The outlook in dermpath remains solid. Medicare cuts threaten to cut perhaps about 25% of reimbursements. However, the volume still remains high, and overall compensation can still be lucrative. This does depend on practice settings, and the emergence of commercial and large private practice groups has created a monopoly in many areas.
As a dermatology-trained dermatopathologist, opportunities exist to be the dermpath for a group of dermatologists, where you would have around 1 day of clinic a week. These opportunities also exist in academics, where the number of clinic days can be negotiable (from no clinic to some clinic). Of course, the salary in academics is different than private practice.
Dermpath is an integral part of any dermatology training program. Find out early during your training if this is something you'd like to pursue, as fellowship spots are few, and obtaining one is quite competitive.
