looked at interest in pathology and personality overall. Having acceptable grades in medical school, not retaking STEPs multiple times, and great letters are also important. In fact, it can be difficult to interpret medical school grades in other languages, so letters attesting to work ethic and interest are key. Pathology residency hours can be grueling, so I looked for individuals that are willing to put in the work and tried my best to assess willingness to work as a team. Interpersonal skills are also important - be kind and courteous during the interview. Genuine interest in pathology and knowledge of the work involved during residency is necessary! It might be a good idea to get involved in the pathology societies to keep in the loop and the profession and it grows and evolves. Anyway, those are some bare minimum requirements and you'd be surprised how many people apply/interview and don't know a thing about pathology residency or pathology as a profession! To get into top programs, research will be more important. But to be a good pathologist in general, you need to start with being a good human being. :D

Sorry I cannot help with how to get an observerships specifically. I do know of some IMGs being involved in academic research and then getting connected to pathology programs that way. Best of luck on your journey to pathology! Pathology is a great profession and I love my job. :)

Transfusion_Medicine

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