Hi,
I'm a newly minted pathologist (just finished my Royal College exams) and I can try to help:
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I was hoping someone can tell me what the current job market is like for pathologists in Canada? Is it hard to find a job?
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In general, it's good. In the US, there seems to be a lot more pathologists than jobs, but it's the reverse in Canada. There are always openings in most areas, EXCEPT the highly competitive markets (e.g. the big cities, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal). In smaller cities there is almost always a perpetual need.
You can find some job listings here:
Employment Opportunities
Pathologist Job listings
This list is FAR from comprehensive. A lot of jobs (particularly the little places) aren't advertised. You just give them a holler, wave your FRCPC around, and the wooing begins. I loooove the wooing.
CAVEAT: The "life style" specialties (things like pathology, radiology, etc.) are gaining popularity among med students year by year. Thus, pathology is getting more and more competitive, whereas it used to be very non-competitive to get a residency position. It MAY be that in five or ten years, there will be fewer jobs than there are now for pathologists, but right NOW it's like picking low hanging fruit. No one can say for sure what the market will be like by the time you are done residency (if you choose pathology).
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Is it like other specialties where there are shortages in underserviced areas, whereas there is a glut within larger cities?
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Yes. If you want to work in a big, desirable place, you'll probably need fellowship training.
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Are there even openings out in underserviced areas, or are pathologists in Canada mainly tied to larger academic centers?
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If you're interested in general pathology, there are openings EVERYWHERE (except, of course, the big cities). If you're more subspecialized e.g. you're doing neuropath, then you are tied to a larger centre. You might want to think about what sort of place you'd like to work, when you choose what sort of pathology residency program to apply to.
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Are there any private labs or private practice opportunities?
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They don't have them in my area, but yes. Some pathologists have gone out and started private labs; in general, however, pathologists work on salary associated with hospitals.
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What's the perceived trend for the near future? Is it likely there will be an increased need for pathologists? Or is there a feel of gloom and doom, as some have predicted about the U.S., for example?
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Impossible to know for sure, but in general I THINK people expect the demand to be sustained for the near future. I would hazard a guess that unless you're entirely set on working at VGH in Vancouver, you probably won't have too much difficulty finding a job.
Pathologist shortage a national problem: officials
There has been some bad press in Canada regarding pathologists lately (Charles Smith; Newfoundland's hormone receptor testing; Rajgopal Menon). I don't know if this will affect the popularity of the residency programs; it shouldn't really turn you off. It just underscores the importance of being a careful, well-trained physician: you should know your limits and when to ask for help.
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Are generalist more sought after or subspecialists?
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Generalists, typically. It's like the rest of medicine: you always need more family doctors than neurosurgeons. But you should do what you enjoy the most. Being a generalist will give you the most flexibility in terms of employment, but if you really like a particular area, it can be very rewarding to specialize.
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What's the median salary (especially starting out) for pathologists in Canada? Are most of these positions salaried, or is it fee-for-service based? Or is there some other reimbursement schedule?
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Almost always salary, sometimes on a provincal "scale". There are some places that do bonuses based on your case numbers (e.g. the more cases you see, the bigger the piece of the bonus pie you receive). Average salaries were reviewed province to province recently, and the numbers varied from somewhat less than $200K to above $300K. Not bad, when you consider that call is fairly light and you have no overhead to pay.
The Telegram - St. John?s, NL: Local News | Poor picture for pathologists
Pathology, like radiology, is a very particular sort of medicine. It's very different from a lot of the rest of medicine (family, surgery, obstetrics, IM, etc.). But if you find that you really enjoy working in a lab, doing autopsies and reviewing slides, then pathology is a wonderful way to have a medical career and possibly a life, too.