www.ascp.org/residents
ASCP Fellowship & Job Market SurveyA Report on the 2012 RISE, FISE, FISHE, NPISE, PISE and TMISE Surveys
process logo and black
knock out
By Henry M. Rinder, MD, FASCP and Jay Wagner, MBA, MLS(ASCP)CM
2 www.ascp.org/residents
Contents
03 Introduction
04 Applying for Pathology Fellowships
09 Conclusions
10 Survey on Sign-Out: 2012
13 Conclusions
14 Applying for Pathology Jobs Immediately After Residency
18 Conclusions
20 Residents’ Perceptions of Future and U.S. Healthcare System
22 Conclusions
23 Applying for Pathology Jobs After Fellowship
34 Fellows Surveyed About Anticipated Job Responsibilities
37 Conclusions
39 Acknowledgements
39 ASCP Resident Council 2011-2012
3www.ascp.org/residents
22 Conclusions
23 Applying for Pathology Jobs After Fellowship
34 Fellows Surveyed About Anticipated Job Responsibilities
37 Conclusions
39 Acknowledgements
39 ASCP Resident Council 2011-2012
A S C P F e l lo w S h i P & J o b M A r k e t S u rv e y S:A r e P o rt o n t h e 2012 r i S e , F i S e , F i S h e , n P i S e , P i S e
A n d t M i S e S u rv e y S
the American Society for Clinical Pathology continues to respond to the interests and needs of residents, fellows, and program directors by directing an annual survey on fellowships and the job market for pathologists in training, including residents and fellows.
The surveys are conducted as part of the Resident In-Service
Examination (RISE) and the Fellow Forensic In-Service Examination
(FISE), the Fellow In-Service Hematopathology Examination (FISHE),
Fellow Neuropathology In-Service Examination (NPISE), Fellow
Pediatric Pathology In-Service Examination (PISE) and the Fellow
Transfusion Medicine In-Service Exam (TMISE). These data are
compiled by ASCP to provide information useful to all pathology
trainees, residency and fellowship program directors,
and prospective employers.
A total of 2,602 individuals participated in the Spring 2012 RISE,
including 2,540 residents (658 PGY-1, 648 PGY-2, 650 PGY-3, and
584 PGY-4) and 63 individuals who cited training status as other
than PGY 1-4, e.g. fellows.
A total of 279 fellows participated in the 5 Spring 2012 Fellowship
In-Service Examinations.
By Henry M. Rinder, MD, FASCP and Jay Wagner, MBA, MLS(ASCP)CM
Mobile QR-Code
APPLYING FOR PATHOLOGY FELLOWSHIPS
.
As part of the 2012 RISE, 1,218 PGY-3/4 residents were surveyed about their experi-
ence in the fellowship application process and residents’ attitudes towards fellowship
training.
From the 2012 survey, the fellowships that most PGY-3/4 residents had already applied
for or intend to apply for are listed in order of preference:
• Surgical Pathology
• Cytopathology
• Hematopathology
• Gastrointestinal/Hepatic Pathology
• Dermatopathology
• Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine
• Genitourinary Pathology
• Breast Pathology
• Molecular Genetic Pathology
• Forensic Pathology
• Gynecologic Pathology
• Molecular Pathology
• Pediatric Pathology
• Neuropathology
5www.ascp.org/residents
Job not available after residency(2%)
Pathology skills enhanced (44%)
Fellowship in future career path (33%)
Fellowship enhanced ability to secure employment (21%)
Principal Reason for Pursuing a Fellowship
Number of Fellowships Intended to Complete?
1 Fellowship (60%)
2 Fellowships (34%)
3 Fellowships or more (1%)
0 Fellowships (5%)
Nearly half of residents cited
enhancement of their pathology skills as
the main reason for pursuing a fellowship,
while one-third were planning their
career in pathology to be based on
their fellowship specialty. The third
group of residents chose a fellowship
to enhance their employability, and only
a small number of residents chose a
fellowship because of job unavailability.
The vast majority of residents finalized
their fellowship plans during their
PGY-3 year, while much smaller numbers
made their decisions earlier in their
training; still, 8% did not decide on
fellowship pathways until their 4th year
of residency training.
Already accepted a fellowship(81%)
Intend to apply(6%)
Already applied(8%)
I do not intend to apply(5%)
6 www.ascp.org/residents
The trend towards multiple fellowships
appears to have stabilized, with 35% of
residents reporting interest in doing 2
or more fellowships compared with 40%
in 2011. Specialization in several fields
as a career goal was the main reason
for doing multiple fellowships, cited by
more than half of residents. The main
secondary reasons for multiple fellow-
ships included biding time until a job
became available, achieving specialty
experience that would be required in
anticipated jobs, and filling in residency
training gaps. One in 20 residents do not
plan to pursue a fellowship.
Reasons for Pursuing Multiple Fellowships
Level of Interest in Applying for a Fellowship
Improve “weak” areas of residency training (11%)
Multiplesubspecialtiesneeded for job (15%)
Family/location/timing of training (3%)
Career goals include specialization in multiple fields ( 54%)
Job not available(17%)
7www.ascp.org/residents
To how many fellowship programs did you formally apply?
Number of Fellowship Program Interviews Received
Career goals include specialization in multiple fields ( 54%)
1-3(41%)
4-6(17%)
0(7%)
>10 (21%)
7-10 (14%)
1-3(60%)
7-10 (6%)
>10 (2%)
0 (8%)
4-6 (24%)
The largest group of residents applied
to 3 or fewer fellowship programs, but
one-fifth of residents applied to more
than 10 programs.
Nearly 85% of residents had between
1-6 interviews, with the vast majority
having 3 or fewer interviews.
8 www.ascp.org/residents
APPLYING FOR PATHOLOGY FELLOWSHIPS
Number of Fellowship Offers Received
Did you accept more than one offer?
The reported results for fellowship
offers in 2012 were remarkably similar
to those reported in 2009, 2010,
and 2011. Slightly more than half of
residents received a single fellowship
offer; in 2012, 10% of applicants (down
from 12% in 2011) did not receive
any offers, confirming that pathology
fellowship opportunities still remain
somewhat tight compared to the
number of graduating residents. About
one-third of residents had positive
responses from two or more fellowship
programs, certainly suggesting that
there is competition among fellowship
programs for strong applicants.
No(94%)
Yes(6%)
1(56%)
3 (9%)
>3 (5%)
0 (10%)
2 (20%)
Only a small group of residents
(6%) admitted to accepting multiple
fellowship offers.
Co n C l u S i o n S:
Fellowship training in pathology is sought after by 95% of residents; about
one-third of residents plan on multiple fellowships. Enhancing pathology skills,
developing specialty-specific expertise for future employment, and filling training
gaps were the prime considerations cited by residents for choosing to pursue one
or more fellowships.
• Decisions on fellowship specialties were mostly made during the PGY-3
training year, but a small number of residents postponed fellowship choices
until their 4th year of training.
• The majority of residents received only a single fellowship offer; about one-
third, similar to previous years, received multiple offers. One in ten had not yet
received a fellowship offer, only slightly fewer than in 2011 and suggesting that
fellowship opportunities are still tight compared with total resident numbers.
• Surgical pathology remains the top fellowship choice; cytopathology has moved
into the #2 fellowship spot above hematopathology, while GI/hepatic pathology,
dermatopathology, and a new entry, transfusion medicine round out the top 6
fellowship specialties.
9www.ascp.org/residents
In what PGY year did you finalize your choice of fellowship?
PGY 3(69%)
PGY 1 (4%)
PGY 2 (18%)
PGY 4 (8%)
Before residency began (1%)
Survey on Sign-Out: 2012The ASCP Resident Council received requests from residents interested in learning
about national trends regarding sign-out procedure and to discern PGY-3 and -4
attitudes about sign-out and their level of confidence.
11www.ascp.org/residents
What type of sign-out experience does your program have?
Do you believe thatyour sign-out experience would benefit from:
Morning or day-of preview time, sign-out with attending(51%)
No preview time, sign-out with attending(1%)
Overnight preview time, sign-out with attending (43%)
Other(5%)
More preview time(49%)
No change (49%)
Less preview time (2%)
12 www.ascp.org/residents
Do you feel ready to sign-out general pathology cases upon graduation from residency?
Why don’t you anticipate feeling ready to sign-out cases upon graduation from residency?
Yes, but with back-up if needed (49%)
No(14%)
Yes, but with a transitional period where all cases are reviewed (25%)
Yes(12%)
Need fellowship training to feel confident (65%)
Not prepared - educational deficiency(14%)
Did not see enough variety of cases in residency(3%)
Did not see enough volume of cases in residency (7%)
Not enough graduated responsibility in training program(11%)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Co n C l u S i o n S:
About half of residency programs utilize previewing on the day of sign-out, while a
slightly smaller number preview cases the night before sign-out with the attending.
Half of residents polled stated that they would prefer more preview time, while an
equal number were satisfied that their preview time was adequate.
The vast majority of PGY-3 & -4 residents felt that they were ready to sign out
general pathology cases after completing their training but only a small percentage
felt immediately capable of independence, without backup or a transitional period.
A small but significant group (14%) did not feel ready for general pathology sign-
out after graduation; two-thirds of these residents felt that fellowship training
would overcome that training gap. The remainder cited several program deficits
including lack of: education, graduated responsibility, case volume, and case variety.
Nearly one-quarter of residents do not have graduated sign-out available to them
during training, but nearly all residents desire this capability. Tellingly, fewer than
20% of senior residents sign out frozen sections on their own.
13www.ascp.org/residents
Does your program have graduated sign-out?
Do you want/enjoygraduated sign-out?
Do you sign-out frozen sections on your own?
NoYes
22%
5%
83%78%
95%
17%
APPLYING FOR PATHOLOGY JOBS IMMEDIATELY AFTER RESIDENCY
.
Although relatively few pathology residents opt to go directly from training into the
job market, both the ASCP Resident Council and the RISE Committee deem it critical
to survey residents in this situation and report relevant information for future trainees.
Number of Jobs Formally Applied For
In 2012, 475 PGY-3 and PGY-4 residents
noted that they were seriously
considering entering the job market;
however, only 139 actually applied for
a specific job. Slightly more than two-
thirds applied for between 1-3 jobs,
but a small subset applied for at least
10 positions
1-3 (68%)
7-10(6%)
4-6 (14%)
>10(12%)
15www.ascp.org/residents
Perception As to Where Jobs are Most Available
Helpful Employment Resources
Community jobs are perceived to be
most readily available for trainees
coming directly out of residency, but
academic positions were close behind,
and these two accounted for 80% of
jobs sought immediately after residency
training.
Residents learned of jobs through a
variety of venues but, as noted previ-
ously, hearing of jobs from faculty and
by word-of-mouth is always the most
important resource for the job search.
Rounding out the top 4 best venues
were (2) contacting potential employers
directly; (3) job boards at conferences
and meetings; and (4) using pathology-
outlines.com for job opportunities.
Reference laboratories (4%)
Community group practice (44%)
Academic institutions(36%)
Other (10%)
Government/Military (4%) Corporate
(2%)
www.Facebook.com/ASCP.Chicago
2.6
2.5
2.5
2.7
2.7
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.9
3.5
monster.com
careerweb.com
mdconsult.com
New England Journal of Medicine advertisement
2.9Executive recruiter
American Journal of Clinical Pathology advertisement
ASCP Job Finder
College of American Pathologists Job Listing
3.1www.pathologyoutlines.com
Faculty/word-of-mouth
3.2“Job Board” post at pathology conferences
Target inquiries, i.e., calling/ writing potential employers
Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine advertisement
4.0
5=extremely important, 4=somewhat important, 3=minor importance, 2=not very important, and 1=not a consideration).
Scale:
16 www.ascp.org/residents
Geography always plays an important
but not overwhelming role in job
selection; 42% of residents in 2012
stated that their job search was limited
to certain parts of the country.
Perhaps related to the current economic
situation, the spouse’s job and lifestyle/
family issues play equally significant
roles in geographic job considerations.
The spouse’s job continues to rise in
importance: 38% in 2012, compared
with 34% in 2011 and only 18% in
2010. Being native to the area of desired
employment is still a consideration, but
the influence of nearby professional
contacts is negligible.
Job Search: Geographic Restrictions
Job Search: Other Restrictions
No(58%)
Yes(42%)
4-Professional contacts in area(3%)
1-Native to the area (20%)
2-Spouse’s job (38%)
3-Other lifestyle/family issues (39%)
17www.ascp.org/residents
Number Of Job Offers
Job Offers At Own Training Program
Did you receive a job offer at your
own residency or fellowship training
program? 3-Other lifestyle/family issues (39%)
1 (39%)
2(12%)
3(4%)
0(43%)
>3(2%)
4-No, not offered(52%)
1-Yes, but declined for another offer (14%)
2-Yes, accepted but will keep looking in the future (10%)
3-Yes, accepted and plan to stay (24%)
0
10
20
30
Co n C l u S i o n S:
18 www.ascp.org/residents
As noted previously, 139 residents formally applied for job openings in 2012. A significant
number (39%) received a single employment offer, but 43% failed to receive any offer. About
one-fifth of residents received multiple offerings (see related pie chart)
In the 2012 survey, 51 of the 139 residents who were actively seeking jobs did receive offers
to become an attending at their current training program
Salary Range for Residents Who Accepted a Job Offer from Their Own Residency Program
< $100K $100K-$150K $150K-$200K $200K-$250K > $250K Not Discussed
8%
2%
28% 28%
17% 17%
10-Your perception of staff and institution at interview
3.9
4.1
4.1
3.8
3.9
3.1
3.3
3.7
3.8
2.7
1-Long-term job security
8-Family factors (e.g. spouse’s job/children’s school)
2-Job availability in a specific geographic region
4-Opportunitites for career advancementt
7-Opportunities to practice a subspecialty interest
3-Salary considerations
9-Fiscal pressures (loan repayments etc.)
5-Research opportunities
6-Teaching opportunities
5=extremely important, 4=somewhat important, 3=minor importance, 2=not very important, and 1=not a consideration).
Scale:
19www.ascp.org/residents
Factors in Job Choices
Residents who found employment
immediately after residency were asked
to rank factors in their job choice.
Long-term security and the working
environment remained at the top of the
list, similar to 2011, while family and
geographic considerations were next
most important.
20 www.ascp.org/residents
The ASCP Resident Council was also
interested in how residents perceive the
US healthcare system and pathology’s
future.
Would you want access to a centralized database of private practice and academic institutions and the types of pathologists they employ?
Yes (89%)
No(11%)
Resident feelings about U.S. healthcare in general
Pessimistic (70%)
I do not practice or live in US (6%)
I do not practice or live in US (6%)
Resident feelings about future compensation for Pathologists
Optimistic(29%)
Optimistic(24%)
Pessimistic (65%)
21www.ascp.org/residents
How confident are you about finding the pathology job you desire?
How many fellowships do you intend to complete? (Residents who are pessimistic about finding a desirable pathology job)
When all PGY-3 & -4 residents were
surveyed, two-thirds were somewhat or
very confident that they would be able
to attain their desired pathology job.
Somewhat confident (55%)
Not very confident(27%)
Not confident at all(7%)
Very confident (11%)
1 (59%)
3(1%)
2 (32%)
0(6%)
Pessimism regarding available jobs did
not affect the decision to pursue a fel-
lowship nor the number of fellowships
they planned to complete when com-
pared with optimistic residents.
Co n C l u S i o n S:
• A minority of residents seriously consider taking jobs immediately following
their general pathology training, but only a fraction of these residents actually
proceed to formally apply for positions. Opportunities do exist for such
residents in both community and academic practice, but 40% of applicants
did not receive any employment offer; a significant proportion of available
positions are at the academic institution where the individual trained.
• Faculty contacts and word-of-mouth are the best sources for job contacts.
• Family issues have joined long-term job security and the staff-based working
environment as strong factors in job choice.
• Although residents are somewhat pessimistic about health care, most feel that
they can find desirable jobs; applying for fellowships is essential regardless of
resident outlook.
22 www.ascp.org/residents
23www.ascp.org/residents
APPLYING FOR PATHOLOGY JOBS AFTER FELLOWSHIP
ASCP offered five Fellowship in-service examinations for the Spring of 2012: the Fellow Forensic
In-Service Examination (FISE), the Fellow In-Service Hematopathology Examination (FISHE), Fellow
Neuropathology In-Service Examination (NPISE), Fellow Pediatric Pathology in-Service Examination
(PISE), and the Fellow Transfusion Medicine In-Service Exam (TMISE). Fellow in-service examina-
tions were taken by 279 individuals; post-exam surveys offered the chance to query fellows in
Forensics (n=37), Hematopathology (n=135), Neuropathology (n=41), Pediatric Pathology (n=19),
and Transfusion Medicine (n=47) about their experience entering the job market and any plans for
additional specialty training.
0
20
40
60
80
100
24 www.ascp.org/residents
Indicate your residency training track
For how many jobs did you formally apply?
AP/CP AP Only CP Only
81%
19%
92%
7% 1% 2%
95%
5%
49% 49%
55%
0% 0% 0%
45%
The majority of fellows in Forensics, Hematopathology, and Pediatric Pathology
came from a background of AP/CP residency training; as expected, about half of
Neuropathology and Transfusion Medicine fellows did their residency training in
AP-only and CP-only tracks, respectively.
0
20
40
60
80
0 1-3 4-6 7-10 >10
6%
72%
11%6% 6%5%
15%
27%
15%
31%29% 29%
12% 12% 12% 12%18%
39%
45%
0% 3%
24%19%
27%24%
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
25www.ascp.org/residents
How many job offers did you receive?
Although the majority of fellows in all 5 specialties applied for modest numbers (<7) of employ-
ment positions, a significant proportion (30% or more) of hematopathology, pediatric, and
transfusion medicine fellows had 7 or more applications. This trend may be related to greater
competition for available jobs since at least 30% of fellows in each of these subspecialties did
not receive any job offer. Interestingly, nearly half of neuropathology fellows similarly did not
receive offers but sent out far fewer applications; it is possible that the absolute number of open
jobs in this field is sparse.
For those fellows who did receive employment offers, the majority had only a single position
made available, but a good percentage (12-31% depending on the specialty) received 2 offerings.
Only transfusion medicine fellows had a significant number of fellows (19%) receiving more than
2 job offers; by contrast, none of the pediatric or neuropathology fellows received more than 2
offers. These data are of concern, indicating an imbalance between the number of pathology fel-
lows seeking employment versus the number of job openings.
0
20
40
60
0 1 2 3 >3
11%
50%
31%
6%8%
31%37%
20%
47%
35%
18%12%
8%
48%
39%
0% 0%0% 0%4%3%
30%
38%
14% 11%
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
0
20
40
60
80
26 www.ascp.org/residents
0
20
40
60
<1 Month 1 to 2 Months 4 to 6 Months 6 Months to 1 Year >1 Year
13%
47%
34%
6% 0% 0%3%12%
33%36%
29%
11%
22%
33% 33%
16% 12%6%
35%
18%4%
27%31% 31%
8%
How long did it take you to find a job?
Additional Subspecialty Fellowship (Total Number of Fellowships Planned)
The majority of fellows who did find jobs did so within 6 months, but a significant
percentage had to continue searching for up to 12 months or even longer in a few
instances (see related chart).
A significant percentage of fellows are planning to complete an additional
fellowship besides the one they had just finished (see the following chart).
Only a small proportion (one-quarter) of forensics fellows planned additional
training, while at least one-third to more than one-half of other pathology
fellows are seeking added fellowship training. Overall, 40% of all fellows
surveyed plan to complete 2 or more fellowships, consistent with surveys of
residents from the RISE.
Are you going to do an additional fellowship in a subspecialty other than your
current fellowship?
1 2 ≥3
78%
22%
61%
38%
1%
32%
11%
58%
66%
34%
51%
0% 0%4%
45%
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
27www.ascp.org/residents
Indicate your principal reason for pursuing fellowship training.
Only for forensic fellows did a majority of respondents cite fellowship training as a necessity for
their desired employment; transfusion medicine fellows cited similar rationales but to a lesser
extent. The largest percentage of hematopathology, pediatric, and neuropathology fellows cited
enhancement of pathology skills as their impetus for added training.
Career goals requiring enhanced specialization in more than one field of pathology was the
number one reason for completing multiple fellowships for all fellows queried, regardless of
subspecialty training (see following graph). For the majority of fellows surveyed, their current
fellowship was their last as they anticipated entering the job market.
0
20
40
60
80
100
1-Fellowship is necessary for a desired position
89%
32% 32%
41% 45%
0% 0%4% 4%2%
2-Desired job not immediately available after residency
3-Enhance pathology skills by additional training
5%
42%37%
51%
28%
4-In general, fellowship training enhances my ability to secure employment
21%
32%
23%
5% 5%
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
0
20
40
60
80
100
28 www.ascp.org/residents
For what reason(s) are you interested in completing multiple fellowships?
Are you (or do you plan to)
0
20
40
60
80
1-Desired job not available after the completion of 1st fellowship
2-Career goals include advanced specialization in more than one field
3-Need to improve “weak” areas of residency training to feel comfortable to practice
4-Family/location/timing of training
5-Believe that multiple areas of subspecialty are needed to compete in a sparse job market
10%
50%
20% 20%14%
35%
25% 25%
16%
32%
12%12%8%
24%
6%
16%12%
71%
0% 0% 0%
18% 18% 18%
39%
1-only applying for a job (not applying for fellowship)?
2-only applying for fellowships (not applying for jobs)?
3-applying for both jobs and fellowships?
89%
3%
79%
8% 8%13%
58%
11%
32%
54%
20%
27%
70%
21%
9%
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
0
20
40
60
80
YES NO
69%
31%
55%
45%53%
47%45%
55%51% 49%
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
29www.ascp.org/residents
Did you restrict your job search to a specific geographic region?
Indicate your principal reason for such a restriction.
Geography was only modestly important in job selection for all
fellows in the 2012 survey except for forensics; the reasons for
geographic restriction were very similar to those for residents: family
(especially spousal employment), lifestyle, and being native to the
area (see related graph). The East Coast continues to be attractive
but nearly all areas of North America are represented, depending on
the fellowship specialty.
0
20
40
60
80
1-Native to the area
28%24%
28%26%27%
40%
11% 11%16%
37%
2-Spouse’s job 3-Other lifestyle/family issues
44% 43%
78%
27%
42%
4-Professional contacts in area
5%4% 3% 0%7%
30 www.ascp.org/residents
Indicate the area to which you restricted your job search.
0 10 20 30 40
1-Northeast US
2-Southeast US
3-Midwest US
4-Northwest US
5-Southwest US
6-Canada
7-Other
32%
32%33%
22%20%
0%
0%13%
4%
16%
8%18%
22%7%
11%
0%
16%15%
11%7%
12%
11%13%
37%
20%
26%
5%
20%
27%22%
0%0%
13%
4%3%
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
31www.ascp.org/residents
Annual Starting Salary OfferedStarting annual salaries were quite disparate among fellowship
groups (see related chart). Only 15% of forensics fellows and 8%
of transfusion medicine fellows reported starting annual salaries
of $200,000 or more; about one-quarter of neuropathology fellows
were in that range. Nearly 50% of Hematopathology and Pediatric
pathology fellows recieved offers in the $200,000 or greater salary
range. For only 5% of fellows overall was a starting salary not known.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
<$100,000/year
$100,000 - <$150,000 /year
$150,000 - $200,000 /year
$200,000 - $250,000 /year
>$250,000 /year
A starting salary was not discussed
6%2%0%
0%0%
0%0%
6%16%
12%
9%30%
44%12%
8%
43%
33%69%
56%
24%
5%
19%
28%
24%22%
0%
0%
24%3%
4%
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
32 www.ascp.org/residents
Reasons For Specific Job Selections In Order of Importance
0 1 2 3 4 5
1 Long-term job security
2Job availability in a specific
geographic region
3Salary considerations
4Opportunities for career
advancement
5Research opportunities
6 Teaching opportunities
7 Opportunity to practice a subspecialty interest
8 Family factors (e.g. spouse’s
job, children’s school)
9 Fiscal pressures
(loan repayments, etc.)
10 Your perception of staff and
institution at interview
4.35
4.284.03
4.03
4.03
4.01
3.67
4.11
2.512.51
3.51
2.80
2.65
3.41
3.27
3.38
3.28
3.08
3.92
3.14
4.50
4.07
3.93
2.78
4.34
3.94
3.95
3.89
3.053.18
4.47
4.15
3.82
2.70
4.03
3.15
4.17
4.0
3.94
3.94
3.76
3.763.76
3.71
3.73
3.81
3.824.10
3.583.88
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
33www.ascp.org/residents
Did you receive a bonus?
Based on your experience, where are most available specialty pathology positions at this time?
There was also disparity among fellow specialties in bonuses. About
one-half to two-thirds of transfusion medicine, pediatric pathology, and
hematopathology fellows received a signing and/or moving bonus for their
new job. Only one-third of forensics fellows and very few neuropathology
fellows received a bonus.
The majority of forensics fellows have consistently
found jobs with governmental entities, which may be
one reason why they were not offered higher starting
salaries or bonuses. By contrast, nearly 80% or more
of all other fellows surveyed found jobs in either
academic or community practice. The vast majority of
neuropathology, pediatric pathology, and transfusion
medicine jobs are in the academic sector.
0
20
40
60
80
1-Signing bonus only
0%
31%
66%
8%
33%
47%
6% 6%
88%
22% 22%
33%
22%
8%
46%
35%
2-Moving bonus only 3-Signing and moving bonus
3%13%
0%12%
4-No
0 20 40 60 80
1-Academic institution
2-Community group practice
3-Reference Laboratory
4-Corporate (e.g. Ameripath)
5-Government/Military
6-Other
91%
38%
5%
5%
3%
76%
11%42%
0%0%
0%
2%
10%
72%1%
6%
9%
11%
11%12%
6%
6%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
82%
FORENSIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY NEUROPATHOLOGY PEDIATRIC PATHOLOGY TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
34 www.ascp.org/residents
FELLOWS SURVEYED ABOUT ANTICIPATED JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Fellows were also surveyed about their anticipated job responsibilities. As expected from
both their training and job locales, fellows who were completing training in forensics
were overwhelmingly entering positions with primary medicolegal responsibilities.
Similarly, nearly 80% of pediatric pathology fellows and more than half of transfusion
medicine fellows expected that their practice would be limited to this pathology
specialty, possibly because of their overwhelmingly academic settings.
By contrast, the majority of fellows completing their training in hematopathology
were expecting to be handling additional non-specialty responsibilities, with the
largest group having an anticipated job description that encompasses all aspects of
anatomic and clinical pathology practice. Not unexpectedly, since a large proportion of
neuropathology fellows were trained in AP/NP, nearly three-quarters were expecting
their job responsibilities to be limited to neuropathology and surgical pathology.
35www.ascp.org/residents
Forensic Pathology: What types of cases will make up the majority of your workload?
Hematopathology: What types of cases will make up the majority of your workload?
Medicolegal death inquiry (forensic autopsies) (93%)
Hospital autopsies(6%)
4-Hematopathology, surgical pathology, and clinical pathology (42%)
2-Hematopathology and surgical pathology (26%)
3-Hematopathology and clinical pathology (8%)
Research (1%)
Other (5%)
1-Hematopathology only (19%)
36 www.ascp.org/residents
Neuropathology:What types of cases will make up the majority of your workload?
Pediatric Pathology: What types of cases will make up the majority of your workload?
2-Neuropathology and surgical pathology (58%)
Other (12%)
1-Neuropathology only(12%)
4-Neuropathology, surgical pathology, and clinical pathology (18%)
1-Pediatric pathology only (78%)
4-Pediatric pathology, surgical pathology, and clinical pathology(22%)
Co n C l u S i o n S:• A substantial percentage (40%) of fellows plan to complete additional fellowship training, defined as 2
or more pathology fellowships before entering the job market. For those fellows who were seeking jobs,
most applied for modest numbers of available positions (<6 opportunities).
• The job situation for pathology fellows is still mixed; most fellows receive 1-2 offers, but a substantial
minority is not finding employment right away. This latter circumstance may weigh on fellows’ decisions
to pursue additional fellowship training. Most fellows receive a job offer within the first 6 months, but
some need up to a year or more for a positive response.
• There is some disparity in starting salaries (and bonuses) between fellows coming out of training. This
could be related to the variability in employment locales, e.g. forensics fellows entering governmental
entities. Fellows coming from forensics, pediatric pathology, and transfusion medicine largely expect
that their job responsibilities will mirror their fellowship specialty, but a significant percentage will
shoulder additional general pathology practice duties. By contrast, most fellows completing their training
in neuropathology or hematopathology anticipate positions that encompass an additional general
pathology workload.
37www.ascp.org/residents
Transfusion Medicine: What types of cases will make up the majority of your workload?
4-Transfusion medicine, surgical pathology, and clinical pathology(4%)
3-Transfusion medicine and clinical pathology (15%)
2-Transfusion medicine and surgical pathology (8%)
Other (15%)
Research (4%)
1-Transfusion medicine only (54%)
38 www.ascp.org/residents
39www.ascp.org/residents
AC k n o w l e d g e M e n t S
A S C P r e S i d e n t Co u n C i l , 2011-12
The ASCP RISE Committee wishes to thank the members of the
ASCP Resident Council. Moreover, this survey would not be possible
without the cooperation of all pathology residency program
directors and the genuine participation of all residents and fellows
who take these in-service exams and the associated surveys. We
are very grateful for their assistance. Please address comments or
questions about this survey to Jay Wagner at [email protected]
Christopher H. Cogbill, MD Chair
Evelyn T. Bruner, MD Chair-Elect
Delecia R. LaFrance, MD Secretary
Felicia D. Allard, MD
Deirdre Amaro, MD
Enid D. Boeding, MD
Lauren Gilmore, MD
Mathew D. Rumery, MD
Jennifer N. Stall, MD
David Stockman, MD
Amanda Treece, MD
Sean R. Williamson, MD
www.ascp.org/residents
33 West Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603
Suite 1600
P 312.541.4999
www.ascp.org
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