Pathologists in Training Member Community

Hello everyone! 

We are so excited to have Dr. Daniel Lubin as our featured AMA guest for this week! Dr. Lubin is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Emory University (soon to be promoted to Associate Professor in August), where he primarily signs out Head and Neck Pathology, Cytopathology, and Placenta Pathology. His research predominantly involves salivary gland and thyroid neoplasia. Outside of medicine, he is a new father and his hobbies include mushroom foraging and playing guitar. 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lubin, and please feel free to ask him any questions you have this week!

- Tayler

------------------------------
Tayler Gant, DO, MS
Pathology Resident, PGY4
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
------------------------------

Thank you, Dr. Lubin, for joining us this week! I'll start off this session with a question that myself and other fellow co-residents have: 

What advice would you offer to trainees interested in pursuing a career in head & neck pathology, considering the increasing complexity and advancements in the field? As well as advice you would give regarding how to navigate pitfalls and challenges on a day-to-day basis.

Hello everyone! 

We are so excited to have Dr. Daniel Lubin as our featured AMA guest for this week! Dr. Lubin is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Emory University (soon to be promoted to Associate Professor in August), where he primarily signs out Head and Neck Pathology, Cytopathology, and Placenta Pathology. His research predominantly involves salivary gland and thyroid neoplasia. Outside of medicine, he is a new father and his hobbies include mushroom foraging and playing guitar. 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lubin, and please feel free to ask him any questions you have this week!

- Tayler

------------------------------
Tayler Gant, DO, MS
Pathology Resident, PGY4
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
------------------------------

Hi Tayler, good question! The field of head and neck pathology has changed substantially even in the limited time I've been practicing. In particular, we have seen a number of unique salivary gland and sinonasal tumors with distinct molecular profiles described in just the past few years. It's a very fun time to be practicing pathology in general, but it's a lot to keep up with! 

For trainees who might be interested in doing head and neck path, I'll start with some general tips. First, it helps to utilize a wide range of resources. Hopefully you will be able to get access to up-to-date books through your department, but if not, investing in one H+N path specific book will be worth your time. And of course I'd recommend reading and studying from the WHO blue book. There are also a number of excellent free resources online, including a number of fantastic lectures on various head and neck topics available on YouTube.

Beyond that, it is helpful to see as many distinct entities as possible for yourself, as pics in books and lectures can only take you so far. It's like the difference between reading about somebody and actually meeting them in the flesh.  Unfortunately, a lot of our tumors are exceedingly rare and may not come up during your standard rotation. So if you have access to educational slide sets, definitely take advantage of them. If you can, I would recommend searching your institution's database to find as many examples of different tumors as possible. When I decided to pursue H+N path as a resident at Penn, I was able to look through years worth of cases and pull examples of a number of rare and exotic tumors salivary gland tumors in particular, and seeing real-life examples while reading about them really helped me solidify my understanding of them.

I'd also recommend reaching out to any mentors who can help you develop your interest in H+N path. Make sure to ask if you can get involved in any projects if that appeals to you. And while original research is always appealing, don't pass up the opportunity to work on review articles and book chapters! These are particularly useful for trainees because they force you to dive deep into the literature about a broad subject area. 

Finally, I'll put a plug in for the North American Society of Head and Neck Pathlology. Trainee membership is free! You will get access to a number of educational materials and mentoring, and you can also apply for a yearly stipend which can cover a one-month rotation at an outside institution of your choosing.

Regarding navigating pitfalls and challenges in day to day practice, beyond making sure you are as knowledgeable as possible, there are two somewhat related qualities I'd recommend cultivating- humility and flexibility. Humility because we are most dangerous when we work from an area of pride. When you start practicing, you'll find plenty of tumors that don't behave the books histologically, and when you are overly confident based on a handful of cases you've seen (e.g. "that's not what NUT carcinomas look like, so no need to order that stain") you will fail to include all possibilities into a differential. So keep an open mind! And listen to your gut! If you are uncomfortable signing something out a certain way, it's probably for good reason. Make sure you have excluded all possibilities before releasing the report, show the case around, and don't be afraid to give a non-definitive diagnosis. Better to get a rebiopsy or send for confirmatory molecular testing than to send a patient down the wrong treatment path. Flexibility helps because it will help you change your diagnostic approach as our understanding of tumors develops. Don't be that person who refuses to adapt in the face of evidence that how you practice is wrong! 

Thank you, Dr. Lubin, for joining us this week! I'll start off this session with a question that myself and other fellow co-residents have: 

What advice would you offer to trainees interested in pursuing a career in head & neck pathology, considering the increasing complexity and advancements in the field? As well as advice you would give regarding how to navigate pitfalls and challenges on a day-to-day basis.

Hello everyone! 

We are so excited to have Dr. Daniel Lubin as our featured AMA guest for this week! Dr. Lubin is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Emory University (soon to be promoted to Associate Professor in August), where he primarily signs out Head and Neck Pathology, Cytopathology, and Placenta Pathology. His research predominantly involves salivary gland and thyroid neoplasia. Outside of medicine, he is a new father and his hobbies include mushroom foraging and playing guitar. 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lubin, and please feel free to ask him any questions you have this week!

- Tayler

------------------------------
Tayler Gant, DO, MS
Pathology Resident, PGY4
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
------------------------------

Hi Dr. Lubin! What made you decide to pursue a career in academia? Do you have any advice for residents who are considering whether they should go into academia, private practice, or industry positions?

Hi Tayler, good question! The field of head and neck pathology has changed substantially even in the limited time I've been practicing. In particular, we have seen a number of unique salivary gland and sinonasal tumors with distinct molecular profiles described in just the past few years. It's a very fun time to be practicing pathology in general, but it's a lot to keep up with! 

For trainees who might be interested in doing head and neck path, I'll start with some general tips. First, it helps to utilize a wide range of resources. Hopefully you will be able to get access to up-to-date books through your department, but if not, investing in one H+N path specific book will be worth your time. And of course I'd recommend reading and studying from the WHO blue book. There are also a number of excellent free resources online, including a number of fantastic lectures on various head and neck topics available on YouTube.

Beyond that, it is helpful to see as many distinct entities as possible for yourself, as pics in books and lectures can only take you so far. It's like the difference between reading about somebody and actually meeting them in the flesh.  Unfortunately, a lot of our tumors are exceedingly rare and may not come up during your standard rotation. So if you have access to educational slide sets, definitely take advantage of them. If you can, I would recommend searching your institution's database to find as many examples of different tumors as possible. When I decided to pursue H+N path as a resident at Penn, I was able to look through years worth of cases and pull examples of a number of rare and exotic tumors salivary gland tumors in particular, and seeing real-life examples while reading about them really helped me solidify my understanding of them.

I'd also recommend reaching out to any mentors who can help you develop your interest in H+N path. Make sure to ask if you can get involved in any projects if that appeals to you. And while original research is always appealing, don't pass up the opportunity to work on review articles and book chapters! These are particularly useful for trainees because they force you to dive deep into the literature about a broad subject area. 

Finally, I'll put a plug in for the North American Society of Head and Neck Pathlology. Trainee membership is free! You will get access to a number of educational materials and mentoring, and you can also apply for a yearly stipend which can cover a one-month rotation at an outside institution of your choosing.

Regarding navigating pitfalls and challenges in day to day practice, beyond making sure you are as knowledgeable as possible, there are two somewhat related qualities I'd recommend cultivating- humility and flexibility. Humility because we are most dangerous when we work from an area of pride. When you start practicing, you'll find plenty of tumors that don't behave the books histologically, and when you are overly confident based on a handful of cases you've seen (e.g. "that's not what NUT carcinomas look like, so no need to order that stain") you will fail to include all possibilities into a differential. So keep an open mind! And listen to your gut! If you are uncomfortable signing something out a certain way, it's probably for good reason. Make sure you have excluded all possibilities before releasing the report, show the case around, and don't be afraid to give a non-definitive diagnosis. Better to get a rebiopsy or send for confirmatory molecular testing than to send a patient down the wrong treatment path. Flexibility helps because it will help you change your diagnostic approach as our understanding of tumors develops. Don't be that person who refuses to adapt in the face of evidence that how you practice is wrong! 

Thank you, Dr. Lubin, for joining us this week! I'll start off this session with a question that myself and other fellow co-residents have: 

What advice would you offer to trainees interested in pursuing a career in head & neck pathology, considering the increasing complexity and advancements in the field? As well as advice you would give regarding how to navigate pitfalls and challenges on a day-to-day basis.

Hello everyone! 

We are so excited to have Dr. Daniel Lubin as our featured AMA guest for this week! Dr. Lubin is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Emory University (soon to be promoted to Associate Professor in August), where he primarily signs out Head and Neck Pathology, Cytopathology, and Placenta Pathology. His research predominantly involves salivary gland and thyroid neoplasia. Outside of medicine, he is a new father and his hobbies include mushroom foraging and playing guitar. 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lubin, and please feel free to ask him any questions you have this week!

- Tayler

------------------------------
Tayler Gant, DO, MS
Pathology Resident, PGY4
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
------------------------------

Hi Tayler, good question! The field of head and neck pathology has changed substantially even in the limited time I've been practicing. In particular, we have seen a number of unique salivary gland and sinonasal tumors with distinct molecular profiles described in just the past few years. It's a very fun time to be practicing pathology in general, but it's a lot to keep up with! 

For trainees who might be interested in doing head and neck path, I'll start with some general tips. First, it helps to utilize a wide range of resources. Hopefully you will be able to get access to up-to-date books through your department, but if not, investing in one H+N path specific book will be worth your time. And of course I'd recommend reading and studying from the WHO blue book. There are also a number of excellent free resources online, including a number of fantastic lectures on various head and neck topics available on YouTube.

Beyond that, it is helpful to see as many distinct entities as possible for yourself, as pics in books and lectures can only take you so far. It's like the difference between reading about somebody and actually meeting them in the flesh.  Unfortunately, a lot of our tumors are exceedingly rare and may not come up during your standard rotation. So if you have access to educational slide sets, definitely take advantage of them. If you can, I would recommend searching your institution's database to find as many examples of different tumors as possible. When I decided to pursue H+N path as a resident at Penn, I was able to look through years worth of cases and pull examples of a number of rare and exotic tumors salivary gland tumors in particular, and seeing real-life examples while reading about them really helped me solidify my understanding of them.

I'd also recommend reaching out to any mentors who can help you develop your interest in H+N path. Make sure to ask if you can get involved in any projects if that appeals to you. And while original research is always appealing, don't pass up the opportunity to work on review articles and book chapters! These are particularly useful for trainees because they force you to dive deep into the literature about a broad subject area. 

Finally, I'll put a plug in for the North American Society of Head and Neck Pathlology. Trainee membership is free! You will get access to a number of educational materials and mentoring, and you can also apply for a yearly stipend which can cover a one-month rotation at an outside institution of your choosing.

Regarding navigating pitfalls and challenges in day to day practice, beyond making sure you are as knowledgeable as possible, there are two somewhat related qualities I'd recommend cultivating- humility and flexibility. Humility because we are most dangerous when we work from an area of pride. When you start practicing, you'll find plenty of tumors that don't behave the books histologically, and when you are overly confident based on a handful of cases you've seen (e.g. "that's not what NUT carcinomas look like, so no need to order that stain") you will fail to include all possibilities into a differential. So keep an open mind! And listen to your gut! If you are uncomfortable signing something out a certain way, it's probably for good reason. Make sure you have excluded all possibilities before releasing the report, show the case around, and don't be afraid to give a non-definitive diagnosis. Better to get a rebiopsy or send for confirmatory molecular testing than to send a patient down the wrong treatment path. Flexibility helps because it will help you change your diagnostic approach as our understanding of tumors develops. Don't be that person who refuses to adapt in the face of evidence that how you practice is wrong! 

Thank you, Dr. Lubin, for joining us this week! I'll start off this session with a question that myself and other fellow co-residents have: 

What advice would you offer to trainees interested in pursuing a career in head & neck pathology, considering the increasing complexity and advancements in the field? As well as advice you would give regarding how to navigate pitfalls and challenges on a day-to-day basis.

Hello everyone! 

We are so excited to have Dr. Daniel Lubin as our featured AMA guest for this week! Dr. Lubin is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Emory University (soon to be promoted to Associate Professor in August), where he primarily signs out Head and Neck Pathology, Cytopathology, and Placenta Pathology. His research predominantly involves salivary gland and thyroid neoplasia. Outside of medicine, he is a new father and his hobbies include mushroom foraging and playing guitar. 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lubin, and please feel free to ask him any questions you have this week!

- Tayler

------------------------------
Tayler Gant, DO, MS
Pathology Resident, PGY4
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
------------------------------

Hello everyone! 

We are so excited to have Dr. Daniel Lubin as our featured AMA guest for this week! Dr. Lubin is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Emory University (soon to be promoted to Associate Professor in August), where he primarily signs out Head and Neck Pathology, Cytopathology, and Placenta Pathology. His research predominantly involves salivary gland and thyroid neoplasia. Outside of medicine, he is a new father and his hobbies include mushroom foraging and playing guitar. 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lubin, and please feel free to ask him any questions you have this week!

- Tayler

------------------------------
Tayler Gant
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
West Hollywood CA
------------------------------

Hi Dr. Lubin! Thanks for letting us pick your brain- congratulations on both of your new roles! How do you carve out time for personal life while staying productive in academia? It seems like carrying work to our homes is sometimes unavoidable.

Hello everyone! 

We are so excited to have Dr. Daniel Lubin as our featured AMA guest for this week! Dr. Lubin is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Emory University (soon to be promoted to Associate Professor in August), where he primarily signs out Head and Neck Pathology, Cytopathology, and Placenta Pathology. His research predominantly involves salivary gland and thyroid neoplasia. Outside of medicine, he is a new father and his hobbies include mushroom foraging and playing guitar. 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lubin, and please feel free to ask him any questions you have this week!

- Tayler

------------------------------
Tayler Gant
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
West Hollywood CA
------------------------------

Hi Dr. Lubin! Thanks for letting us pick your brain- congratulations on both of your new roles! How do you carve out time for personal life while staying productive in academia? It seems like carrying work to our homes is sometimes unavoidable.

Hello everyone! 

We are so excited to have Dr. Daniel Lubin as our featured AMA guest for this week! Dr. Lubin is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Emory University (soon to be promoted to Associate Professor in August), where he primarily signs out Head and Neck Pathology, Cytopathology, and Placenta Pathology. His research predominantly involves salivary gland and thyroid neoplasia. Outside of medicine, he is a new father and his hobbies include mushroom foraging and playing guitar. 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lubin, and please feel free to ask him any questions you have this week!

- Tayler

------------------------------
Tayler Gant
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
West Hollywood CA
------------------------------

Hi Sri,

I am probably not the best person to answer the work/life balance question, because I know plenty of folks who are better at separating the two and are more productive at both 😅! Here are my thoughts, though. 

Firstly, I know it's not the most popular thing to say, but as a resident, in my opinion your work/life balance should be far more skewed toward work. This is a precious time where you will be able to learn without putting people's health at risk, and you should take advantage of it! I don't know anybody who started their first job and said "Boy, I wish I had studied less during residency." Having said that, of course you need to carve out time for the beautiful world outside of the hospital. My way of balancing work/life as a resident was I made it a point to not work on Saturdays. That gave me one day every week to just do whatever the heck I wanted to do. I could then spend my Sundays reading or doing research. I found having a set time to unplug helpful.

As an attending, I've had some trouble separating work/life because now I have a wife and family. So my weekends and evenings are no longer my own, and that's great! But in order to be as productive as I'd like to be and stay on top of my reading, I need to be as efficient as possible at work, so I can take full advantage of my off service time. So that means trying my best to limit distractions, not an easy thing to do in an age where we all keep addictive attention-destroyers in our pockets. Like I said, I'm not the best at it, so I feel foolish even pretending I am in a position to provide advice. One huge thing I did recently, though, was get off certain toxic social media sites and delete their apps from my phone. That's been pretty good for my sanity regardless of what it's done for my productivity. 

Hi Dr. Lubin! Thanks for letting us pick your brain- congratulations on both of your new roles! How do you carve out time for personal life while staying productive in academia? It seems like carrying work to our homes is sometimes unavoidable.

Hello everyone! 

We are so excited to have Dr. Daniel Lubin as our featured AMA guest for this week! Dr. Lubin is currently an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Emory University (soon to be promoted to Associate Professor in August), where he primarily signs out Head and Neck Pathology, Cytopathology, and Placenta Pathology. His research predominantly involves salivary gland and thyroid neoplasia. Outside of medicine, he is a new father and his hobbies include mushroom foraging and playing guitar. 

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lubin, and please feel free to ask him any questions you have this week!

- Tayler

------------------------------
Tayler Gant
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
West Hollywood CA
------------------------------