It is interview season at Duke and two by two the applications are filing through to be interviewed by the administration, staff PAs, and the second year students. And apparently one of the applicants mentioned very nice things about my blog (awww, thanks!) to several of the people she interviewed with, who have in turn mentioned to me that she mentioned it to them. Except some of them weren't previously aware that I had this blog, which has led to some interesting conversations.
Not that I'm overly concerned that I've written anything that violates patient privacy, is universally offensive to people, or downright insane (of course if I were ranting like a crazy person would I really be aware of it?). It is just more the awkwardness of admitting to people that you have a blog. And for right now, at least, it makes me more conscious about what I write... For example: I have a half written draft about how I think the rotations we have ensure that the students have been exposed to a good variety of locations while also spending enough time at the Duke North location to guarantee that we get a lot of experience with very complex specimens. But now I'll just look like a complete brown-noser if I post it. Ha! So that will go on the back burner until I it has been long enough that I can forget anyone I know reads this :-D just like after Christmas when I found out my sister had read it (hi Tracy!).
It is silly, but it is easier to write when I don't have to consider the audience. I started this blog because when I was going through the application and interview process I tried to google to figure out what to expect and found nothing. There are tons of nurse/student nurse, physician, medical student/non traditional med student, etc etc blogs, but nothing really for pathologist assistant students or hopefuls (except for Forrest's blog which was still very new at the time I started mine). So I write about my experience and I hope that it helps/interests people curious about what PA school is like and those are the nebulous people I have in mind when I write. And extended conversations about the blog's existence (or heaven forbid, content!) really shatter that illusion that no one I know in person reads it :-)
Hi That girl. I did not know there was a such thing as a pathologist assistant. Is it the same thing as a physician assistant, except you're diagnosing diseases through cells and on he molecular level or are you able to perform autopsies and such. I know you probably have mentioned it on your blog already but I just ran across this after adding your blog to my reading list. Thank you for you answer.
ReplyDeleteKay :)
Thanks for your comment! Pathologists' Assistants are able to do autopsies, they also do grossing of surgical specimens, but do not issue a final diagnosis. Pathologists' Assistants handle all of the hands-on work so the pathologist is free to do the microscopic evaluation. We do occupy the same strata as Physicians' Assistants but are just much more specialized. :-)
Delete-Tammy
^^^ That's the best description of the duties of a Pathologist's Assistant I've ever seen. Tammy's right. I would just like to add that besides being more specialized, and in contrast to your garden-variety Physician Assistant, a Pathologist's Assistant's job is a lot riskier. And I mean that in the sense that the job involves exposure to biohazardous/carcinogenic materials and blood-borne pathogens (more so than any typical Physician Assistant would ever come across). With each specimen you handle and every autopsy you perform, you're literally putting your own life on the line as well....and for me, that just adds to the fun of it all :-)
DeleteThe only reason I'm so comfortable speaking 99% freely on my own blog is because I'm mum about the specifics. That said, the Internet has NO real privacy, so the downside to having a blog is that someone will read what you write and hold that against you in some way.
ReplyDeleteErring on the side of vagueness seems to be the way to go, for sure!! Given the size of the pathology world (ie: small! and very interconnected!), I didn't think I'd ever be able to be anonymous so part of my goal has just been to never be in trouble over it :)
DeleteWHEW! I'm so glad I got rid of my blog to prevent something like this from occurring! I made sure to do it all of a sudden without giving anyone any warning that it's being deleted. Now I'm in the clear!!
ReplyDeleteIf anybody brings up in an application, "Oh, did you see Dr. D's blog?" I'd be like, "What blog? There is no blog!" Also, if you google-search "dr. d blog", you'll find MANY other Dr. D blogs out there. It's almost like that hacker group Anonymous....everyone wearing the same face and not knowing which is the real Dr. D!
The only thing that could "harm" me is if someone actually took screenshots of my blog and is saving them to use against me somehow, but I think that's just plain old paranoia talking. Even if they copy/pasted my text, that's not enough proof to convict me that I ever owned a P.A. blog.
All this was was a one-two mega knockout punch to explain my views on the P.A. field, and god knows how many K.O.s there were! A left hook here, a right uppercut there....POW! Dr. D scored a hit!
Luckily, every applicant that has mentioned my blog has done so in a positive manner and it has mostly been brought up in terms of explaining how/why they know things about the program when they are asking questions about it. And the administration has been nice about it as well.
DeleteI've read the policies concerning personal social media and as far as I can tell I am in compliance, so I don't imagine I will have to have any official conversations about the blog.
I think you're pretty safe... it would be strange if someone cared enough to take screenshots.
Where can I find a copy of a social media policy? I'd love to read up on one of those things (especially from a university point of view). Places of employment should also have something like that.
ReplyDeleteBut you'd be surprised about me. I actually have ravenous stalkers.
You can see Drexel's media policy here: http://www.drexel.edu/hr/resources/policies/ducompolicies/ur3/
DeleteTheir code of conduct is also online and there will be some overlap between the two. Most of the guidelines are common sense and basically boil down to basic HIPAA compliance rules and what everyone's mother told them growing up: If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
I guess that I'm lucky in that regard, if I have stalkers they are at least low-key about it.
Thanks Tammy for responding, I am just now seeing this. It's like the job I applied for at the end of last year and now I will be preparing the slides for the pathologist. I didn't know it was a specialty or that you went to school for it. It's great because I would really like to get this job as autopsies is what I wanted to do initially when I was old enough to think on my own. Again thanks for responding. Your blog is great! :) Oh and thank you for your kind words of encouragement regarding my brother's death. God bless you :)
ReplyDelete