After One Day in a Lab, I'm Practically a Pathologist (Just Kidding)

the ultimate kick-ass ADA

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After one day in a lab -- I don't count my time in the death trap as time in a real lab -- I do think I want to go into pathology, but there are different branches.

At one point I was seriously considering forensic pathology, wherein the pathologist determines a person's cause of death.  I think I could get beyond the gross-out factor. I'll have to in the first year of medical school, anyway, once I'm assigned my first cadaver.  I do find the detective aspect fascinating, and, especially if i got a law degree as well, my job could be almost like one of those on TV , say 'quincy, MD" or "Jordan's Crossing." (I love Jill Hennessy. She, or Claire Kincaid,  was my favorite mother ship Law & Order ADA. Alexandra Cabot was my all-time favorite of all the versions.)  On the other had, as exciting as combining law and medicine might be (the doctor who is going to take out my tonsils over Easter break is also an attorney and member of the California bar, although I'm not sure how he uses his legal background), I think I'd rather try to keep people alive than determine precisely why they died.

Anatomical and clinical pathology are becoming increasingly closely linked.  Many pathologists practice both.

I'm a bit drawn toward hematopathology, which is, of course, the study of pathology of the blood.  It's fairly closely related to clinical pathology.  A lot of what my dad does is related to both clinical and hematopathology, although he's technically more of and oncologist and hematologist. He is board certified in pathology as well.

The one nice thing about a person's third year of medical school -- that's when they first start to work a person to death, so it's really the only nice thing about it  -- is that all students do rotations, usually in three-week blocks  -- called clerkships. The third-year physician is exposed to virtually every branch of medicine during this time. pediatrics is usually the worst for everyone because they're exposed to all sorts of crud to which they have not been exposed for many years, so during a med student's pediatric clerkship, he or she usually spends the entire three weeks plus the next week sick, but you pretty much have to work through it or you'll get behind, because you have to put in your three weeks.

So I may think I'm drawn to pathology because of what I've seen my dad do all of my life, but I may find that I like something else better. Maybe rheumatology will be right up my alley. Who really knows?

Except for the lack of sleep, medical school is set up well in that one is exposed to every branch of medicine the year before he or she must try to find a match for a residency. Finding the match is a whole different  ball game, but you cross that bridge when or if you come to it. I haven't even been admitted to medical school yet. For all I know, i may have to go to the Cayman Islands to find a medical school to accept me, and i don't even know if they have a medical school in the cayman Islands.

Good night. I need to be at work in less than five-and-one-half hours.

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