pathology job market assessment sharon bihlmeyer, md, fcap michael s. brown, md, fcap

Pathology Job Market Assessment

Sharon Bihlmeyer, MD, FCAP

Michael S. Brown, MD, FCAP

We Set out to Gain Initial Insight into the Following…

1. Is it difficult to find a job following residency or fellowship?

2. If it is difficult, why is it difficult – and how difficult is it?

3. Are residents finding it necessary to do multiple fellowships to be competitive in today’s market place?

We surveyed a CAP Member Research Panel (258 CAP Fellows who have been in practice for 1-5 years.)

Results were at a 90% confidence level with a +/- 5% margin of error.

CAP Survey Overview

CAP Fellow Age Statistics

• 4018 CAP Fellow members are 55 and older.– This accounts for 36% of total Fellow members– Ages 55 through 65 account for 78% of the 55+

group

• What does this mean?– High percentage “soon to retire” which could

significantly open up the job market

*Based on March 2009 CAP data

U.S. Age Statistics

• The older population (65+) numbered 37.9 million in 2007 which is an increase of 11.2% since 1997.

• U.S. population age 65+ is expected to double in size within the next 25 years.

• Persons reaching age 65 have an average life expectancy of an additional 19 years.

• The age group 85+ is now the fastest growing segment.

*based off date taken from the US Census Bureau and Dept. Health and Human Services

What does this mean?

• The need for Pathologists will increase due to the aging population.– Additional tests required– Higher likelihood of chronic conditions

• As Pathologists retire there will be a significant increase in available positions.

Survey Questions/Results

How many have completed or are currently in a fellowship?

88%

How many fellowships did you complete?

One 67%

Two 30%

Three+ 3%

Why did you do a fellowship?

Interest in the Specialty 90%

To be more competitive for jobs 82%

Need for additional skill training 81%

The job I wanted was not available 7%

How many jobs did you apply for?

One 22%

Two 16%

Three 17%

Four 9%

Five+ 36%

Did you receive a job offer?

Yes 97%

No 3%

How many offers did you get?

One 44%

Two 29%

Three 19%

Four+ 8%

Were you offered a position in your preferred geographic location?

City 40%

State 17%

Region of US 30%

No 13%

Were you able to get a job in your preferred practice setting?

Yes 90%

No 10%

Did the interviewers care about the number of publications you

authored?

Yes 33%

No 47%

Don’t Know 20%

How important was networking and personal contacts in finding leads

for jobs?

Extremely/Very Important 84%

How difficult was it to find a job?

Mostly Easy 44%

Neutral 33%

Mostly Difficult 22%

How happy are/were you in your first job?

Mostly Happy 62%

Neutral 23%

Less Happy 15%

What was the biggest barrier to overcome in finding the first job?

Positions in geographic preferred area 55%

Shortage of positions in general 32% (yet 97% got jobs!)

Positions in preferred practice setting 31%

What CAP career resources did you find valuable in your job

search?

Open positions on the Online Career Ctr 48%

Networking at the annual meeting 16%

Posting my resume online via OCC 14%

Use of the CAP online membership directory 11%

During residency or fellowship training, what opportunities did you

find most helpful in your job search?

Working with pathologists in my training program 70%

Being introduced to Colleagues by well-known pathologists who trained me 58%

Attending local state society meetings 25%

SummaryGood News!

• Job market is competitive but not overly saturated.

• 97% got offers with the average applicant getting two offers.

• 88% did a fellowship with the majority doing one.

Summary

• Positions in desired cities, states or regions are more difficult to locate.

• The majority found it relatively easy to find a job – with only 1 in 5 having difficulty.

Summary Good News!

• A significant majority (62%) were happy in their first job.

• Demographics of the specialty and of the US population indicate a dramatic growth in the demand for Pathologists.