A survey-based evaluation of dermatopathology in the United States

A survey-based assessment of dermatopathologists (DPs) regarding their workload, job satisfaction, and compensation has not been previously undertaken. We e-mailed approximately 1000 DPs in the United States requesting them to complete an anonymous and confidential 20-question online survey and received 110 replies. Not all answered each of the questions posed, however. Some of the responses were stratified with regard to the nature of the DPs' practice, that is, academic versus private. DPs with training in pathology, dermatology, or both comprised 64, 36, and 9 respondents, respectively. Seventy-one DPs were in private practice with 35 employed by academic institutions. DPs expressed a high degree of job satisfaction with 88% (30) of academics and 83% (59) of private practitioners stating that they were very or somewhat satisfied with their practice. Average annual compensation for DPs in private practice was $525K and $366K for those in academics. This may relate to the larger percentage of private DPs signing out 10,000 or more cases annually compared with academic DPs (59% vs. 22%). These yearly compensation figures are greater than available estimates for dermatologists or pathologists and most other medical disciplines.