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Hidden Specialties


Guest 4EverRose

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Guest 4EverRose

Hi there,

 

Got this link from the SDN forum - it features both Radiology and Pathology as the 3 hidden medical specialties (Anesthesiology being the third one). I found it to be a rather interesting read so want to share it here.

 

www.usnews.com/usnews/health/hosptl/articles/12hidden.intro.htm

 

Now it gets me even more interested in learning about these 2 diagnostic fields :)

 

Cheers!

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  • 4 weeks later...
Guest Ian Wong

It's hard to know. Mechanistically, both fields are actually very similar in many respects. Radiology salaries are significantly higher than Pathology, but the lifestyle of a pathologist is pretty much second to none. I think there's probably a bit of a stigma associated with becoming a pathologist (radiology used to have one too, but I think that's faded considerably because its street credibility as a specialty has increased now that CT scans and MRI's are so commonplace and in demand.) Radiologists are also significantly more visible in the hospital than pathologists (clinicians and med students come down to the reading room all the time, while its the rare medical student who's ever stepped foot in the Pathology department).

 

I'd venture to say that the minimal emphasis most med schools put on learning Histology probably is also a factor. It'd be intimidating as anything to venture into a Path residency (or even a Path elective, for that matter), without having at least some decent knowledge of Histology. Radiology has the neat side effect of appealing to people who hail from either a Medicine or Surgery perspective. There's enough complex problem-solving and gross anatomy to keep both types of people happy.

 

Ian

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Guest 4EverRose

I also wonder why Radiology is a lot more competitive than Pathology and Ian's explanation does make sense. I think with advances and increased emphasis in molecular biology/medicine more students will have increased exposure to the molecular/genetic aspects of Pathology during med school. Probably this will make Path more competitive in the near future.

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That was a great bit on anesthesiology as a specialty. Hopefully more lay people will realize that anesthesiologists aren't just nurses who put people to sleep.

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Guest marbledust
Hopefully more lay people will realize that anesthesiologists aren't just nurses who put people to sleep.

 

I understand this comment from the perspective on somebody training in the US with the ongoing "battles" between CRNAs (apologies if I have the letters mixed up) and anesthesiologists. But I don't think that is the case in Canada, although I am sure most people aren't aware of the many other sides and responsibilities of the specialty, such as pain managament. But then couldn't the same thing be said of most specialities? I would venture to guess most people don't know what internal medicine encompasses or the many different things psychiatrists do. I certainly didn't until I started medicine (and still don't know), even though I have a fair share of physicians and residents in my family and social circles.

 

Just a thought...

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I don't think people in Canada are very aware of internists, as most people don't go to an internist as their PMD. I know, I certainly didn't and neither did anyone in my family. In the US, it's completely opposite. People aren't wholly aware of FPs and most people have internists (or kids will have pediatricians) as their PMDs. FPs serve mostly the rural areas as they act as their ob/gynes, pediatricians, etc.

 

NPs are getting more recognition in Canada and their scope of practice is expanding. UBC just recently started a new advanced nurse practitioner program in their School of Nursing. I am willing to bet that a lot of these NPs will start practicing in an FP's role (esp in rural areas where MDs are reluctant to go) in the next ten years. I posted this link last year but here it is again. www.school.nursing.ubc.ca...ioner.html

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  • 2 years later...

Hi there,

 

Another factor that possibly contributes to the unpopularity of Pathology is the stigma that is often attached to Pathologists. It's not uncommon to hear, throughout the medical school years, that Pathologists lack personality, can't deal with patients, are antisocial, etc. Just as there are certain, more positive, characteristics that are commonly associated with surgeons, which might draw folks to Surgery, I'm sure this group of less positive characteristics doesn't do anything to encourage folks to take a look at Pathology.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

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