Career Choices
The truth about life as a...
Job title: consultant histopathologist
What do you do on an average day?
I usually arrive about 9 30 am and do
one or two postmortem examinations.
Late morning I will if possible have coffee
with pathology and clinical colleagues
and then dissect specimens - the
"cut up" - such as breasts and colons.
After lunch I will spend three to four
hours on microscopy of histology slides
and writing and authorising reports and
attending to further specimens. I will go
to the odd meeting and speak on the
phone to colleagues. In a typical day, I
will meet 150 slides, 40 specimens, a
dozen colleagues, two or three managers,
and just two dead bodies. On multidisciplinary
meeting days I meet the cancer
team and discuss all the patients. I leave
between 5 and 7 pm depending on workload.
I have no out of hours duties other
than getting up in the morning and can
spend the evening writing papers and
reading the studentBMJ.
Three things you like about your job?
- The fascination of rare and interesting pathological conditions: I often see new things and identify unusual diagnoses.
- The real contribution to patient welfare in all medical specialties.
- Cooperation with diverse clinical colleagues to solve problems.
Three things you don't like about your job?
- The rising workload.
- The discrepancy between demand and resources.
- The bad press pathology has had lately.
Why did you go into it?
I did mortuary work as a school student
(weird or what?) and enjoyed pathology
as a student. It's a fun career to do.
Prospects
Prospects for qualified histopathologists
are excellent, with vacancies in most
parts of the United Kingdom and keen
demand set to continue for the decade.
Training takes five and a half years. The
hardest stage is getting into the first senior
house officer post.
Sales pitch
Do histopathology for a fascinating and
varied career with strong contributions
to patient care. Sleep all night and enjoy
a middling income. Balance work and
play!
Carl Gray, consultant histopathologist, Harrogate District Hospital
Email: carlgray@btinternet.com
Job title: senior lecturer in occupational medicine
What do you do on an average day?
My job is a mixture of clinics, meetings,
administration, and travelling. I try to
protect my academic time as much as
possible, but this is not easy. Much of
my job is assessing employees'fitne ss
for work in addition to helping them to
get back to work. I also try to ensure
that their employer, often the NHS,
provides a safe and healthy working
environment for them. Clinical practice
involves one to one consultations with
workers, discussions with managers and
personnel, and visits to the workplace.
Three things you like about your job?
- Variety.
- Contact with patients and helping them in their jobs.
- Research into work related ill health.
Three things you don't like about your job?
- Work overload.
- Too many meetings.
- Bureaucracy.
Why did you go into it?
My mother was one of the first women
occupational physicians in the United
Kingdom so this influenced me. I
realised that I could intervene to prevent
illness at work and to help people stay in
employment, which is part of normal life
for most people. I also like being able to
visit different types of workplaces and
learning how things are made.
Prospects
This is an excellent time for occupational
medicine and occupational health.
There is a shortage of occupational
health skills and there is plenty of work
for specialists, the hours are family
friendly, and the levels of remuneration,
particularly in the private sector, are
excellent. There are also opportunities
for superspecialisation or to have a general
interest in a wide variety of occupational
settings.
Sales pitch
Occupational medicine will appeal to
doctors who are interested in prevention
and rehabilitation. You will meet some
fascinating people, visit interesting
places, learn a lot about life, and feel that
you are making things better for others.
John Harrison, senior lecturer in occupational medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne
Job title: consultant ophthalmologist
What do you do on an average day?
This depends on whether it is an operating
day or not. On the days when I am
not operating I do clinics. In addition to
booked patients, I usually have several
emergency patients to see. There is also
a lot of paper work. I have to triage referrals
from GPs, and opticians and dictation
takes up a lot of time. I also have to
review the notes of my preoperative
patients. On operating days I see my
scheduled patients first thing before
operating on them. Most patients are
elderly but the procedures can be done
under local anaesthetic. I am also on call
three nights a week.
Three things you like about your job?
- Combining the practical skills of microsurgery with the investigative skills of medicine.
- The variety of my case load.
- That most cases can be diagnosed by history and examination, so the results of clinic and surgery work are fairly immediate.
Three things you don't like about your job?
- The sheer number of patients is stressful.
- The mountain of dictation.
- Pressure from managers to increase turnover.
Why did you go into it?
I preferred visual specialties and considered
both ophthalmology and radiology.
Ophthalmology seemed more interesting
and it was in colour! I also thought
that it was a self contained specialty. I was
wrong. There are over a dozen subspecialties,
most of which will be experienced
during ophthalmic training.
Prospects
The most common eye diseases are age
dependent and there is an increasing
demand from the expanding retired
population so ophthalmologists should
remain heavily in demand.
Sales pitch
Ophthalmology is one of the most popular
specialties in the United Kingdom.
The continually advancing technologies
used in surgery and medical treatment
are revolutionising care. Screening and
orthoptic measures are also having an
impact. You will never be bored with
ophthalmology.
William Sellar, consultant ophthalmologist, Whitehaven
Email: william@sellarpv.freeserve.co.uk
studentBMJ 2001;09:171-216 June ISSN 0966-6494
Ophthalmology as a career is available from the Royal
College of Ophthalmologists, 17 Cornwall Terrace,
London NW1 4QW (tel: +44 0207 9350702)
www.rcophth.ac.uk
