You’re very welcome, it’s an unfortunate situation indeed. The gaslighting is insane: I’ve been told by management “we lose money on clinical pathologists”
Real talk? That’s total bullcrap
Let’s do some quick back of the envelope math. If a pathologist reads 40 cases a day*, 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year**, and the lab charges only $50 a site***, that pathologist would be DIRECTLY grossing half a million a year for the lab. Their salary is more than covered.
I say <directly> grossing, because many hospitals will literally pick or change their multimillion dollar lab contracts based on what pathologists they like, and a well-utilized CP can contribute to the bottom line in other ways.
Kudos to Dr. Kathy Freeman for doing the survey and reporting her findings in a letter to the editor.
Drawing on my experience as both an employee and as a pathology manager, I agree with her that career dissatisfaction is widespread, even global.
To me, this indicates that the problems are systematic.
Too much demand for the available workforce, inept management and limited job opportunities/employers.
The disconnect is that clinical pathologists, rather than being treated as a treasured and critical laboratory professionals are being used like a borrowed mule. Terms like "moral injury" become meaningful.
I think that the system cannot self heal. It will take an outside influence: government regulations or formation of a professional union, to change the trends.
Jim
P.S. Working from home, in my opinion, is a career killer. Sitting all alone in a bedroom or basement for 20+ years sounds like a punishment rather than an exciting career.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention Eric.
You’re very welcome, it’s an unfortunate situation indeed. The gaslighting is insane: I’ve been told by management “we lose money on clinical pathologists”
Real talk? That’s total bullcrap
Let’s do some quick back of the envelope math. If a pathologist reads 40 cases a day*, 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year**, and the lab charges only $50 a site***, that pathologist would be DIRECTLY grossing half a million a year for the lab. Their salary is more than covered.
I say <directly> grossing, because many hospitals will literally pick or change their multimillion dollar lab contracts based on what pathologists they like, and a well-utilized CP can contribute to the bottom line in other ways.
* many read more a day
** most pathologists don’t get 4 weeks vacation
*** most labs charge more than this
Kudos to Dr. Kathy Freeman for doing the survey and reporting her findings in a letter to the editor.
Drawing on my experience as both an employee and as a pathology manager, I agree with her that career dissatisfaction is widespread, even global.
To me, this indicates that the problems are systematic.
Too much demand for the available workforce, inept management and limited job opportunities/employers.
The disconnect is that clinical pathologists, rather than being treated as a treasured and critical laboratory professionals are being used like a borrowed mule. Terms like "moral injury" become meaningful.
I think that the system cannot self heal. It will take an outside influence: government regulations or formation of a professional union, to change the trends.
Jim
P.S. Working from home, in my opinion, is a career killer. Sitting all alone in a bedroom or basement for 20+ years sounds like a punishment rather than an exciting career.