Interested in forensics?

[u/floppybraim]

I’m a MS4 applying path this cycle. I have been told by many medical examiners that residency programs don’t like and will treat you different if you are interested in forensics. Is this true?

[u/903012]

Not at my program or my med school's program, both had several forensics interested residents

[u/Renoroc]

You are not lying if you say you are “interested in public health and laboratory work serving indigent and historically neglected segments of the population”, because a lot of our decedents are those.

[u/West-Chard3972]

Not true in the residencies I had exposure to. You might hear someone say that forensic pathologists aren't actually practicing medicine since you don't have patients, just dead bodies.

If it interests you who gives a fuck though, right?

[u/Hepaticophyta]

They don’t care lol, just be honest and enthusiastic about what you want. Besides, if it’s a program that really gets upset by this, you don’t want to go there anyway.

[u/lightingbytif]

I think if you lead with it, but follow up saying that you’re excited to learn surgpath and the other components in AP/CP to make you a strong well rounded pathologist, it shouldn’t matter to them what your fellowship thoughts are

[u/billyvnilly]

Because there is a stigma of people going into forensics because they saw it on TV, not that they actually know what it is? I would certainly say you have an interest in forensic.

[u/aDhDmedstudent0401]

There is a stigma that people who say they are interested in FP just say that because they like true crime. If you can explain why you like forensics in a way that has nothing to do with TV, you be just fine. But also be sure you say you are not locked into any one specialty and are excited to learn everything (that just goes for every applicant).

[u/Alloranx]

I will say: the chair of the pathology department where I did residency was this way. He considered forensics as the red-headed stepchild that the "real" academic pathologists barely tolerated. He liked to take little pot shots at forensics during interview days with applicants. Joke's on him though: I became chief resident and undermined all his shit at every opportunity (especially at the informal applicant dinners). I am now a practicing FP. The program director (who matters way more than the chair for residency purposes, mind you) was also very supportive of forensics. That program really did have a good relationship with the local ME, and the rotation there was solid. All you had to do was just tolerate a few jabs here and there from ivory tower types that don't know any better.

[u/Rude_Watch1790 → u/Alloranx]

I had this same experience with a PD that didn’t like that I wanted to be an FP. If one person treats you differently or ignorantly, they aren’t worth your time! Go pursue what you love while having an open mind to everything!

[u/DanBurnNotice]

No, its just that us ME's/FP's tend to be .....different.

[u/AltairJ]

Nope. Why do they care where you end up as long as you do your workload as a resident?

[u/donde-esta-la-luna]

Told by who? They lied to you