Why did you decide to be a pathologist? What inspired you?
Hi! My name is Andrea and I am doing research on pathology for my Health class. I would appreciate it if you answered these questions the best you could. Thank you!
1)How many years of college did you need to go through? What other programs, courses, and clubs did you join or do?
2)What jobs did you work before you became a pathologist? What did you think of them?
3)How can I decide if I want to get a PH.D. in this field?
4)Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later time?
5)Did you need to shadow another professional in the field before becoming a pathologist?
6)Was there a subject you struggled with during your school years?
7)What skill sets did you learn or gain while being in this profession?
8) Why did you choose a career in medicine? Why did you choose this specialty?
9)Do you regret going through the years of schooling?
10) What skills would you recommend someone to have before trying to get into this field?
11) What keeps you motivated?
1 answer
Valeria’s Answer
1) I decided to be a pathologist because my mom had pancreatic cancer. This brought up the subject of chemotherapy and that had interested me. This sparked research and eventually me taking the pathology route in medical school.
2) I worked smaller jobs, like at yogurt land and Dollar tree but no professional jobs prior to being a pathologist.
3) High school Diploma + 4 years for pre-med degree + 4 Years Med school + 4 Years residency. Although not a program, I volunteered at nursing homes.
4)It is up to the person and what they enjoy/are interested in. For example, it would not make sense to go into this specialty if you were not interested in running tests on tissues, blood, and urine to find abnormalities. You also need to consider all the tasks that we complete, like examinations and analyzations of bodies and samples and set up treatment plans with the working physician. You also need to consider the 11 years, more if you go into a specialized field, of schooling and wether or not you want to follow through. Think about the pros and cons.
5)At the beginning of my education, I wanted to be something that had to do with cardiology but I started my education right out of high school and had no big changes that caused more years of schooling.
6)I did need to shadow a professional. In addition to this, I also worked under attendants during my residency that gave me access to more information and allowed it to be hands on.
7)In high school, I was horrible at science, which is funny because I got a career in medicine. It got better in college.
8)Pathologists need to be able to communicate effectively with not only their patients but their coworkers to determine treatment plans. They also need to be able to pay attention to detail. They need good hand-eye coordination and precision because of the tools they use, because they need to be precise with their actions. They also need to be able to problem solve when something unexpected comes up and they need to treat it. They need clinical and technical knowledge and be able to analyze data.
9)I chose a career in medicine because my mom worked as a nurse and I was always told about the funny/weird things she saw on the job. Then, I used every chance I could to learn and expose myself into different careers.
10)Sometimes I regret going through all that schooling because it took up the entirety of my youth. Straight out of high school, I was working constantly while in medical school. This did not let me do anything fun with my friends and caused me to lose a lot of them. However, the pay off was worth it and although it was a lot of handwork and time, I got to a place where I have a stable job and I am able to help people and make a plus in their lives.
11) Attention to detail, communication, and able to analyze different aspects of charting and data.
12)My family is very supportive. My mom especially is always on my side and is there ready to help me. It also helps that I am in a career I enjoy doing and want to actively come in everyday to help as much as I can. When thinking about the people you could help, it keeps you motivated to keep coming in and keep helping more and more people.